NEW YORK JETS DAILY CLIPS

December 30, 2014

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Table of Contents

ASSOCIATED PRESS ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Jets fire coach Rex Ryan, GM John Idzik (Dennis Waszak) ........................................................................................ 3

Jets owner says he'd 'love' to have Revis back (Dennis Waszak) .............................................................................. 5

Ryan's Jets tenure filled with memorable moments (Dennis Waszak) ..................................................................... 6

NEWSDAY .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Woody Johnson fires Rex Ryan, John Idzik as Jets head in new direction (Kimberley Martin) ................................. 7

Woody Johnson on Revis: 'I'd love Darrelle to come back' (Kimberley Martin) ....................................................... 9

The job market for Rex Ryan (Bob Glauber) ............................................................................................................ 10

Rex Ryan's firing leaves Jets players profoundly sad (Will Sammon) ...................................................................... 10

Woody Johnson has two good men blocking for him (Bob Glauber) ...................................................................... 11

Jets possible head-coaching and general manager candidates (Bob Glauber) ....................................................... 13

THE RECORD ........................................................................................................................................................ 14

Jets fire coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................... 14

Jets: Rex Ryan timeline (J.P. Pelzman) ..................................................................................................................... 15

Sullivan: Woody owns up to his Jets mess (Tara Sullivan) ...................................................................................... 16

Jets coaching candidates ......................................................................................................................................... 18

Jets general manager candidates ............................................................................................................................ 18

Giants and Jets will play in 2015 regular season ..................................................................................................... 19

Jets owner Woody Johnson could face tampering charge (J.P. Pelzman) ............................................................... 19

NJ ADVANCE MEDIA ............................................................................................................................................ 20

Could Woody Johnson be fined by NFL for saying he wants Darrelle Revis to return to Jets? (Darryl Slater) ........ 20

5 executives Jets owner Woody Johnson should consider to replace general manager John Idzik (Darryl Slater) 21

Jets make it official: Rex Ryan and John Idzik are fired. Will firings in scouting department follow? (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 23

Geno Smith wants Percy Harvin to play for Jets in 2015, but will Smith be Harvin's quarterback? (Darryl Slater) 24

Jets request permission to speak with Vikings' George Paton, Seahawks' Trent Kirchner for general manager opening (Darryl Slater) ............................................................................................................................................ 25

Did Jets' Geno Smith really skip a meeting on Rex Ryan and John Idzik's last day? (Darryl Slater) ........................ 26

Maybe Jets owner Woody Johnson is actually taking the correct approach this time | Politi (Steve Politi) .......... 26

Read Woody Johnson's letter to Jets season ticket holders after he fired Rex Ryan, John Idzik (Darryl Slater) ..... 28

Jets' Woody Johnson says he screwed up by making apparent tampering comments about Darrelle Revis (Darryl Slater) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 28

Jets' Woody Johnson thinks Rex Ryan will get another job immediately (Darryl Slater) ........................................ 29

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Bill Belichick expects Jets' Woody Johnson to face tampering probe for Darrelle Revis comments (Darryl Slater) ................................................................................................................................................................................. 30

Black Monday 2015: Rounding up all of our coverage as Jets' Woody Johnson fires Rex Ryan and John Idzik (Darryl Slater) .......................................................................................................................................................... 30

Jets ask permission to speak with Vikings' George Paton, Seahawks' Trent Kirchner for general manager job (Darryl Slater) .......................................................................................................................................................... 31

Here is Jets owner Woody Johnson's statement on firings of Rex Ryan and John Idzik (Dom Cosentino) ............. 32

A look at Rex Ryan's most entertaining moments as Jets head coach (Dom Cosentino) ........................................ 32

What's next for Rex Ryan now that Jets have fired him? (Dom Cosentino) ............................................................ 35

Dan Quinn, Seahawks' defensive coordinator and Morristown native, to interview with Jets (Dom Cosentino) .. 35

Antonio Cromartie's wife praises Rex Ryan after his firing from Jets (Dom Cosentino) ......................................... 36

NEW YORK POST .................................................................................................................................................. 37

Jets clean house, firing Ryan and Idzik (Brian Costello) .......................................................................................... 37

Jets owner: Rex didn’t win enough, Idzik didn’t spend enough (Brian Costello) .................................................... 38

Woody Johnson ‘tampers’ with Revis, and it may cost him (Brian Costello) .......................................................... 39

Geno Smith asks incoming Jets brass for ‘chance to compete’ (Dan Martin) ......................................................... 40

Jets made overtures to Michigan-bound Jim Harbaugh (Brian Costello) ................................................................ 41

Woody can deliver ultimate gift: A championship coach in Saban (Mike Vaccaro) ................................................ 42

Hey, Woody, stand back and let football men repair Jets (Steve Serby) ................................................................ 43

The watch begins: 5 possible coaches and GMs for Jets (Brian Costello) ............................................................... 45

‘It was rough, man': Rex Ryan speaks to cap his whirlwind day (Mark Cannizzaro) ............................................... 46

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 48

After firing John Idzik and Rex Ryan, Woody Johnson gets chance to show he’s not to blame for Jets circus (Mike Lupica) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 48

Mike Shanahan, Josh McDaniels and Pep Hamilton among names that could replace Rex Ryan as Jets head coach (Manish Mehta) ....................................................................................................................................................... 49

NY Jets to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in Seattle Friday for vacant coaching job (Manish Mehta) ....................................................................................................................................................... 50

Rex Ryan leaves NY Jets in silence after loud, boisterous career with Gang Green (Manish Mehta) ..................... 51

With John Idzik gone, NY Jets QB job no guarantee for Geno Smith (Seth Walder) ............................................... 52

NY Jets should hire Scott Pioli and Adam Gase (Gary Myers) ................................................................................. 53

Rex Ryan and John Idzik fired as Jets owner Woody Johnson opts to start over (Manish Mehta) ......................... 55

Jets fans behind ‘Fire John Idzik’ website thank Woody Johnson ‘for doing the right thing’ (John Healy) ............. 57

With John Idzik fired, here are 10 candidates to be the next Jets GM (Manish Mehta) ......................................... 57

NEW YORK TIMES ................................................................................................................................................ 58

Rex Ryan and John Idzik Fired as Jets Begin Overhaul (Ben Shpigel) ...................................................................... 58

Rex Ryan Might Find Studio a Good Fit (Richard Sandomir) ................................................................................... 62

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Silver Spoons, Few Trophies (Harvey Araton) ......................................................................................................... 63

Woody Johnson Wants Darrelle Revis to Return. Oops, Sorry. (Ben Shpigel) ......................................................... 65

WALL STREET JOURNAL ....................................................................................................................................... 65

New York Jets Fire Head Coach Ryan, General Manager Idzik (Stu Woo) ............................................................... 65

Jets’ Rex Ryan Lost His Way, and His Job (Stu Woo) ............................................................................................... 67

Jets Tend to Get Defensive With Coaches (Andrew Beaton) .................................................................................. 69

ESPN NEW YORK .................................................................................................................................................. 69

Jets fire John Idzik, Rex Ryan (Rich Cimini) .............................................................................................................. 69

Rapid Reaction: Rex Ryan and John Idzik, an arranged marriage that failed (Rich Cimini) ..................................... 71

Jets describe 'feeling of sadness' after Rex Ryan is fired (Danny Knobler) ............................................................. 72

Geno Smith gets vote of confidence from Jets owner Woody Johnson (Danny Knobler) ...................................... 74

Woody Johnson, bumbling billionaire (Ian O’Connor) ............................................................................................ 75

Jets owner on Revis: 'I'd love Darrelle to come back' (Rich Cimini) ........................................................................ 77

Jets owner: 'Misspoke' on Pats' Revis (Rich Cimini) ................................................................................................ 78

METRO NEW YORK .............................................................................................................................................. 79

FireJohnIdzik.com celebrates Jets moves (Kristian Dyer) ........................................................................................ 79

Jets source: Fans were heard by Woody Johnson (Kristian Dyer) ........................................................................... 80

John Idzik's tenure with Jets short and unsuccessful (Kristian Dyer) ...................................................................... 80

Rex Ryan never lost Jets locker room (Kristian Dyer) .............................................................................................. 81

MONDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS .................................................................................................................... 82

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets fire coach Rex Ryan, GM John Idzik (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 29, 2014

http://pro32.ap.org/article/jets-fire-coach-rex-ryan-gm-john-idzik

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Woody Johnson was tired of all the losing, the four straight seasons without going to the playoffs.

So, the New York Jets owner decided to completely clean house.

Johnson fired coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik on Monday, one day after completing one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.

"We're in the win business, and we're not winning," Johnson said at a jam-packed news conference at the team's facility. "So, I thought this was something I had to do."

With the Jets (4-12) sitting home for the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, Johnson chose to start fresh with a new coach and GM — and said the team already contacted the top candidates on his short list.

He wouldn't reveal who they are, but Johnson made it clear he wants a head coach who is a presence in all three aspects of the team — offense, defense and special teams — which was a frequent criticism of

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the defensive-minded Ryan. He also indicated that the next general manager should have a strong background in personnel, which was regarded as one of Idzik's shortcomings.

"It became pretty apparent during the season as we progressed that the team was not getting better," Johnson said. "It was kind of obvious that we had to make change. It was obvious to me, anyway."

He met with Ryan and Idzik on Monday morning after "extensive thought and reflection" and informed them they would not be returning.

Ryan was 50-52, including 4-2 in the postseason, in his six seasons with the Jets. His first few years were filled with guarantees, strong statements and two consecutive trips to the AFC title game.

"It was a long run and I think he had a tremendous impact," Johnson said. "He made the team relevant in some respects."

But, in the end, there were not enough wins to back up all the big talk.

"Rex was fully prepared," Johnson said. "He was fine with it."

Ryan met with his players for a final time and showed them a video of highlights of the team, and then thanked them for their efforts.

"I think everybody had the same emotion," left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson said. "A feeling of sadness, a feeling of loss."

Idzik lasted just two seasons after replacing the fired Mike Tannenbaum in 2013. Johnson credited Idzik for helping the Jets get out of a tough salary cap situation, but the former GM was heavily criticized this year for questionable draft and free agency decisions.

"That was a tough decision," Johnson said. "Only two years, but I had to make it."

Now, the Jets will be looking for a general manager and coach for the first time since Johnson promoted Tannenbaum and hired Eric Mangini in 2006.

Charley Casserly, a former NFL GM and current NFL Network analyst, and former NFL GM Ron Wolf are being hired by Johnson as consultants. Johnson called them "respected football experts" and they will assist him in making the new hires.

Ryan was retained after last season despite an 8-8 finish, and the fact that he wasn't Idzik's hand-picked coach when the GM was hired. It was an unusual union, widely criticized in NFL circles, since a condition set by Johnson during the interview process was that the new GM would have to keep Ryan as his coach.

The outgoing Ryan and tight-lipped Idzik made for an odd couple, but they worked through their personality differences to try to put a winning team on the field. Idzik signed Eric Decker, Michael Vick and Chris Johnson last offseason, but whiffed on a few others in his two seasons such as Mike Goodson and Dimitri Patterson.

His trade of cornerback Darrelle Revis when he was hired, and the team not actively pursuing him last offseason was a point of contention among fans, especially as the Jets struggled mightily in the secondary this season.

Idzik's draft picks have also been widely criticized since only six of his 19 selections in his two years — Sheldon Richardson, Geno Smith, Oday Aboushi, Calvin Pryor, Jace Amaro and Trevor Reilly — have played regularly this season. Five are no longer even on the team.

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The Jets won their season opener against Oakland, but then lost eight straight and Smith was benched after struggling mightily to start his second NFL season. A midseason trade for Percy Harvin came a bit too late as the team dropped out of the playoff picture.

Fans began to grow increasingly frustrated — with a lot of their criticism aimed at Idzik. The general manager's midseason news conference in which he rambled at times during a 19-minute opening statement did little to win over disgruntled fans.

A few flew banners above the team's practice facility, urging Johnson to fire the GM. Others started a website and received donations to put up billboards near MetLife Stadium and distribute yellow towels in hopes the Jets would make wholesale changes.

They got their wish.

"I work for the fans, but I don't listen to the fans," Johnson insisted.

Ryan helped make the Jets one of the most talked-about teams in the NFL. Now, Johnson will try to make them a winner again — with a new coach and general manager.

"This is very, very critical right now," Johnson said. "We've got to make good decisions."

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Jets owner says he'd 'love' to have Revis back (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 29, 2014

http://pro32.ap.org/article/jets-owner-says-hed-love-have-revis-back

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Woody Johnson is open to bringing back Darrelle Revis.

One problem for the New York Jets owner: The Pro Bowl cornerback is under contract for another year with the New England Patriots.

During his news conference Monday to announce the firings of coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik, Johnson was asked about not being able to sign Revis last offseason. Johnson said he didn't think he could land him, based on his previous experience with Revis' agents.

"Darrelle's a great player," Johnson said. "I'd love to have Darrelle come back."

Because Revis, who spent his first six seasons with the Jets, is on another team's roster, the Jets owner could be accused of tampering. An NFL spokesman declined comment when asked if the league might look into Johnson's comments.

A team media relations staffer tried to intercept the initial question by saying Johnson couldn't comment — but the Jets owner went ahead and spoke about the team's first-round draft pick in 2007. New York traded him to Tampa Bay in 2013, and Idzik drafted Sheldon Richardson with one of the picks the Jets acquired from the Buccaneers.

