NFL New York Jets

Firing Rex Ryan and John Idzik Was Correct Move From New York Jets

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By @GregSulik

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Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

In a completely expected move, the New York Jets fired both embattled general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan Monday morning.

The pair was responsible for both last season’s 8-8 campaign and this year’s supremely disappointing 4-12 performance. Owner Woody Johnson made the decision to clean house, which was really the only move to be made and was absolutely the correct one.

Idzik’s failures as a GM have been well documented, and the only two major contributors he has brought into the organization are Sheldon Richardson and Chris Ivory. The decision to draft Geno Smith has been a failure, while Idzik failed to use the cap space available to him to shore up other areas of key need.

Perhaps his biggest blunder was his handling of the cornerback position this offseason, when he failed to bring in a starting caliber veteran despite over $30 million in cap space at the start of free agency.

What has damned Idzik more than anything, however, is his inability to draft the right players. Richardson is the only one of 19 players drafted by Idzik to have made an immediate impact, though there are still high hopes for the likes of Dee Milliner, Jace Amaro, Dexter McDougle, Brian Winters, and Tommy Bohanon. That draft record simply isn’t good enough, and it has left the Jets devoid of talent.

Idzik was not prepared to handle a GM role, and firing him was the right move.

There was a lot more debate on whether or not Ryan should be let go, as he is an enormously popular figure among the players and the fans, and many feel that he wasn’t given enough talent to succeed. Those people are right to an extent, but Ryan also failed to develop two highly drafted quarterbacks. He may be a great defensive coach, but head coaches need to be able to handle themselves on both sides of the ball.

At the end of the day, the decision to fire Ryan comes down to these facts. He had missed the playoffs for four straight seasons, including three sub-.500 years. The Jets had only won 10 or more games once in six years under him, and Ryan’s career record is 46-50. Those numbers are unacceptable at the NFL level, and it was the right time for the Jets to move.

Expect plenty more firings to follow in the coaching staff and the front office, and Johnson and the Jets are doing the right thing by rebuilding the organization under new leadership. There can’t be any mistakes in the hiring process, which is why Johnson has brought in Ron Wolf and Charley Casserly as consultants.

It remains to be seen who will replace Ryan and Idzik, but there is no doubt that firing them was the right thing to do and is in the Jets’ best long term interest.

Greg Sulik is a New York Jets writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GregSulik or add him to your network on Google.

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