Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After three weeks of searching for the perfect fit for their GM job, the New York Jets have found their man.
Seattle Seahawks vice president of football administration John Idzik is the new Jets general manager, as confirmed by the team. The Jets made their decision on Thursday and the two sides agreed to a contract on Friday.
Idzik, who spent the last six seasons in Seattle, has a wide array of experience in football as a player, a coach and as a front office executive over the last 20 years.
Idzik comes from a football family. His father John Sr. was a coach in the NFL and has a Super Bowl ring from his days with the Super Bowl V champion Baltimore Colts.
The younger Idzik has a Super Bowl ring himself from his days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent 11 years with the Bucs, eventually working his way up to assistant general manager.
Idzik next went to the Arizona Cardinals, where he was the senior director of football operations and was a part of the front office that helped build the Cardinals team that made a memorable run to Super Bowl XLIII.
Idzik’s first order of business with the Jets will be managing the salary cap and getting the team in an advantageous spot to make sweeping changes in player personnel. It’s no easy task, but Idzik is ready for the challenge.
“I am very grateful [to be] welcomed as a member of the Jets family,” he said. “I am eager to get started building on the foundation that is already in place.”
Over the last two decades, Idzik has spent a lot of time negotiating player contracts and managing the cap, which is a strong skill to have. But despite that area of expertise, he is more than just a cap specialist.
Idzik was involved in every part of the Seahawks’ operations, from contract negotiations to player scouting and evaluation. He’s spent time doing everything from scouting college players in person to managing the cap.
The signing of Idzik as GM is a great first step to rebuilding a Jets team that is looking to get back in the postseason in 2013 after watching it from home the last two years.
This is an excellent move, getting a guy who’s seen it all and been successful with three different organizations. The Jets are in good hands with John Idzik.
Jon Presser is www.RantSports.com’s New York Jets Lead Columnist
Follow him on Twitter @metsjetsnets88
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