"There's a lot of emphasis on one player," Johnson said. "We made a trade with the Buccaneers and we got a one and a three. We got a fairly good player in return for that, I would say."

Revis became a free agent last offseason when the Buccaneers cut him because of his hefty contract, and it appeared he could be a fit for the cornerback-needy Jets.

Instead, Revis signed with the Patriots for a deal worth $12 million this season. Revis was selected for the Pro Bowl, while the Jets mixed and matched several players at cornerback on a defense that struggled with its secondary.

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"If I had thought I could have gotten Darrelle for that, I probably would have taken him back," Johnson said. "It was our best judgment to do what we did."

The second year of Revis' deal is a team option that would pay him $20 million next season with a monstrous cap hit of $25 million. So, Revis could potentially become a free agent again if the Patriots don't renegotiate.

And that could potentially give Johnson and the Jets another chance to bring back one of the franchise's most successful players.

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Ryan's Jets tenure filled with memorable moments (Dennis Waszak) Associated Press December 29, 2014

http://pro32.ap.org/article/ryans-jets-tenure-filled-memorable-moments

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — From the moment Rex Ryan first strolled through the door, it was clear things would be different around the New York Jets.

He was a larger-than-life character with a mouth that matched his size and swagger, starting with his declaration at his introductory news conference that his team would soon meet the president as Super Bowl champions.

It never happened for Ryan and the Jets, and the losing eventually outweighed everything else, as owner Woody Johnson fired the popular and sometimes-controversial coach after six seasons on Monday, along with general manager John Idzik.

While Ryan's coaching decisions and no-holds-barred approach were often criticized, he could never be accused of being boring. Here are just a few of the seemingly endless entertaining moments that made Ryan's time as Jets coach one of the most-talked about NFL tenures in recent memory:

HERE'S REX: It took Ryan only a few seconds into his first news conference to win over Jets fans with talk of winning Super Bowls, fielding a tough team and changing the way outsiders looked at the franchise. "The message to the rest of the league is," Ryan said, "hey, the Jets are coming, and we're going to give you everything we've got, and that's going to be, I think, more than you can handle."

LORD OF THE RINGS: Never one to back down from a challenge, Ryan made it clear that he was aiming for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots when he declared during a radio interview that he didn't come to New York to "kiss Belichick's rings." Well, Ryan won just four of 13 meetings with Belichick's Patriots, who were AFC East champions during all six years of Ryan's tenure.

WHOOPS: Ryan mistakenly announced the Jets were out of the playoff hunt in 2009 moments after they lost to Atlanta. Only problem? New York was still alive — barely. The Jets won their last two games of the season to squeak into the playoffs and go on the first of two straight runs to the AFC title game.

SNACK TIME!: Ryan and the Jets were naturals on HBO's "Hard Knocks" in 2010, and the colorful coach delivered perhaps the line of the entire documentary series during a team meeting the night before a preseason game. Upset by his team's lack of professionalism on the practice field, Ryan lit into his players with an expletive-laced tirade — he had quite a few of those — and capped it by demanding everyone eat a snack.

REX-PLICIT: Ryan's foul mouth got him into plenty of trouble. After flipping off a fan at an MMA event in Miami in 2010, Ryan was fined $50,000. He shouted a profanity while walking off the field in New England

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the next year and was fined $75,000. Ryan got docked $100,000 earlier this season when he shouted another expletive to someone on the field at the end of the Jets' win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

PERSONAL MATTER: When suggestive online videos surfaced in 2010 that appeared to feature Ryan and his wife, gossip and entertainment news outlets flocked to Florham Park to ask the coach about them. Ryan, clearly embarrassed, repeatedly replied: "It's a personal matter," while never confirming or denying whether he and his wife were in the leaked videos.

TATT'S ALL: The coach showed up for the first day of training camp practice in 2011 sporting a tribal-style tattoo on his right calf, something he got while he on vacation in Hawaii earlier that summer. Turned out, Ryan was only getting started. While on vacation in January 2013, Ryan was photographed with a tattoo on his right arm featuring his wife wearing a Mark Sanchez No. 6 Jets jersey.

SKINNY REX: Tattoos weren't the only thing Ryan changed on his body while with the Jets. The once-portly coach weighed nearly 350 pounds during his first season, but he underwent Lap-Band surgery in March 2010 and has lost over 110 pounds — and counting — since.

WIGGING OUT: Rex Ryan pulled off a perfect Rob Ryan, making fun of his twin brother during a news conference in 2010. With the Jets preparing to play the Browns, for whom Rob was the defensive coordinator, Rex walked to the podium wearing a blond wig, Browns baseball cap and T-shirt and stuffed a pillow under his shirt to imitate his brother's ample stomach. He then answered questions as if he were Rob: "I think Rex is a great coach and I think he's a great person. There's no question about that. He's very handsome."

SOON-TO-BE CHAMPS: Ryan often boasted that he believed the Jets would win a Super Bowl. During training camp in 2010, he put his guarantee in writing when he scribbled "Soon to be Champs" on ESPN's tour bus in Cortland, New York. Well, the Jets finished a win from the Super Bowl that season, and fans are still waiting.

RUNNING WITH BULLS: Ryan spent part of his summer vacation in 2013 running from angry bulls, participating in the running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain. Ryan was photographed wearing white pants, a red T-shirt with a picture of a bull in the middle — with the words "Bad Toro" printed underneath — and a red bandanna around his neck.

SIDEWAYS: Ryan was peppered with questions regarding his doomed decision to replace Geno Smith by putting Sanchez into a preseason game in the fourth quarter in 2013 — which resulted in the quarterback suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. An angry and defiant Ryan turned his back to a reporter at one point. "I can say anything I want. That's the beauty of this country. I can answer it 100 times. I'll stand backward and answer the question. I'm going sideways."

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NEWSDAY

Woody Johnson fires Rex Ryan, John Idzik as Jets head in new direction (Kimberley Martin) Newsday December 29, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/rex-ryan-gm-john-idzik-fired-by-jets-1.9755562

Woody Johnson felt he had no choice.

After four years of failed expectations and postseason irrelevancy, his organization had come to a crossroad. And the only way he could fix his franchise was to clean house.

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His announcement Monday morning that he had decided to fire coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik came a day after the Jets won their season finale in Miami. But the moves were not surprising, given the Jets' 4-12 record.

"We're in the win business and we're not winning. So I think this was something I had to do,'' Johnson said during a news conference at the team's facility. " . . . It was kind of obvious that we had to make the change. It was obvious to me, anyway.''

Simply put, Ryan didn't win enough and Idzik didn't spend enough or make the personnel moves needed to create the "sustainable success'' they often preached. But Johnson shouldered the blame for the state of his team and noted "this is a very, very critical [time] right now. We've got to make some good decisions. We have to structure it properly.''

And with the help of consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, both former NFL general managers, Johnson believes he's on the right track.

The trio already has assembled a list of head coaching candidates. Johnson said he'll listen to input from his new GM, but he'll make the final call.

Sources said the Jets have scheduled an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in Seattle on Friday and have requested permission to interview Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner.

It's unclear whether the new coach will want to retain any of Ryan's assistants or if he'll believe as strongly in Geno Smith as the old regime did. But Johnson expressed confidence in the second-year quarterback. "He's a young quarterback who, in the last five games, has gotten much, much better. The last five games, he's played pretty well. Yesterday, he had a perfect game,'' he said of Smith, who had a career day in the Jets' 37-24 win over the Dolphins. "He'll make better decisions as he moves on. I have confidence in Geno. I really think he could be good.''

The union of Ryan and Idzik was ill-fated from the start. They acted like partners who shared the same vision in front of the cameras, but behind closed doors, it was clear their arranged marriage didn't have a strong enough foundation to survive.

Johnson expressed regret in forcing Ryan on Idzik, saying: "If I could have smoothed it all out and could have gotten into the playoffs both those years, I would have felt better about it. It's tough to look back.''

Asked why he felt it was important to retain Ryan after last season, he said: "Those first two years, he was so phenomenal that we thought there was no reason to make that decision at that point.''

The owner couldn't say for sure if there was "a disconnect'' between his former coach and GM, "but I can tell you the ideal is to have a connect.''

Idzik unwittingly sealed his fate in the offseason when he failed to sign a starting-caliber cornerback and sat on a surplus of cash. "We were going to sign players that we didn't get signed,'' Johnson said. "So we reserved it for that, and maybe we should have spent more. Probably should have spent more.''

Two years is a short time for any GM to implement a long-term plan, but Idzik essentially became radioactive after his midseason review, which included a 19-minute monologue that offered no specifics about his efforts to improve the team.

Johnson praised Idzik for freeing the organization of the "fairly substantial'' salary-cap debt his predecessor Mike Tannenbaum left behind. But the owner promised his next GM will have more of a scouting and personnel background. Johnson also made it clear that he wasn't swayed by the anti-Idzik movement among the fan base. "I work for the fans,'' he said, "but I don't listen to the fans.''

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Idzik's departing statement was far more succinct than his midseason review. "I would like to thank Woody Johnson for the opportunity to work with so many fine individuals in the Jets organization and I wish them well going forward,'' he said.

Ryan single-handedly put the franchise back on the football map in 2009 with unabashed bravado and blitz-happy defenses that helped the Jets reach the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons. But exactly one year to the day after Johnson announced that Ryan would return -- Dec. 29, 2013 -- the ultimate players' coach was shown the door.

Before his final exit, Ryan shared a message with his players in the form of a video -- a highlight reel of key Jets plays from his six seasons with the team. "Every week, we see a game film before the game,'' left tackle and Freeport product D'Brickashaw Ferguson said. "I think this was like a final one.''

"He had a tremendous impact,'' Johnson said of Ryan, who was 46-50 in the regular season. "He made the team relevant in some respects.''

But as meteoric a rise as Ryan had in his first two seasons, that was as good as it got. From 2011-13, the Jets finished 8-8, 6-10 and 8-8, but few predicted such a dramatic drop-off in 2014.

Nevertheless, when asked what he would tell another NFL owner about Ryan, Johnson said: "I'd take him.''

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Woody Johnson on Revis: 'I'd love Darrelle to come back' (Kimberley Martin) Newsday December 29, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/woody-johnson-on-revis-i-d-love-darrelle-to-come-back-1.9756649

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Woody Johnson said he would "love" to see Revis Island return to New Jersey.

Shortly after firing coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik on Monday, Johnson made it clear that he'd welcome a reunion with Darrelle Revis.

There's just one problem with that: Revis plays for New England and is under contract with the Patriots through next season. That means Johnson and the Jets could be fined by the NFL for tampering.

After a member of the media asked Johnson about the Jets' refusal to target Revis during free agency last spring, the Jets' public relations director tried to remind everyone, including his owner, that the organization isn't allowed to comment on players on other teams. But Johnson still spoke of his interest in reacquiring Revis.

"I mean, Darrelle is a great player. And if I thought I could have gotten Darrelle for that [amount], I probably would have taken him," Johnson said, referring to the $12 million Revis earned this season with the Patriots. "It was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle's a good player. I'd love Darrelle to come back."

A portion of the league's anti-tampering policy states: "Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club's player to that player's agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of this Anti-Tampering Policy."

Even so, there's often little enforcement of the rule.

Hours later, Johnson backtracked on his choice of words.

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"I misspoke today when I commented on Darrelle Revis," he said through the Jets' Twitter account. "I would never interfere in the contractual relationship of a player with another team and should not have used those words. I called Robert Kraft this afternoon to emphasize those points."

When reached via email, an NFL spokesman said the league does not comment on issues related to tampering.

So why did Johnson assume he wouldn't have been able to lure the All-Pro cornerback back?

"Well, I guess my experience," he said, referring to the contract strife that existed for many years between the Jets and Revis, who staged a 36-day holdout in 2010. "My experience with his agents. So it would have been very hard."

As a first-year general manager in 2013, Idzik traded Revis to the Buccaneers in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, which the team used to select defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, and a conditional 2014 draft pick. After Revis' release from the Bucs last offseason, the Patriots signed him to a two-year, $32-million deal. The second year of the deal is a team option. Revis' 2015 cap hit would be $25 million.

Unlike the playoff-bound Patriots, the Jets stumbled to a 4-12 finish, and one of their issues was inconsistent cornerback play. Despite more than $21 million in salary-cap space last offseason, Idzik failed to sign any starting-caliber free-agent cornerbacks, even after injuries to Dee Milliner and Dexter McDougle during the preseason.

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The job market for Rex Ryan (Bob Glauber) Newsday December 29, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/the-job-market-for-rex-ryan-1.9757593

WHAT'S NEXT FOR REX?

So what does Rex Ryan do now that he's no longer coach of the Jets? He should have a few options:

TAKE ANOTHER HEAD-COACHING JOB

Ryan might draw interest in the current hiring cycle, even though he's coming off a 4-12 season. Many coaches succeed in a second try as a head coach -- Bill Belichick is the best example -- and Ryan could be in demand. The Falcons and Bears might consider him an option.

BECOME A DEFENSIVE COORDINATORRyan would be in demand if he didn't get a head coaching job and was willing to work as a defensive coordinator. He's still one of the brightest defensive minds in the game. But it might take a massive contract offer to lure him back to that role; he has expressed a desire to be a head coach, not an assistant.

GO INTO TELEVISIONTV executives have indicated that Ryan would be a big hit on television because of his genuine personality, quick wit and willingness to say whatever comes to mind. Many former coaches have gone into television at some point during their careers, most notably Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher. Former Jets coach Herm Edwards also is a TV analyst.

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Rex Ryan's firing leaves Jets players profoundly sad (Will Sammon) Newsday December 29, 2014

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http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/rex-ryan-s-firing-leaves-jets-players-profoundly-sad-1.9757637

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - It hardly was shocking, but the firing of Jets coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik on Monday left the team's players with a deep sense of sorrow.

With a 4-12 record and a fourth straight season without a playoff appearance, "the writing was on the wall," as center Nick Mangold said. Still, knowing weeks ago that an organizational overhaul likely was inevitable didn't make it any easier to accept when Jets owner Woody Johnson made it official.

"We kind of knew this day was coming, but it's hard to deal with right now," quarterback Geno Smith said. "It's hard on all of us."

That's because of how much they admired Ryan, the boisterous coach who led the Jets for six seasons and restored the team to relevance with AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two years.

"It was definitely challenging to hear," tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson said. "Today is kind of a hard day. Especially to have the season that we had and then to end it with this, it's real challenging."

Ryan immediately endeared himself to Jets players and fans when he mentioned winning a Super Bowl during his introductory news conference. Counting the playoffs, the Jets were 50-52 under Ryan. Though he never did win that Super Bowl, Ryan is the only coach in franchise history to lead the Jets to the conference championship game in two straight years.

"We had some great highs and we had some great lows," said Mangold, who has spent nine seasons with the team. "And I appreciated every moment."

Ryan had a final team meeting Monday that featured a short video showing highlights from his six seasons.

"He's a very passionate coach," Ferguson said. "He put his heart on the line and did his best. I think that's all you can do in this business."

Ferguson said he "most definitely" believes Ryan will find another head-coaching job in the league. "He's definitely a head coach," he said. "All the players here love him and I think wherever he goes, he'll be adored."

"John's a tough guy, he's very strong," Smith said. "He's always told me he believed in me and vice versa; I believe in him as well. He gave me an opportunity here in New York and I appreciate him for it."

Mangold, Ferguson and Smith said they understand the business side of the game. The firing of a coach is part of that, but Ryan's firing still stung. "I think everybody had the same emotion," Ferguson said, "a feeling of sadness, a feeling of loss."

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Woody Johnson has two good men blocking for him (Bob Glauber) Newsday December 29, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/woody-johnson-has-two-good-men-blocking-for-him-1.9758142

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Woody Johnson looked relaxed as he took reporters' questions after announcing his decision to fire coach Rex Ryan after six seasons and general manager John Idzik after two years. Sitting alone at the front of the press briefing room, the Jets' owner addressed the issues afflicting his 4-12 franchise and seemed at ease as he approaches what he called a "very, very critical'' time.

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Perhaps it was two people who weren't in the room who gave Johnson the biggest reason to feel self-assured about the two biggest decisions facing his team. With former NFL GMs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf now serving as full-time consultants in the hiring of the next coach and GM, he has the benefit of two excellent football minds to help shape the Jets' immediate and long-term future.

Casserly and Wolf are working behind the scenes, lining up candidates to fill both jobs. It is a process that the Jets hope will be as swift as possible, but it could be affected by the schedules of coaching candidates whose teams are in the playoffs. Hot prospects such as Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, for example, are in the postseason and can only interview for the positions.

Casserly and Wolf have extensive backgrounds in making personnel and coaching decisions, and their expertise should be welcome.

Johnson hasn't been in the position of having to hire a coach and GM at the same time in a while. In 2000, Bill Parcells was his GM and Al Groh was hired as coach after Bill Belichick bolted for the Patriots after one day as HC of the NYJ. A year later, after Parcells stepped down, Johnson accepted Parcells' recommendation of Terry Bradway as GM, and Herm Edwards was the choice as coach.

Having Casserly and Wolf involved in a much more active role than Parcells had -- he recommended Bradway, Giants personnel man Rick Donahue and Bucs scouting director Jerry Angelo -- will expand the parameters of the search and help Johnson line up worthy candidates. There are good people out there, and Casserly and Wolf can identify them.

Both former executives are part of the NFL's career development advisory panel and have been actively studying future head coaches and GMs for the last year and a half. Casserly has had two stints as GM -- one in Washington, where he won a Super Bowl title alongside Joe Gibbs after taking over for former GM Bobby Beathard, and the other with expansion Houston, where he worked six years. There were some misses along the way, but he drafted 15 Pro Bowl players and understands the challenges and intricacies of running a front office.

Wolf's qualifications are beyond reproach. A former personnel director with the Jets, he became the Packers' GM in 1991 and eventually built Green Bay into a Super Bowl champion. His three biggest moves were hiring Mike Holmgren as coach, trading for Falcons quarterback Brett Favre and signing Eagles free-agent defensive end Reggie White. The three moves were instrumental in building a Packers team that won the Super Bowl title after the 1996 season and lost to the Broncos in the Super Bowl the year after that.

Next month, Wolf is expected to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The last time Johnson used an outside group to recommend a key hire, he turned to a consulting company after firing GM Mike Tannenbaum. After an exhaustive search in which the Jets were rebuffed by first choice Dave Caldwell, who took the Jacksonville job, the Jets settled on Seahawks executive John Idzik. That two-year run ended Monday, with Johnson needing to start from scratch after admitting the awkward arrangement of having a GM inherit a head coach simply didn't work.

Idzik proved to be too heavy-handed in his dealings with Ryan -- a diametrically opposed dynamic from the Ryan-Tannenbaum relationship -- and Johnson wisely opted to push the reset button rather than risk additional dysfunction.

Johnson hinted that there wasn't enough give-and-take between Ryan and Idzik, and some players thought Idzik was too involved in decisions, such as Geno Smith getting preferential treatment over Michael Vick.

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Johnson now has to take the advice of his newly hired consultants and make the right calls on his next coach and GM. The owner has the prerogative to hire anyone of his own choosing, but he would be wise to take the recommendations of Casserly and Wolf.

After coming up short with the Ryan-Idzik partnership, and after failing to intercede when the Jets foolishly brought in Tim Tebow to be a backup to Mark Sanchez, this is no time for meddling. Especially when Johnson has two of the brightest football minds offering him sound advice on two of the most important moves of his 15-year run with the Jets.

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Jets possible head-coaching and general manager candidates (Bob Glauber) Newsday December 29, 2014

http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/jets-possible-head-coaching-and-general-manager-candidates-1.9758079

COACH

ADAM GASE, BRONCOS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Peyton Manning has given his stamp of approval to the highly regarded Denver assistant. The 49ers and Falcons have already shown interest.

DAN QUINN, SEAHAWKS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Former Hofstra defensive assistant now presides over the "Legion of Boom" defense. Knows the New York market. Jets have asked permission to interview him.

TODD BOWLES, CARDINALS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Appears ready to make the move after some strong work with the Cardinals. Grew up in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey.

DAVID SHAW, STANFORD COACH

Jim Harbaugh's successor at Stanford is widely respected in the college ranks and someday might decide to consider pro jobs.

JOSH McDANIELS, PATRIOTS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

The Jets already have tried a Bill Belichick assistant, Eric Mangini. Not sure Woody Johnson is prepared to go that route again with the former Broncos head coach.

BRIAN KELLY, NOTRE DAME COACH

Had drawn interest from the Eagles and Browns during recent head-coaching searches.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, now a CBS analyst; Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell, Browns OC Kyle Shanahan, Bengals OC Hue Jackson, Colts OC Pep Hamilton, Broncos DC Jack Del Rio, Steelers OC Todd Haley, Ravens OC Gary Kubiak, Giants OC Ben McAdoo, Cowboys OC Scott Linehan.

GENERAL MANAGER

CHRIS BALLARD, CHIEFS DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Top talent evaluator. Appears ready to ascend to a top decision-making spot.

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LAKE DAWSON, TITANS VICE PRESIDENT OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Was offered the GM job in Miami but reportedly turned down the Dolphins because he wouldn't have had final say on all major decisions.

BRIAN GAINE. TEXANS DIRECTOR OF PRO PERSONNEL

Was interviewed for the Jets' GM job two years ago and made a favorable impression.

MIKE MACCAGNAN, TEXANS DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING

Worked under Charley Casserly in Houston and remains with the team. Has done a fine job in securing talent and was instrumental in the team drafting defensive superstar J.J. Watt.

RYAN PACE. SAINTS DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL

Rising young executive who has a dozen years' experience in the Saints' organization.

GEORGE PATON, VIKINGS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

In his eighth season with the Vikings, has worked with Minnesota GM Rick Spielman in Chicago and Miami. Jets have reached out for an interview.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

Marc Ross, Giants director of college scouting; Lionel Vital, Falcons director of player personnel; Eliot Wolf, Packers director of pro personnel and son of former Packers GM Ron Wolf, now a consultant for the Jets; Seahawks pro personnel director Trent Kirchner.

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THE RECORD

Jets fire coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/jets-fire-coach-rex-ryan-and-general-manager-john-idzik-1.1182812

FLORHAM PARK - Rex Ryan talked about going to the White House when he took over as Jets coach nearly six years ago.

Instead, his tenure with them ended unceremoniously today with a pink slip.

Ryan was fired by owner Woody Johnson as part of a major shakeup that also included the dismissal of second-year general manager John Idzik.

"After extensive thought and reflection about the current state of our football team, this morning I informed Rex Ryan and John Idzik that they will not be returning for the 2015 season," Johnson said in a statement. "Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team, and they have my appreciation and gratitude for their efforts and commitment. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember."

The moves end weeks of speculation about the shaky job security of both men. The Jets finished 4-12, by far the worst record of Ryan's six-year tenure, even with a season-ending 37-24 victory over Miami on Sunday. Ryan had two years left on his contract, although only the 2015 season was guaranteed, according to a source.

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"Getting the Jets back on track is my top priority," Johnson said, "and today’s decisions are important steps towards achieving our goals."

Johnson has hired former Houston Texans and Washington Redskins general manager Charley Casserly as a consultant to help with the search for a new general manager and coach.

"I am beginning our search for new football leadership, effective immediately, with guidance and support from respected football experts, including Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, two Super Bowl winners with decades of valuable experience," Johnson said.

Casserly, an analyst with the NFL Network, was Washington's GM from 1989-99 and then took over Houston's football operations, serving as general manager with the Texans from 2000-06. He originally is from River Edge and is a member of the Bergen Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

Ryan went 46-50 in regular-season games as the Jets coach and 4-2 in the playoffs, guiding the Jets to the AFC title game in each of his first two seasons. But after losing to Pittsburgh in the AFC final in Jan. 2011, the Jets haven’t been back to the post-season.

Ryan joked at his introductory news conference in January 2009 that the mass of reporters and cameras made him think "our new president" was in the building, referring to President Barack Obama, who had been inaugurated two days before. Ryan then said, "I think we'll get to meet him in the next couple years anyway," presumably referring to the fact that Super Bowl champions typically are honored by the nation's president.

But Ryan and the Jets never got to the Rose Garden, although they came fairly close in Ryan's first two years at the helm, losing to Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, respectively, in back-to-back conference championships.

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Jets: Rex Ryan timeline (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets/jets-rex-ryan-timeline-1.1183154

When asked to sum up his six years with Rex Ryan on Monday, Jets center Nick Mangold said, "We had some great highs and some great lows and I appreciate every moment that I had with him."

Here’s a look at some of those ups and downs:

Jan. 21, 2009: Ryan is introduced as the Jets’ coach, replacing the fired Eric Mangini. In his opening news conference, Ryan suggests the Jets will go to the White House "in the next couple years" to celebrate a Super Bowl victory. That bravado sharply contrasted with the tight-lipped Mangini and would come to define Ryan’s tenure.

Dec. 20, 2009: After a 10-7 loss to Atlanta, Ryan declares his team has been eliminated from playoff contention. Actually, they still were alive and wound up qualifying for the playoffs after beating Indianapolis and Cincinnati, both of which tanked against the Jets after clinching postseason seeding.

Jan. 17, 2010: Visiting Jets upend San Diego, 17-14, to advance to the AFC title game, where they would lose to the Colts. Mark Sanchez, whom the Jets selected in the first round of the 2009 draft, puts his team ahead to stay with a 2-yard TD pass to Dustin Keller in the fourth quarter.

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Dec. 6, 2010: New England humbles the Jets, 45-3, in a battle for first place in the AFC East. Ryan buries a game ball in the Jets’ practice field two days later, and the exorcism works as the Jets upset the Patriots, 28-21, in their next meeting, an AFC divisional playoff game in January.

Jan. 23, 2011: The Jets rally from a 21-point halftime deficit but fall short in a 24-19 loss at Pittsburgh in the AFC championship. It will be their last playoff game during the Ryan era.

Dec. 24, 2011: Victor Cruz’s 99-yard TD reception keys the Giants’ 29-14 win over the Jets, severely damaging the playoff hopes of Ryan’s team. Ryan, who had said five days earlier that the Jets were the better team, has a verbal confrontation with Giants RB Brandon Jacobs after the game.

March 21, 2012: The Jets acquire iconic but limited QB Tim Tebow in a trade with Denver. Despite Ryan’s subsequent boasts about how the Jets will use Tebow as a weapon in the Wildcat, Tebow’s presence results in more publicity than production, further undermining the now-struggling Sanchez.

Dec. 31, 2012: After a 6-10 season that includes the infamous "Butt Fumble" by Sanchez in a blowout loss to New England, owner Woody Johnson fires GM Mike Tannenbaum but retains Ryan. John Idzik replaces Tannenbaum despite being told by Johnson he will not be able to pick his own coach. He and Ryan never quite mesh.

Dec. 29, 2013: Johnson tells the players after a season-ending win over Miami that Ryan will be retained for 2014, setting off a joyous celebration. The Jets went 8-8 despite being outscored by 97 points.

Dec. 29, 2014: Johnson fires Ryan and Idzik, one day after the Jets complete a 4-12 season by again beating the Dolphins in Miami.

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Sullivan: Woody owns up to his Jets mess (Tara Sullivan) The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/news/sullivan-woody-owns-up-to-his-jets-mess-1.1183007

FLORHAM PARK — Woody Johnson wasted two years of football under an untenable setup of his own creation, ignoring every reasonable prediction that pairing a win-now coach with a build-for-the-future GM would end exactly the way it did Monday at the Jets practice facility.

In firing both six-year coach Rex Ryan and two-year General Manager John Idzik, the Jets owner finally acknowledged the error of his ways, recognizing the need to push the reset button on both positions at the same time rather than keeping one and cutting the other. That’s the mistake he made two years ago, firing Mike Tannenbaum while handing Ryan off to Tannenbaum’s as-yet-to-be-hired successor, a situation he never wanted to admit would lead to cross-purposes, but one that ultimately, predictably did.

“I guess, in retrospect, yeah,” Johnson said. “If I could have smoothed it all out and could have gotten into the playoffs both those years, I would have felt better about it. It’s tough to look back.”

No wonder. The view of the past four years is pretty ugly. The Jets made no playoff appearances. They had no winning seasons. But there were countless circus jokes made at their expense, many unfulfilled Super Bowl promises made by their outspoken coach, multiple headline-making, head-scratching moves made by their attention-seeking owner.

That’s why it all falls in Johnson’s lap now, and why his tacit admission of guilt for the foibles of the past few years opens the door to a sliver of optimism. Johnson insisted Monday that he “works for the fans,”

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and while that exhausted, frustrated, angry base has earned every bit of skepticism over the owner’s decision-making ability, Monday’s moves feel like some small steps in the right direction.

“This is very, very critical right now,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to make some good decisions. We have to structure it properly. We have to know exactly what we’re looking for in a head coach and how he defines what he’s looking for. The same with a general manager.”

By adding respected insiders Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, both former Super Bowl-winning general managers, to his personal advisory board, Johnson further underscored an improving understanding of how to build the “sustainable success” franchise model he dreams of. Unlike two years ago, when he leaned on an executive search firm with no specific football connections, Johnson is looking for expertise where he has none. And in the week he has already spent with Casserly and Wolf, one of the clearest messages he has heard so far is how important it is for the coach and general manager to share a philosophical point of view.

“This is the ultimate team sport and the team has to be in the building as well,” he said.

As the Jets’ thin roster proved, Idzik and Ryan never found the common ground they needed. While Idzik played Mr. Conservative, clearing debt but leaving nearly $20 million in unspent cap space, Ryan went to battle with a gaping hole at quarterback, a depleted secondary and a dearth of offensive playmakers. By the time Idzik traded for wide receiver Percy Harvin, it was too late to salvage this season.

“I’m not sure if there was a disconnect, but I can tell you the ideal is to have a connect, because you have to be on the same page as your coach. That’s key. John is a very smart guy and put a lot of things in, but I can’t give you an [answer],” Johnson said. “Maybe we should have spent more; probably should have.”

The owner insisted there was no directive from him for Idzik to lock those purse strings, and for the man who splurged for the likes of Brett Favre and Tim Tebow, his claim rings true.

That’s not to say Idzik’s parsimonious ways were going to spare Ryan, who was targeted Monday in one of the opening lines of Johnson’s 22-minute news conference: “We’re in the win business and we’re not winning, so I thought this was something I had to do.”

There is more than enough blame to pass around in the wake of this 4-12 disaster of a season, and if it starts at the top — “Ultimately, I get the blame; yeah, I do,” Johnson said — it flows freely through the offices of Idzik and Ryan. Between Idzik’s inability to stock a roster with enough talent and his unwillingness to discuss his moves with an inquiring public (an Oct. 27 news conference that began with his 19-minute filibuster has to represent the starting gun to his race to the firing line), not even the small professional sample size could save him from getting axed.

“That was a tough decision, [after] only two years [for Idzik], but I had to make it,” Johnson said.

His patience was longer with Ryan, but that wore out, too. As the owner ticked off specific frustration with in-game mistakes this season — the timeout fiasco against Green Bay, the ill-advised play call that led to an interception just before halftime — he was speaking to Ryan’s overall deficiencies as a coach. For every player Ryan motivated to run through a brick wall at his behest, his free rein opened the door for those same players thinking they could call a last-second timeout, as Sheldon Richardson did in Green Bay.

“You have to be a good manager,” Johnson said of his next head coach, “as well as be able to inspire the team. You have to be able to manage the offense, defense, special teams. … You’ve got to be somewhat of a detail-oriented person.”

With every wasted timeout or ineffective use of the clock, Ryan reminded Johnson of his lack of attention to detail. For every young player who failed to develop under his watch, Ryan reminded Johnson of

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another shortcoming. As much as he is a great leader of men, he did not prove himself a molder of men. Monday, he paid the price.

Now Johnson is on the clock. With a fresh recognition of the mistakes he made two years ago, he turned an unworkable situation into a workable one. Now it’s time to go to work.

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Jets coaching candidates The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets-coaching-candidates-1.1183145

Replacing Rex

A look at some potential candidates for the Jets’ vacant head coach position:

Todd Bowles

Arizona defensive coordinator: Was interim head coach of Miami team that knocked Jets out playoff contention in 2011.

Pep Hamilton

Indianapolis offensive coordinator: Interviewed for Jets’ OC position that eventually went to Marty Mornhinweg in January 2013.

Hue Jackson

Cincinnati offensive coordinator: Was 8-8 in his lone season as Oakland head coach in 2011 before being fired. Raiders are 11-37 since then.

Josh McDaniels

New England offensive coordinator: Was 11-17 as Denver head coach in 2009-10 before being fired. Has rehabbed his image in second stint with the Patriots.

Dan Quinn

Seattle defensive coordinator: Team will meet on Saturday at Seattle with Quinn, who was a defensive line coach for the Jets in 2007-08.

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Jets general manager candidates The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/jets-general-manager-candidates-1.1183140

Who’s next GM?

A look at some potential candidates to replace John Idzik as Jets general manager:

Brian Gaine

Houston director of pro personnel: Don Bosco alum was member of Jets’ scouting department from 1999-2004 and interviewed for GM job in 2013.

Tom Heckert

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Denver director of pro personnel: Was on Jets’ radar two years ago but canceled interview. Had DUI charge in 2013.

Omar Khan

Pittsburgh director of football administration: Impressed Johnson in interview in 2013, but would he be considered too much of a cap guy?

George Paton

Minnesota assistant GM: Had a second interview for St. Louis’ then-vacant GM job in 2012.

Trent Kirchner

Seattle director of pro personnel: According to sources, the Jets requested an interview.

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Giants and Jets will play in 2015 regular season The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/giants-and-jets-will-play-in-2015-regular-season-1.1183163

Giants vs. Jets in 2015

The Giants and Jets will meet each other during the 2015 season. Here's a look at all of their opponents for next year:

Giants

Home: Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Carolina, San Francisco, New England, Jets

Away: Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Buffalo, Miami

Jets

Home: Buffalo, Miami, New England, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Washington

Away: Buffalo, Miami, New England, Houston, Indianapolis, Oakland, Dallas, Giants

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Jets owner Woody Johnson could face tampering charge (J.P. Pelzman) The Record December 29, 2014

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/woody-words-could-prove-costly-1.1183187

FLORHAM PARK — When asked Monday about New England cornerback Darrelle Revis, Jets owner Woody Johnson implied that perhaps the Jets should have re-signed him when they had a chance to do so in March.

"Darrelle’s a great player," Johnson said. "I’d love to have Darrelle come back."

Well, the problem with that is Revis still is under contract with the Patriots, and not merely for the remainder of the 2014 NFL playoffs. Revis signed a two-year deal in March worth $12 million this season, with a team option for $20 million in 2015. It’s highly unlikely the Patriots will pay that, so Revis figures to become a free agent again.

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Johnson later issued a statement, saying, "I misspoke today when I commented on Darrelle Revis. I would never interfere in the contractual relationship of a player with another team and should not have used those words. I called [New England owner] Robert Kraft this afternoon to emphasize those points."

"I would think that the league would look into those comments," New England coach Bill Belichick said in his weekly spot on Boston radio station WEEI.

An NFL spokesman declined comment on whether Johnson’s original comments could be construed as tampering and thus subject to discipline by the league.

Revis was traded by then-general manager John Idzik to Tampa Bay in April 2013.

RARE FOR MANGOLD TO SIT: Center Nick Mangold missed the Jets’ 37-24 victory over Miami in the season finale because of a sprained ankle, marking only the third game in his nine-year career in which he didn’t play. He also missed two games in 2011 because of a sprained ankle. The Jets lost both games.

He was replaced by backup Dalton Freeman, who made his first NFL start.

Mangold said Monday he would like to have played, but Ryan "knew what I was doing and he wasn’t going to let me play. It was tough."

Mangold seemed to be indicating that he would have taken a painkilling injection so he could have gotten through the game. "I would have done the things needed medically to be out there."

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NJ ADVANCE MEDIA

Could Woody Johnson be fined by NFL for saying he wants Darrelle Revis to return to Jets? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/could_jets_owner_woody_johnson_be_subject_to_fine_for_his_comments_about_darrelle_revis.html

FLORHAM PARK -- During the course of his press conference Monday, after he fired coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik, Jets owner Woody Johnson was asked about his former star cornerback, Darrelle Revis.

Johnson made some candid remarks that could result in him being fined by the NFL for tampering. A league spokesman declined to comment when asked if Johnson might be fined for saying what he said about Revis. It sure seems like the league would not hesitate to fine a player for saying something like Johnson said Monday.

Johnson was asked about the Jets not landing Revis this past offseason, when Revis was a free agent and the Jets desperately needed cornerbacks. Revis wound up signing with the Patriots.

After Johnson was asked the question, Jets media relations director Bruce Speight tried to interject and say Johnson could not talk about the matter. But Johnson spoke up anyway, and said he did not think the Jets had a realistic shot at getting Revis back last offseason.

"Darrelle is a great player," Johnson said. "If I thought I could've gotten Darrelle for that, I probably would've taken him. It was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle is a great player. I'd love Darrelle to come back."

What made Johnson think he couldn't get Revis back last offseason?

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"I guess my experience with his agents, and that's all," Johnson said. "It would have been very hard."

It is that "I'd love Darrelle to come back" line that could catch the NFL's eye, and result in tampering fine for Johnson, who has more than enough money to pay it, of course.

Could the Jets get Revis back during this upcoming offseason? Ryan certainly could have used Revis in 2014. Even now, the Jets still need a No. 1 cornerback, since Idzik so poorly addressed the position in free agency last offseason. And the draft, in which the Jets will pick sixth in the first round, does not boast a significant crop of elite cornerback prospects.

Revis is technically under contract with the Patriots for next season, but his two-year deal is back-loaded, so that he will carry a $25 million salary cap charge next season, compared to $7 million this season.

So the Patriots might release him and let him become a free agent again, though he certainly could re-sign with them. New England saw Revis thrive this season, and show he remains one of the NFL's best cornerbacks.

After Johnson grew tired of Revis's contract holdouts, he decided to trade him following the 2012 season. Revis played his first six NFL seasons with the Jets and became a star. Johnson and Idzik sent Revis to Tampa Bay, in exchange for a first-round draft pick and a fourth rounder.

The Jets used the first rounder to select defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, last year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The fourth rounder was used this year on wide receiver Jalen Saunders, whom the Jets cut earlier this season. Overall, Johnson is pleased with what he got in the Revis trade, even though he lost an elite player.

"There's a lot of emphasis on one player (Revis)," Johnson said. "We made a trade with the Buccaneers and we got a one and a (fourth-round pick), so we got a fairly good player (Richardson) in return for that. I would say (Richardson) should be a Pro Bowler. I agree with the coach (Ryan) on that."

Tampa Bay tried to trade Revis after last season, but couldn't do so, and opted to cut him. Revis then signed with the Patriots. Earlier this season, Revis was non-committal when asked if he would like to return to New England in 2015, or perhaps come back to the Jets, or maybe play for Ryan, wherever he lands.

Johnson was plenty committal Monday about his desire to once again employ Revis. How decisively will the NFL deal with Johnson's comments?

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5 executives Jets owner Woody Johnson should consider to replace general manager John Idzik (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/5_executives_jets_owner_woody_johnson_should_consider_to_replace_general_manager_john_idzik.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Jets owner Woody Johnson has fired general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan, as expected. So what's next?

Johnson has brought in former NFL GMs Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as consultants for his upcoming searches. Presumably, the three men will first work together to find a new GM for the Jets, and then let that GM lead a search for Ryan's replacement.

Two years ago, Johnson opted against a clean slate, forcing Idzik into a marriage with Ryan, whom Johnson retained while firing GM Mike Tannenbaum. Johnson's decision to pair Idzik and Ryan failed miserably.

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The fact that Idzik's replacement will get to pick his own coach should make this job more attractive than it was in early 2013. Plus, the Jets have the sixth pick in the draft and will enter the offseason with about $40 million in salary cap space, largely due to Idzik's work in sorting out the Jets' finances.

Yes, the Jets are a mess, after finishing 4-12 in Ryan's final season. But between the draft and all that cap space, there are plenty of brooms around for Idzik's replacement to clean it up. (That also could include Johnson letting the new GM wipe out the scouting department after the draft, and start over in that area, as well.)

Johnson, Casserly and Wolf figure to aim for a new GM who has a significant background in personnel assessment -- something Idzik lacked, and was never able to overcome.

So who might Johnson, Casserly and Wolf target in the GM search?

Here are five names Johnson and Co. ought to consider, though it remains unclear if they definitely will:

• Eric DeCosta (Ravens assistant GM): The Jets wanted to interview him in 2013, but he said no thanks. The Ravens are one of the NFL's steadiest organizations, in terms of acquiring and developing talent on the field. Ozzie Newsome has been their GM since 2002. He turns 59 in March. DeCosta could opt to remain in Baltimore and eventually become Newsome's successor. DeCosta has been with the Ravens since the organization launched in 1996. He moved up through their scouting ranks and has been their assistant GM since 2012, after spending three years as their director of player personnel. His draft picks include Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs and Joe Flacco. DeCosta, 43, is considered one of the brightest young executives in the NFL.

• George Paton (Vikings assistant GM): In early 2014, he declined the opportunity to interview with the Dolphins for their GM vacancy. Paton has worked alongside Vikings GM Rick Spielman since their days with the Bears in the early 2000s. Paton was also in contention for the Rams' GM position in 2012.

• Mark Dominik (Buccaneers former GM): He is a retread candidate, but he does have GM experience, unlike DeCosta and Paton. Dominik was Tampa Bay's GM from 2009-13. The Bucs never made the playoffs during that span. Would Johnson, Casserly and Wolf prefer a candidate with GM experience (albeit not a ton of success) over rising stars who don't have any time in the GM seat? The answer to this could determine how seriously Johnson and Co. take Dominik.

• Scott Pioli (Chiefs former GM): An intriguing candidate here, and not just because he used to work alongside Bill Belichick in New England, and built the Patriots into an elite organization. Pioli's time as the Chiefs' GM (2009-12) was marred by widespread mistrust in the organization. But he did bolster the Chiefs' roster with draft picks who are now succeeding: Eric Berry, Dontari Poe, Justin Houston. Pioli worked in Kansas City after being in New England from 2000-08 and winning back-to-back NFL Executive of the Year awards there. Pioli, 49, was the Jets' director of pro personnel under Bill Parcells from 1997-2000. Pioli grew up in Orange County, N.Y., just north of New York City.

• Scot McCloughan (former Seahawks and 49ers senior personnel executive): In the spring of 2014, he resigned from the Sehawks for personal reasons. He had been with them since 2010, after his resignation from the 49ers for personal reasons. McCloughan helped turn Seattle and San Francisco into winners. Among his draft picks with the 49ers: Frank Gore and Vernon Davis. In Seattle, he helped land Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman in the draft's middle rounds. This fascinating ESPN story sheds some light on McCloughan's life since he left the NFL, as well as his struggles with alcohol. He unquestionably has an eye for drafting talent. Would Johnson and Co. give him another chance?

• Two other names to watch: Phil Emery and Thomas Dimitroff.

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Emery has just been fired as the Bears' GM. But would Johnson want to go after a recently fired candidate who left a mess in Chicago?

Dimitroff still has a job (Atlanta's GM), but with the Falcons firing coach Mike Smith (a possible landing spot for Ryan), could Dimitroff also be on his way out? If he is canned, then the Jets ought to seriously consider him. But for now, he remains employed by the Falcons.

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Jets make it official: Rex Ryan and John Idzik are fired. Will firings in scouting department follow? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/jets_make_it_official_rex_ryan_and_john_idzik_are_fired.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets made it official at 8:28 a.m. Monday, when they fired head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik.

Late Sunday night, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed a report that both men would be let go immediately Monday by owner Woody Johnson.

Here is the announcement from the Jets:

Johnson released the following statement to the media:

"I am beginning our search for new football leadership, effective immediately, with guidance and support from respected football experts, including Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, two Super Bowl winners with decades of valuable experience. We will consider all options to improve the Jets. Getting the Jets back on track is my top priority, and today's decisions are important steps towards achieving our goals."

Idzik lasted just two seasons with the Jets. He attempted to rebuild the organization through the draft, but missed on too many picks, lending credibility to the initial doubts about his ability to assess personnel. Idzik hadn't really done that before becoming the Jets GM after the 2012 season -- his first GM job.

Johnson also never gave Idzik the opportunity to hire his own coach. Idzik inherited not only Ryan, but also much of the Jets' scouting department, including senior director of college scouting Terry Bradway, the team's former GM. It is unclear what Johnson plans to do with the rest of the front office and scouting department.

Many believe Johnson should have fired Ryan after after the 2012 season, when Johnson let GM Mike Tannenbaum go. But Johnson, in a highly questionable move, paired Idzik and Ryan, and thus put the GM and coach on different timelines, with Idzik planning for the future and Ryan needing to win immediately.

Two years later, a clean slate is finally coming to Florham Park. The Jets' GM job could be more attractive now, since Idzik's replacement will be able to hire his own coach, and might be able to bring a full complement of his own people into the scouting department.

A house-cleaning in the scouting department, if it happens, likely won't occur until after the draft, because the Jets' current scouts and Bradway have already done most of the organization's background work on college prospects.

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Ryan lasted six seasons with the Jets. He led them to the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons, 2009 and 2010. But then the Jets dipped to 8-8, 6-10, 8-8 and 4-12 in the next four seasons. The Jets missed the playoffs in all four of those years.

In his final four seasons, Ryan went 26-38, compared to 24-14 (including 4-2 in the playoffs) in his first two years. Ryan's final overall record in regular season and playoff games with the Jets was 50-52. Ryan's players sent him out with a win on Sunday in Miami.

The Jets experienced glorious highs, crushing lows and plenty of entertaining drama (and comedy) during the Ryan Era. Now it's up to Johnson, Casserly and Wolf to find a new GM, who in turn will seek a new coach tasked with trying to exceed Ryan's accomplishments.

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Geno Smith wants Percy Harvin to play for Jets in 2015, but will Smith be Harvin's quarterback? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/geno_smith_wants_percy_harvin_to_play_for_jets_in_2015_but_will_smith_be_harvins_quarterback.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Jets quarterback Geno Smith met with reporters one final time in 2014 on Monday, after owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Rex Ryan and John Idzik.

The Jets' immediate concerns involve finding a new GM and coach -- a process that has already begun, according to Johnson.

But there are other issues to address in the offseason, as the Jets try to improve their sluggish offense after a 4-12 season. One of those issues will involve whom the Jets draft, sign or trade for to potentially unseat Smith as the starting quarterback.

Another issue: Will wide receiver Percy Harvin return to the team in 2015?

Smith hopes so, even as he can't be sure if he'll be the one throwing Harvin passes.

"Man, I love playing with him," Smith said. "He's an explosive, explosive player. He gives us an added dimension in so many areas. I don't know what the decision making will be, but I would love to have him back."

For what it is worth, Harvin has also publicly said he would like to return to the Jets.

The new GM will have to decide if he agrees with Smith's opinion. Harvin has no more guaranteed money remaining on his contract. There are four years left on the deal. His base salaries (and salary cap hits) for the remaining four years are $10.5 million, $9.9 million, $9.95 million and $11.15 million.

There is almost no way Harvin would command $10.5 million on the free agent market next March, so the Jets have some leverage if they want to cut him and re-sign him to a lower-priced deal.

Or the new GM could pick up Harvin's contract, despite its lofty salary cap figure for 2015, because the Jets would be able to go year to year with Harvin, since there is no more guaranteed money remaining. This means there would be no future salary cap repercussions if the Jets decide to release Harvin after any future season.

Releasing and re-signing Harvin to a lower-priced deal would surely result in the Jets needing to make some sort of guaranteed money commitment to him. That could leave them having to deal with a dead

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money figure down the road, once he is no longer on the roster, if they decide to part ways with him while he is still under contract.

The Jets will enter the offseason with about $40 million in salary cap space, largely because Idzik cleaned up their finances. So absorbing Harvin's $10.5 million hit next year wouldn't be a huge deal.

Idzik acquired Harvin in a midseason trade with Seattle. Because Harvin had no guaranteed money left on his contract past 2014, the remaining nine games of this season were essentially a tryout for him. He played in eight games, missing the season-ending win at Miami because of bruised ribs.

Harvin's stats in eight games with the Jets: 29 catches, 350 receiving yards, one touchdown catch, 22 rushes and 110 rushing yards.

Receiver Eric Decker will be back next year, and Harvin would give the Jets a down-field threat who could prevent opponents from rolling coverages toward Decker.

If the Jets end up losing Harvin, the new GM might find himself hoping for Alabama receiver Amari Cooper to be available when the Jets pick sixth in next spring's draft.

But that's a while down the road still. First up are the GM and coaching searches.

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Jets request permission to speak with Vikings' George Paton, Seahawks' Trent Kirchner for general manager opening (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/jets_request_permission_to_speak_with_trent_kirchner_seattle_seahawks_executive_for_general_manager.html

The Jets, who fired general manager John Idzik on Monday, have requested permission to speak with Trent Kirchner, Seattle's director of pro personnel, and George Paton, Minnesota's assistant general manager. The Jets do not currently have interviews set up with either man.

Jets owner Woody Johnson and his two consultants, Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, are also scheduled to fly to Seattle for a Saturday interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a Morristown native, for the head coaching vacancy created by Rex Ryan's firing.

So who are Kirchner and Quinn?

Kirchner, who you can find on Twitter here, has one thing in common with Idzik, who also worked in Seattle with general manager John Schneider, helping to mold last season's Super Bowl champion. But while Idzik mostly did salary cap work, and not personnel assessment, Kirchner has more of a scouting background.

Jets owner Woody Johnson said Monday that his next GM would "probably" have more of a scouting background than Idzik did. Idzik's personnel assessment skills were widely questioned during his two seasons with the Jets.

In the summer of 2013, Kirchner was promoted to Seattle's director of pro personnel job. At the time, Kirchner was entering his fourth year with the Seahawks. He worked as a scout for the Panthers from 2002-09, before heading to Seattle.

Kirchner is a young, up-and-coming candidate. He has been out of college for just shy of 15 years.

Paton was a candidate who figured to be on the Jets' radar for their GM opening.

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In early 2014, he declined the opportunity to interview with the Dolphins for their GM vacancy. Paton has worked alongside Vikings GM Rick Spielman since their days with the Bears in the early 2000s. Paton was also in contention for the Rams' GM position in 2012.

According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, Paton was considering whether to accept an interview with the Jets.

Paton pronounces his last name "Payton" and not "Patton," like the famous general.

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Did Jets' Geno Smith really skip a meeting on Rex Ryan and John Idzik's last day? (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/did_jets_geno_smith_really_miss_a_meeting_on_rex_ryan_and_john_idziks_last_day.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Shortly after Jets quarterback Geno Smith finished speaking with reporters Monday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report posted the following item:

The report raised some eyebrows, since Smith missed a meeting earlier this season during a road trip to San Diego, because he was at a movie. In that instance, the Jets came out and acknowledged that Smith missed the meeting, because of a time-zone confusion. They admitted Smith screwed up, even before Smith could be asked about a report of his missed meeting.

This time, after the latest report of a missed meeting, a Jets spokesman said Smith was at all scheduled, mandatory meetings Monday, and he arrived at the designated time for them all. He met with his coaches and took his physical -- all of the normal things that happen the day after the season's final game.

The Jets spokesman emphasized that Smith did nothing wrong and did not blow off or show up past the scheduled start time for any meetings.

It would be poor form for Smith to dodge a meeting on the final day for coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik, both of whom were fired by owner Woody Johnson on Monday. (Ryan spoke briefly to an assembled group of players, showed them a highlight video and said goodbye. Idzik did not speak to the players at all.)

But Smith did not dodge any meetings, according to the Jets.

Smith appeared Monday on Michael Kay's show on ESPN New York radio, and answered a couple questions about the latest meeting "situation."

"No, I was on time," Smith said. "I don't know where these reports come from. Seems like it always happens sometime around this time."

When asked if he was there for Ryan's goodbye to the team, Smith said, "Once again, I was on time. I was not late. I didn't miss anything."

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Maybe Jets owner Woody Johnson is actually taking the correct approach this time | Politi (Steve Politi) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/maybe_woody_johnson_is_taking_the_correct_approach_this_time_politi.html

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FLORHAM PARK — Oh, it's certainly easy to watch Woody Johnson and come to the conclusion that you wouldn't let him run your 7-Eleven, much less your NFL team.

He is a low talker. He tends to meander during press conferences. And then, there are answers like this when a reporter wondered if there was a disconnect between the men who lost their jobs on Monday, general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan:

"I'm not sure if there was a disconnect," the Jets owner replied, "but I can tell you the ideal is to have a connect."

Uh ... riiiight.

So go ahead and be skeptical if you're a Jets fan, because if nothing else, you have an empty trophy case to prove that, chances are, Johnson is going to screw up this decision the way he did two years ago when he hired Idzik and forced him into a shotgun marriage with the popular Ryan.

I can't blame you. This is an owner, after all, who likely will face tampering charges for his we'd-love-to-have-Darrelle-Revis comments in a forehead smacking moment during his wrap-up press conference. Still, when you're done picking through all the Woodyisms, I'm not sure what else he could have said on Monday.

He admitted (finally) that the team should have used more of its salary-cap space to help this team. He acknowledged that the Idzik-Ryan pairing was a mistake. He revealed that he would seek a personnel guy as his next GM and - crazy as it sounds - actually hire a head coach who will pay attention to the entire football team and all the details that his predecessor ignored or mishandled.

Jets owner Woody Johnson had no choice but to fire everyone and fix the mess he created two years ago.

Oh, and there was this moment of honest self analysis that's easy coming from a man whose football team is 4-12: "I have to get a lot better."

Instead of a search firm to find the new leaders of his franchise, he's taking the advice of two proven executives in Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf. He is smart enough to know he can't make this decision on his own so he's leaning on two men who should - should - point him in the right direction.

Johnson still might screw this all up. But there are plenty of quality candidates, especially on the GM front, and unlike two years ago, there are also plenty of factors that make the job desirable.

The Jets have the sixth pick in the draft and, thanks to a going-away gift from Idzik, have lots of salary cap room. A new GM could immediately look like a hero, giving much deserved contract extensions to core players like Muhammad Wilkerson.

Will Johnson give a proven evaluator like Scott Pioli, whose paranoid reign in Kansas City sounds a bit too Mangini-esque, a second shot to run a team? Or will he try to identify his own, like a Tom Heckert from Denver or Brian Gaine from Houston?

It isn't exactly a high bar for the new coach to step over, either. Johnson doesn't need a Jim Harbaugh. He needs somebody with an attention to detail who, preferably, has a sharp offensive mind. Is 36-year-old Adam Gase ready in Denver? The Jets might not be the most appealing of the open jobs this offseason, but it certainly is an opportunity for a clean slate.

"We've got a good core here," Johnson said. "We don't have enough of a core, but we have a good core."

Again, it's not earth shattering news that a team that's missed the playoffs four straight years running doesn't have enough players, but at least Johnson wasn't sugarcoating anything.

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He had his share of Woodyisms, and fans are within their right not to trust an owner who essentially threw away the last two seasons. But he mostly said the right things on Monday. He has a plan that makes sense.

Can he make the right decisions this time? We're about to find out.

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Read Woody Johnson's letter to Jets season ticket holders after he fired Rex Ryan, John Idzik (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/look_woody_johnsons_letter_to_season_ticket_holders_after_he_fired_rex_ryan_john_idzik.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Jets owner Woody Johnson reached out to season ticket holders via email after he fired coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik on Monday.

Here is what Johnson wrote:

I am writing to you, a loyal New York Jets Season Ticket Holder, to share important news about the team.

Like many of you, I approached 2014 optimistically, and our 4-12 season is deeply disappointing to me.

After carefully assessing where we are as a football team, this morning I informed Rex Ryan and John Idzik that they will not be returning for the 2015 season. Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team which will be building blocks for our future. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember.

These were very difficult decisions, but winning matters above all. My obligation to Jets fans -- especially all of you -- is to position us for sustained success on the field. We did not make enough progress toward that goal this season, and I have determined that new football leadership is necessary moving forward.

Today I am starting our search, with guidance and support from respected football experts, including Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, two Super Bowl winners with decades of invaluable experience and insight.

We are considering all options to improve this team and to ensure that our new Head Coach and General Manager work hand-in-hand to build and maintain a winning culture.

I know how much you have invested in the Jets and the results of this search, so I encourage you to visit newyorkjets.com and follow @nyjets on Twitter for updates and additional information throughout the process.

Thank you for your continued passion and support for the New York Jets.

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Jets' Woody Johnson says he screwed up by making apparent tampering comments about Darrelle Revis (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/jets_woody_johson_admits_he_screwed_up_with_tampering_comments_about_darrelle_revis.html

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FLORHAM PARK -- This may or may not prevent him from being fined by the NFL for tampering, but for what it's worth, Jets owner Woody Johnson issued a statement acknowledging he screwed up Monday while talking about star cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Johnson's comment that he would "love Darrelle to come back" to the Jets was an apparent case of tampering, though an NFL spokesman declined to comment on whether Johnson could be subject to a fine for the remarks.

"I misspoke today when I commented on Darrelle Revis," Johnson said. "I would never interfere in the contractual relationship of a player with another team and should not have used those words. I called (Patriots owner) Robert Kraft this afternoon to emphasize those points."

Johnson expanded on those comments later Monday, in an interview with Michael Kay on ESPN New York radio.

"It was a pressure-filled thing for me, and emotional," Johnson said. "I certainly didn't want to do anything that would have any negative effects on my partner Bob Kraft. So I'll leave it at that."

Was Kraft receptive to Johnson's phone call?

"I'll just leave it at that," Johnson said. "It was inadvertent and there was no intent to do anything other than to say, basically, I had no problem with Revis. They were talking about Revis, when Revis was originally traded. And I had no problem with Revis."

Revis, of course, played for the Jets from 2007-12 and signed with the Patriots in free agency this past offseason, after a year with Tampa Bay. The Jets made no effort to land him this past offseason. Johnson said Monday he didn't think he could sign Revis, based on the Jets' previous difficult dealings with Revis's agents.

Now, though, it appears Johnson would welcome Revis back. Johnson can't take back what he said, in a very public setting. His comments Monday will follow the Jets all offseason, as Revis could become a free agent again, because he has a $25 million salary cap charge next year, the final season of his contract with the Patriots. The Jets still need a star cornerback, just like they did last offseason.

Johnson could have avoided this entire mess if only he had listened to his media relations director, Bruce Speight, who tried to intervene and stop Johnson from speaking when he was asked about Revis. Speight, standing off to the side during Johnson's press conference Monday, interjected and said Johnson couldn't talk about Revis, since he is under contract with the Patriots. But Johnson answered the question anyway.

Johnson was holding court with reporters Monday after he fired coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik.

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Jets' Woody Johnson thinks Rex Ryan will get another job immediately (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/jets_woody_johnson_thinks_rex_ryan_will_get_another_job_immediately.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Even though Jets owner Woody Johnson fired coach Rex Ryan on Monday, he still thinks highly of Ryan, who led Johnson's team to the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010.

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Johnson, who also fired general manager John Idzik on Monday, appeared on Michael Kay's ESPN New York radio show Monday evening. Johnson was asked if he thinks Ryan will get another head coaching job immediately.

"I don't know," Johnson said. "I would expect he would."

Johnson said he would "absolutely" give Ryan a positive endorsement to another NFL owner.

In addition to the Jets, the 49ers, Bears, Raiders and Falcons are also seeking new head coaches.

Might Ryan land in one of those places? Or will he take a television analyst job? He has already said he is not going to be a defensive coordinator next year.

During his press conference earlier Monday, Johnson was asked what he would say to another NFL owner about Ryan.

"I'd take him," Johnson said.

But clearly, the Ryan Era had run its course with the Jets.

Johnson gave Ryan a seemingly lukewarm endorsement during his press conference when he was asked for one word to summarize Ryan's tenure with the Jets.

"Try hard," Johnson said. "Is that one word?

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Bill Belichick expects Jets' Woody Johnson to face tampering probe for Darrelle Revis comments (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/bill_belichick_thinks_nfl_will_investigate_apparent_tampering_comments_by_jets_woody_johnson_about_d.html

FLORHAM PARK -- Will the NFL fine Jets owner Woody Johnson for his apparent tampering comments about Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis?

That remains unclear. A league spokesman declined to comment on the matter Monday, after Johnson said he would "love Darrelle to come back" to the Jets, who employed Revis from 2007-12.

Johnson reached out to Patriots owner Robert Kraft to basically apologize for the comments. Johnson also issued a statement saying he screwed up.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said during a radio interview with Boston's WEEI on Monday that he expects the NFL to investigate Johnson's comments.

"I would think that the league would look into those comments, along the lines of what you just said," Belichick said, referring to the WEEI host mentioning tampering in his question. "I'm sure that's something that they would look into."

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Black Monday 2015: Rounding up all of our coverage as Jets' Woody Johnson fires Rex Ryan and John Idzik (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

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http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/black_monday_2015_rounding_up_our_coverage_as_jets_fire_rex_ryan_and_john_idzik.html

The Jets now find themselves facing probably the most critical juncture of Woody Johnson's nearly 15 years of ownership, after Johnson fired both coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik on Monday.

Ryan lost too many games over the past four seasons, as he missed the playoffs each year, while totaling a 26-38 record. Idzik lasted just two years because he mismanaged the roster and he didn't give Ryan enough pieces to be successful.

Johnson hits the 15-year mark of his ownership on Jan. 18. By then, the Jets could have a new coach and GM in place. It will be months, maybe even a couple years, before we know if Johnson and his consultants, Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, made the right calls with these coaching and GM hires.

But one thing is certain: Johnson better get it right this time, if he wants to be remembered as a successful Jets owner.

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Jets ask permission to speak with Vikings' George Paton, Seahawks' Trent Kirchner for general manager job (Darryl Slater) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/jets_request_permission_to_speak_with_trent_kirchner_seattle_seahawks_executive_for_general_manager.html

The Jets, who fired general manager John Idzik on Monday, have requested permission to speak with Trent Kirchner, Seattle's director of pro personnel, and George Paton, Minnesota's assistant general manager. The Jets do not currently have an interview set up with either man.

Jets owner Woody Johnson and his two consultants, Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, are also scheduled to fly to Seattle for a Saturday interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a Morristown native, for the head coaching vacancy created by Rex Ryan's firing.

So who are Kirchner and Paton?

Kirchner, who you can find on Twitter here, has one thing in common with Idzik, who also worked in Seattle with general manager John Schneider, helping to mold last season's Super Bowl champion. Idzik was the Seahawks' vice president of football administration.

But while Idzik mostly did salary cap and contract work, and not personnel assessment, Kirchner has more of a scouting background.

Jets owner Woody Johnson said Monday that his next GM would "probably" have a more extensive scouting background than Idzik did. Idzik's personnel assessment skills were widely questioned during his two seasons with the Jets.

In the summer of 2013, Kirchner was promoted to Seattle's director of pro personnel job. At the time, Kirchner was entering his fourth year with the Seahawks. He worked as a scout for the Panthers from 2002-09, before heading to Seattle. Kirchner is a young, up-and-coming candidate. He has been out of college for just shy of 15 years.

Paton was a candidate who figured to be on the Jets' radar for their GM opening. He has been a popular name for these sort of searches in recent years.

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In early 2014, he declined the opportunity to interview with the Dolphins for their GM vacancy. Paton has worked alongside Vikings GM Rick Spielman since their days with the Bears' scouting department in the late 1990s. Paton was also in contention for the Rams' GM position in 2012, but remained in Minnesota after being promoted to assistant GM. He had been Minnesota's director of player personnel since 2007, his first year with the Vikings.

According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, Paton is considering whether to accept an interview with the Jets. Paton pronounces his last name "Payton" and not "Patton," like the famous general.

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Here is Jets owner Woody Johnson's statement on firings of Rex Ryan and John Idzik (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/here_is_jets_owner_woody_johnsons_statement_on_firings_of_rex_ryan_and_john_idzik.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets have made what everyone was anticipating official: Rex Ryan is out as head coach after six seasons and general manager John Idzik is gone after two years.

Owner Woody Johnson is expected to address reporters at Jets HQ later Monday morning, but he's already issued the following statement:

"After extensive thought and reflection about the current state of our football team, this morning I informed Rex Ryan and John Idzik that they will not be returning for the 2015 season. Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team, and they have my appreciation and gratitude for their efforts and commitment. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember.

I am beginning our search for new football leadership, effective immediately, with guidance and support from respected football experts, including Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, two Super Bowl winners with decades of valuable experience.

We will consider all options to improve the Jets.

Getting the Jets back on track is my top priority, and today's decisions are important steps towards achieving our goals."

For more on Ryan's and Idzik's respective tenures, click here. The search for the fifth head coach of Johnson's stewardship of the Jets is now (officially) underway.

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A look at Rex Ryan's most entertaining moments as Jets head coach (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/a_look_at_rex_ryans_most_entertaining_moments_as_jets_head_coach.html

Quiet.

Reserved.

Understated.

Humble.

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Demure.

All words that could be used to describe Rex Ryan's five-year tenure as the Jets' head coach.

Hahaha. Just kidding.

Ryan's days in Florham Park have been a loud, rambunctious, rip-roarin' good time. And for that, on this Christmas Day, we are most grateful. Love him or loathe him, you'd be hard-pressed to say Ryan hasn't been a consistently entertaining storyline. And what's football if not entertainment?

It's entirely possible that Sunday's game in Miami could be Ryan's last with the Jets. Should that be the case, we wanted to give him a proper send-off by recalling 18 of our favorite Rex Ryan tales. So now that you've knocked back the last of the egg nog and finally gotten away from your families, it's time to sit back, queue up some Sarah McLaughlin, and Have Yourself A Merry Little Rexmas.

18. That introductory press conference (2009)

On the day he first met the media at 1 Jets Drive, Ryan regaled reporters with some memorable lines:

•"With all the cameras and all that, I was looking for our new president back there. You know, I think we'll get to meet him in the next couple years anyway."

•"The players will have each other's backs, and if you take a swipe at one of ours, we'll take a swipe at two of yours."

•"The message to the rest of the league is, `Hey, the Jets are coming, and we're going to give you everything we got. And I think that's going to be more than you can handle.'"

17. "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's, you know, rings." (2009)

Honestly? With a line like this, uttered a few months after he was hired, it's a wonder any Jets fan could possibly dislike Rex Ryan.

16. Calling out Norv Turner (2011)

"Well, I think I would have had a couple rings. I'm telling you, those teams were loaded. There's no question about it."

15. The lap-band surgery (2010)

Ryan weighed up to 350 pounds at one point. Word of the procedure to combat his obesity got labeled an EXCLUSIVE by the New York Daily News.

14. "We will have our best team." (2012)

After promising to win the Super Bowl and reaching the AFC title game twice before regressing back to 8-8, this was what Ryan would say about the Jets in the first month of his fourth season. They finished 6-10.

13. The tattoo of his wife wearing nothing but a Sanchez jersey (2013)

Last January, just after that train wreck of a 2012 season, Ryan headed to the Bahamas for a little R&R, where a Daily News reporter and photographer found both him and his ink. "Oh, sh--," Ryan said upon being discovered.

12. "I came here to kick (Bill Belichick's) a--" (2010)

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Ryan said this in the week leading up to a Monday night game against the Patriots. The Jets would lose, 45-3, though they would make up for it by winning a playoff game in Foxboro a little more than a month later.

11. Running with the bulls (2013)

Ryan went to Pamplona over the summer, but the real fun began when he randomly turned up in some wire service photos that showed him trying to avoid getting gored. And before long, some video surfaced, too.

10. The car crash (2013)

Ryan wrecked his red Mustang back in January in Bethlehem, Pa., after cops say he ran a red light. No one was hurt, but one of the other cars was badly damaged. Police would issue Ryan a warning.

9. "Shut the f--- up!" (2011)

As the Jets left the field, a fan yelled, "Hey, Rex, Belichick's better!" Ryan's reply was swift, succinct, and captured on video.

8. The awful leg tattoo (2011)

The awful leg tattoo.

7. The 7,000-calorie-a-day diet (2010)

"I have never heard him order a Cobb salad. And I don’t think you would be slandering him to say he is a beer guy,” a source told the New York Post.

6. "I guarantee we'll win (the Super Bowl) this year" (2011)

Ryan said this on the first day of the NFL combine in Indianapolis, the site of the upcoming Super Bowl. It was his second such promise in a matter of weeks. The Jets would go on to finish 8-8.

5. Dinner at Hooters and Steak 'N Shake (2011)

And on the same night, no less.

4. Challenging the Dolphins' Channing Crowder to a fight (2009)

"I don't know this Channing Crowder. All I know is that he's all tatted up, so I guess I ought to be nervous about him. The other thing is I think he's wrong because I do think you win in June. I think you win with your preparation and all that kind of stuff. If I was younger, I'd probably handle him myself.''

3. All that cursing on Hard Knocks (2010)

Deadspin performed a public service by tallying Ryan's swear words over the course of HBO's behind-the-scenes training camp series. The final count: 178. After the first episode aired, Ryan said he was sorry in the most Rex Ryan way possible: "I apologize if I've offended more people than I usually offend."

Also:

2. Giving fans the finger (2010)

Ryan went to an MMA event in Florida. "I just want to tell everyone in Miami that we’re coming to beat you twice next year," he told the crowd. The Jets had lost twice to the Dolphins the year before, but never mind. As he walked out, Ryan saluted a few fans with his middle finger. Someone caught a photo of it. The New York Post slapped it on the front page.

1. That foot fetish thing (2010)

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You knew it would be on this list. And don't forget the awkward press conference that followed, which could be summed up in eight seconds.

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What's next for Rex Ryan now that Jets have fired him? (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/whats_next_for_rex_ryan_now_that_jets_have_fired_him.html

FLORHAM PARK — One of the first things Jets head coach Rex Ryan will do now that he's no longer the head coach of the Jets is get on a plane back to Florida.

Ryan coached the Jets to a 37-24 victory over the Dolphins in Miami on Sunday. He flew back with the team after the game and was fired at One Jets Drive on Monday morning. But he's heading to Orlando to watch Clemson play Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Monday evening, according to a person close to him who spoke on condition of anonymity. The younger of Ryan's two sons, Seth, is a redshirt freshman wide receiver for Clemson, and has Ryan often behaved like a Tigers fanboy, going so far as to be seen in public wearing lots of orange.

After that?

The person close to him said Ryan would seek out another head coaching opportunity; the Falcons and Bears, who also fired their head coaches Monday morning, are both possibilities, and the 49ers' position is now available, too. Ryan had told CBS on Sunday he doesn't want to be a defensive coordinator. But if a head coaching gig doesn't materialize, the person close to him said, look for Ryan to take a television gig, with ESPN and CBS both floated as potential landing spots.

(An ESPN coordinator producer told Sports Illustrated several weeks ago that Ryan "pretty much has everything TV networks would look for.")

And if Ryan does go the TV route, the person close to him said, don't look for him to be a professional yakker for long: He would certainly try to fly back into coaching in 2016.

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Dan Quinn, Seahawks' defensive coordinator and Morristown native, to interview with Jets (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/dan_quinn_seahawks_defensive_coordinator_and_morristown_native_on_jets_wish_list_to_replace_rex_ryan.html

FLORHAM PARK — The Jets' search for Rex Ryan's replacement is now underway—well, check that, because it began on Friday, if not earlier. But the names of possible head coaching candidates are now starting to bubble to the surface, and one of the first has some North Jersey ties.

Dan Quinn, the Seahawks' defensive coordinator and a Morristown native, is scheduled to interview with Jets owner Woody Johnson, plus Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, on Saturday in Seattle. Casserly and Wolf have been retained by Johnson to assist in the search for a head coach to replace Ryan and a general manager to replace John Idzik, who was also fired Monday morning.

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Because the Seahawks have a playoff bye, the Jets had until Sunday to interview Quinn for the first time, according to NFL rules. Otherwise, they would have had to wait until after the Seahawks were eliminated from the postseason.

That the Jets are quick to interview Quinn before a GM is in place could indicate they're making a strong push to get him.

In an interesting twist, former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum—the man fired and replaced by John Idzik, who was also fired Monday—is Quinn's agent. Which means Tannenbaum will now be on the other side of the negotiating table from owner Woody Johnson and Co.

Quinn, 44, has become a red-hot coaching candidate in recent years because of his success with Seattle's defense; ESPN's Josina Anderson reported Monday that the 49ers have also requested permission from the Seahawks to interview Quinn.

The Seahawks won last year's Super Bowl by suffocating Peyton Manning and the Broncos, and they've earned home-field advantage for this year's NFC playoffs. Football Outsiders ranks the Seahawks' defense fourth in DVOA this year.

Quinn had interviewed with the Browns last year, and while he chose to focus on the Super Bowl rather than have a second interview, he later admitted to Cleveland.com that he would have been "interested" had the Browns made him an offer.

Quinn had spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons as the Jets' defensive line coach under Eric Mangini.

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Antonio Cromartie's wife praises Rex Ryan after his firing from Jets (Dom Cosentino) NJ Advance Media December 29, 2014

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/antonio_cromarties_wife_praises_rex_ryan_after_his_firing_from_jets.html

FLORHAM PARK — Terricka Cason Cromartie, aka the wife of ex-Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, aka Lady Cro, wasn't too happy with the Jets for cutting her husband then letting him walk during free agency back in March.

But now that the Jets have fired head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik, Cason Cromartie seems to be sad to see Ryan was let go. From her Instagram account a few minutes ago:

Rex You were one of the main reasons why I wanted my husband to stay a Jet.. You are an amazing Coach and Family man. Thank you for coaching my husband, developing his talent and bringing out the fire in him to play the game that he loves so much.. It was your heart and love for the game, that made him want to be his best. You made sure our guys put in the work, but you also made time for family and including family in the game as much as possible. Antonio was blessed to have been coached by you. Your best is yet to come. I can't wait for your new start.. God has a plan.. Best wishes The Cromarties.

Cason Cromartie had nothing to say about Idzik, so we can probably assume her tweet from October, after the Jets had traded for Percy Harvin and his $6.4 million salary, still stands:

Antonio Cromartie played four seasons with the Jets. But while he struggled in 2013 because of a bum hip, he bounced back a bit this season. His wife's comments about Ryan were indeed a nice gesture, but the magnanimity actually went both ways: The Cardinals are in the playoffs, which means the Jets allowed Cromartie to play for good team this year.

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NEW YORK POST

Jets clean house, firing Ryan and Idzik (Brian Costello) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/jets-clean-house-firing-rex-ryan-and-gm-john-idzik/

In a move that has been expected for days, Jets owner Woody Johnson cleaned house on Monday — firing both general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan.

The firings came after a dismal 4-12 season that included an eight-game losing streak, tied for the longest one-season losing streak in team history. The Jets beat the Dolphins on Sunday 37-24, but it was too little, too late for Idzik and Ryan.

Idzik’s stay with the Jets was extremely brief. He was hired in January 2013, but a shaky draft record, failure to address holes in the roster and an embarrassing midseason news conference doomed him.

Johnson released a statement Monday morning confirming the fate of the two men. He said the search for replacements will begin immediately, with “guidance and support” from Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf.

“Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team, and they have my appreciation and gratitude for their efforts and commitment. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember,” Johnson said.

“We will consider all options to improve the Jets. Getting the Jets back on track is my top priority, and today’s decisions are important steps towards achieving our goals.”

Ryan made the seven-mile drive from Florham Park back to his home in Summit following his meeting with Johnson. He pulled his white SUV into the garage, then pulled back out five minutes later, at 9 a.m., wife Michelle in the passenger seat, both of them decked out in orange Clemson gear.

As he departed, Ryan briefly lowered his window and gave a thumbs up to photographers, though he did not pause long enough to field questions.

Ryan, 52, leaves the Jets with a record of 50-52, including the postseason. He guided the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship game appearances in his first two years, but his teams missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. Ryan will be remembered for his bravado, outspokenness and larger-than-life persona as much as he will for his coaching.

The Jets hired Ryan in 2009 after firing Eric Mangini, and Ryan breathed life into the franchise. He vowed to win the Super Bowl in his introductory press conference, the first of many promises that went unfulfilled. He got as close to returning the Jets to the Super Bowl as any Jets coach has since Weeb Ewbank’s team won Super Bowl III. Ryan showed his defensive genius and a devotion to the running game that came to be known as “Ground and Pound” in 2009 and 2010 when they went 9-7 and 11-5, respectively. Those factors helped the Jets win four road playoff games, even though inexperienced quarterback Mark Sanchez, Ryan’s first draft pick, was under center.

After losing to the Steelers in the 2010 AFC title game, things began to fall apart. The lockout hurt the Jets entering 2011 and the team had a different look. The Jets went 8-8 in a season marked by locker room turmoil and Sanchez’s 26 turnovers.

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The following spring, the Jets traded for Tim Tebow and Ryan hired Tony Sparano as his offensive coordinator. Things went from bad to worse as the Jets finished 6-10, Ryan’s first losing season. The Tebow experiment blew up in the Jets’ face and general manager Mike Tannenbaum was fired. Johnson decided to keep Ryan as coach and force the new general manager to work with him. That move looked risky then and foolish now.

After a lengthy search, the Jets hired Idzik to replace Tannenbaum. The move seemed ill-conceived from the start because Idzik’s background was in salary cap management, similar to Tannenbaum. He had very little personnel experience, something the Jets needed in the GM chair.

Idzik inherited a bad salary-cap situation and got it in order quickly, but he struggled with roster-building. He traded Darrelle Revis three months into the job, a move Johnson pushed for, and got a good return from the Buccaneers for the star player, landing a first-round pick in 2013. That pick became Sheldon Richardson, who won Defensive Rookie of the Year. But Idzik’s other moves did not work out as well.

He drafted quarterback Geno Smith, who has been inconsistent and turnover-prone, in the second round of the ’13 draft. In the first round, he took cornerback Dee Milliner in addition to Richardson. Milliner struggled as a rookie and has struggled to stay healthy.

The Jets overachieved in 2013, going 8-8, prompting the Jets to extend Ryan’s contract. Idzik and Ryan shared a memorable hug in the postgame locker room after the season finale in Miami when the news was announced that Ryan would return.

Entering 2014, Idzik failed to address a major hole at cornerback after releasing Antonio Cromartie. He did sign wide receiver Eric Decker to bolster the offense, but appeared overly frugal when he entered the season with more than $20 million in salary cap space despite major holes on the roster.

The Jets had 12 draft picks in the 2014 Draft and Idzik used all of them instead of packaging them in a trade. His draft picks have had little impact this season, especially the three wide receivers he picked. The trio has 0 receptions between them and only two remain on the roster. This, despite this draft being the deepest for wide receivers in years.

The Jets lost eight of their first nine games and Idzik’s awkward relationship with the New York media became a story at midseason after a strange press conference that began with a rambling, 19-minute opening statement from the GM.

Shortly after that, a fan movement began to get Idzik fired. A group of fans launced the website firejohnidzik.com and raised money to buy billboards across North Jersey with their message. In mid-November, an airplane carrying a banner that read “Fire John Idzik” circled the Jets practice field with the team as well as Idzik, Johnson and Ryan on it.

The Jets managed to win three of their final seven games, but it became clear that Idzik was too much of a lightning rod with the fans to bring back. News broke last week that Johnson had secured former NFL GMs Casserly and Wolf to serve as his consultants in the event he made a change at GM and coach.

On Monday, those changes became reality.

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Jets owner: Rex didn’t win enough, Idzik didn’t spend enough (Brian Costello) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/jets-owner-rex-didnt-win-enough-idzik-didnt-spend-enough/

For Jets owner Woody Johnson, 4-12 was too much to take.

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Johnson fired both general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan early Monday morning, a day after the end of the team’s disappointing season.

“It became pretty apparent during the season as we progressed, the team was not getting better,” Johnson said. “As [Bill] Parcells said, you are what your record says you are. It was kind of obvious that we had to make a change. It was obvious to me anyway.”

Ryan was fired after six years as coach, while Idzik only got two years on the job. Johnson said he will work along with consultants Ron Wolf and Charley Casserly, both longtime NFL GMs, to identify the next general manager and coach.

“We’ve had a disappointing year and we want to make some changes, starting with those guys that help the team play more consistently, win more games,” Johnson said. “We’re in the win business, as I said earlier, and we’re not winning. I thought this was something we had to do.”

Johnson hinted at a rift between Idzik and Ryan. Idzik inherited Ryan when he was hired in 2013, and it seemed like the two men were on different timelines for two years.

“I’m not sure there was a disconnect, but I can tell you the ideal is to have a connect because you have to be on the same page as your coach,” Johnson said. “That’s key. John is a very smart guy and put a lot of good things in.”

Johnson said Idzik was not all bad, but had to go.

“John added a lot to this team and he did a lot of good things for the New York Jets,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t get credit for it because there was the yin and yang. There was the good guy [Ryan] and maybe the less than good guy. He did a lot. I think he added a lot of structure to the way we draft players, whether you agree with his draft or don’t and our number system. He did a lot for the big debt he was left when Mike [Tannenbaum] left. He got rid of all that.”

But Johnson admitted the Jets should have used some of the more than $20 million in cap space they had entering the year.

“Now, he didn’t spend the last $20 million because we didn’t spend every dollar that we have,” Johnson said. “He had a plan for that. We were going to sign players that we didn’t get signed. We reserved it for that. Maybe we should have spent more. We probably should have.”

The search for a new GM began Monday with the Jets already requesting permission from teams to interview some candidates. Johnson acknowledged his team is at a crucial juncture.

“This is very, very critical right now,” Johnson said. “We have to make some good decisions. We have to structure it properly. We have to know exactly what we’re looking for in a head coach and how he defines what he’s looking for and the same with a general manager.”

There was public pressure to get rid of Idzik, with websites, billboards and planes carrying banners over the past two months. But Johnson said he did not fire Idzik because of that pressure.

“I work for the fans, but I don’t listen to the fans because the fans that are going to be the most vocal are maybe not the fans that represent all the fans,” he said.

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Woody Johnson ‘tampers’ with Revis, and it may cost him (Brian Costello) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/woody-johnson-tampers-with-revis-and-it-may-cost-him/

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Jets owner Woody Johnson may have cost himself some money with his Monday press conference to announce the firings of John Idzik and Rex Ryan.

Johnson was asked about not signing Darrelle Revis when the ex-Jets cornerback was a free agent in March. Revis’ agents reached out to the Jets, but the team was not interested in a reunion. Revis signed with the rival Patriots instead and is playing this season for $12 million, a bargain price for a player of his caliber.

“Darrelle is a great player,” Johnson said. “If I thought I could have gotten Darrelle for that [contract], I probably would have taken him. It was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle’s a great player. I’d love Darrelle to come back.”

That last comment may be what gets Revis in trouble. The NFL considers it tampering for an owner, coach or executive to speak about a player under contract with another team. The NFL declined to say whether they are looking into Johnson’s remark, but you can bet it raised some eyebrows in New England, where Bill Belichick loves to stick it to the Jets.

Revis, who played for the Jets from 2007-12, had two ugly holdouts with the team. Idzik traded Revis to Tampa Bay in 2013, largely because Johnson did not believe the Jets could sign him to a long-term deal.

Johnson said he did not think the Jets could have signed Revis to the same contract the Patriots did because of agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod.

“I guess my experience with his agents,” Johnson said, “it would have been very hard.”

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Geno Smith asks incoming Jets brass for ‘chance to compete’ (Dan Martin) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/geno-smith-asks-incoming-jets-brass-for-chance-to-compete/

Geno Smith has one request for the next head coach and general manager of the Jets.

“All I can ask for is the chance to compete,” Smith said.

That’s fine, but his inconsistent performance played a significant part in Monday’s decision by owner Woody Johnson to fire Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik. Whoever comes in to replace the pair will have no allegiance to Smith. Still, the quarterback remains confident he can do the job.

“I believe in myself and my ability,” Smith said in the Jets locker room, one day after he put up a perfect QB rating in a season-ending victory over the Dolphins. “I think I have the ability to be a starting quarterback. I know that it’s gonna be hard work. I’ve got to go in and compete, and that’s all I can ask for.”

He didn’t make things easy on himself this season, particularly when he threw three interceptions in the first quarter against the Bills on Oct. 26. The horrid stretch landed Smith on the bench in favor of Michael Vick.

“As a competitor, it definitely gave me that extra incentive, I guess you could say, to go out there and play even harder,” Smith said. “I always play my hardest and always try to make the right decisions, but when the result is a benching because of your decision-making, then you really know I’ve got to make the right choice at all times.”

Smith eventually got the starting job back and played his best game in Sunday’s season finale, completing 20 of 25 pass attempts for 358 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.

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Johnson said Monday he hadn’t lost faith in the second-year player. The team has the sixth overall pick in the draft.

“I think he’s a young quarterback who [in] the last five games has gotten much, much better,” Johnson said. “The last five games he played pretty well.”

And the owner believes the best is still in front of Smith.

“He’ll make better decisions as he moves on,” Johnson said. “I’ve got confidence in Geno. I really think he can be good.”

Whether Johnson’s new front office will agree is another matter.

“Once we figure out who the coach is and who the GM is, I’m gonna talk to them and find out what direction they want me to go in and where I need to improve,” Smith said. “I’ve got some goals myself this offseason. I want to get bigger, stronger and faster and become … smarter.”

That includes dealing with distractions. He shouted an expletive at a heckler as he walked off the field following a loss to Detroit in September, and he said he got confused by the time difference on the West Coast when he was late for a meeting before the game in San Diego.

“New York will toughen you,” Smith said. “It’s a place where you’ve got to have thick skin. We all know that.”

Those issues, he insisted, haven’t soured him on the team or the town.

“Everyone’s different,” Smith said. “It hasn’t made me bitter. I’m not bitter at all. You’ve just got to get smarter and know how to adjust. Experience is always the best professor.”

Now he just has to get that opportunity.

“We’re all in the same boat right now,” Smith said. “We’re anxious. We want to see who it is. I can’t wait to get back to work.”

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Jets made overtures to Michigan-bound Jim Harbaugh (Brian Costello) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/jets-made-overtures-to-michigan-bound-jim-harbaugh/

The Jets took a shot at landing the big fish in the coaching market, reaching out to former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday, a source confirmed.

The Jets expressed real interest in hiring Harbaugh to be their new head coach, but the feeling in the Jets organization is he is taking the job at the University of Michigan, as multiple reports have indicated.

Harbaugh was seen as the top prize in the coaching market, and the Raiders and Bears reportedly showed interest in him as well as the Jets, according to an ESPN report.

“I think he’s an excellent coach,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said about Harbaugh on Monday morning. “His record proves it.”

The Jets fired Rex Ryan after six seasons as head coach, along with general manager John Idzik, who spent just two years with the team.

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Woody can deliver ultimate gift: A championship coach in Saban (Mike Vaccaro) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/woody-can-deliver-ultimate-gift-a-championship-coach-in-saban/

Woody Johnson said a lot of things Monday morning, some of them encouraging, some of them puzzling, some of them falling into the vast chasm in between. The owner of the Jets will never be confused with, say, Teddy Roosevelt, when the time comes to list the great orators of all time.

But there were five words that were telling.

And will be especially telling if he meant them.

“We’re in the win business,” Woody Johnson said.

This may sound like the ultimate owner-speak platitude, but the truth is for a number of years under Johnson’s stewardship, the Jets were unabashedly in the PSL business. The last few years, it has seemed as if they were in the back-page business, as eager to sell newspapers as we are. The win business? That’s always felt like a necessary accessory to everything else.

So let’s take him at his word, or at least take him at those five words. If the Jets are truly in the win business, then they have to take a break from the standard NFL policy of hiring the hot coordinator. Sometimes it works. And sometimes it works for a while: Eric Mangini had two winning seasons here. Rex Ryan went to back-to-back AFC Championship games. Both men wound up fired.

They have to hire a track record. That isn’t the easiest thing to do in the NFL these days, because there aren’t a lot of them left. Jon Gruden, Tony Dungy and Bill Cowher are married to TV now. Whatever bloom Mike Shanahan had was rubbed off clean by his time in Washington. Jim Harbaugh is bound for Ann Arbor.

But there is one name that has to intrigue Woody Johnson right now, because if winning is an industry, he is as prosperous as the law allows. He is, in fact, the second-best football coach on the planet (and, not coincidentally, the professional spawn of No. 1).

Nick Saban.

Yes: Maybe only a fool would abandon a kingdom in Tuscaloosa for a condo in Florham Park, and Saban is no fool. Yes: As a close FOH (Friend of the Hoodie,) he will be given the chapter-and-verse reasons from Bill Belichick why he should stay away (and remember, it was Belichick’s concerns with “various uncertainties” about the Jets pending owner — Johnson — that caused him to pen his famed “HC of the NYJ” soliloquy two weeks before Johnson officially closed on the team in 2000).

And yes: Saban has been down this AFC East road before and it didn’t go well: a 15-17 record in two years in Miami, bequeathing a barren cabinet that rock-bottomed at 1-15 the year after he fled for Alabama.

That last point should be of the least concern. I believe Nick Saban 2.0 in the NFL would be identical to John Calipari 2.0 in the NBA if and when that ever happens. Both had done splendid rebuilding jobs — Saban at LSU, Calipari at UMass — to get their first crack at the pros. They weren’t interlopers, but they didn’t have near the surplus of credibility they own now.

This time around they have both not only revived royalty — Alabama football and Kentucky basketball are first cousins — but they have also recruited, seemingly, half the players in the NBA and the NFL by now. Even players who didn’t play for them swear by them now. They have that level of gravitas. And that will unquestionably translate.

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And both may soon have to ask themselves a similar question … What else is left to conquer in college? What else is left to prove?

And both may soon have to ask themselves a similar question, if ’Bama wins another title in the coming weeks, and if Calipari wins another tournament in April: What else is left to conquer in college? What else is left to prove? And shouldn’t both of them test their unique skills at the highest-possible level when they’re both at their best?

So the onus is on Johnson, then, to make this a job Saban can’t turn down. It would involve reaching into his deep pockets, of course; Saban already makes $6.9 million a year at Alabama, so the $8 million Harbaugh is reportedly set to collect at Michigan is just a starting point (sure to grow once ’Bama tries to keep him). And since Johnson hinted that it was John Idzik’s idea to scrimp and save, not his, this shouldn’t be an impediment, right?

Saban is undoubtedly going to want the kind of power that Belichick enjoys in New England. If that clinches the deal? You give it to him, even if it makes Johnson’s old-school advisers, Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, turn blue. This is exactly the deal Pete Carroll was given in Seattle; he had the power to approve the GM, John Schneider, and that’s worked out as well as a thing can work out.

Saban holds all the cards here, so it’s Johnson who has to do the selling, and hard. It’s Johnson who has a perfect way to honor his new credo: “We’re in the win business.” And it’s also a salute to the Jets’ own history, to the two brief eras when they truly were a football dynamo. Weeb Ewbank and Bill Parcells both came to the Jets with two championship rings apiece. Ewbank added a third. Parcells almost did. THEY were in the win business, and the Jets went along for the ride.

Saban could do that, too, if only he could be persuaded to give it a try.

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Hey, Woody, stand back and let football men repair Jets (Steve Serby) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/29/hey-woody-stand-back-and-let-football-men-repair-jets/

He wore a white cap with a green NY and a green tie and essentially said, “My bad,” only hours after he cleaned house of the mess he made by arranging the ill-fated shotgun marriage between Rex Ryan and John Idzik two long years ago.

“Well, ultimately I get all the blame yeah, I do … to the extent there’s blame, sure, I have to get a lot better,” Johnson said.

He is dead right about that, after being dead wrong about Idzik and the disconnected firm of Idzik & Ryan.

Which means it is the perfect time for Johnson to get out of the way, and stay out of the way, and let Ron Wolf and Charley Casserly find him a GM. And stay out of the way while the GM finds him a new head coach.

“This is very very critical right now,” Johnson said. “We’ve gotta make some good decisions. We have to structure it properly, we have to know exactly what we’re looking for in a head coach and how he defines what he’s looking for. Same with a general manager.”

Johnson undoubtedly terrified Jets fans when someone asked whether the new GM will have unilateral power to hire the new head coach or whether Wolf and Casserly will have a significant role.

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“I think I’m gonna ultimately be the one that hires the coach,” he said, “but I’ll certainly listen to the general manager. I mean, if that comes first, I’ll definitely do that.”

Hopefully, he meant he is the one who will be signing the new coach’s hefty paycheck. That the bucks stop with him. He ought to be looking in the mirror and reminding himself over and over: “I am not John Mara. My father was not Wellington Mara. I was not raised on or in the NFL.”

Casserly knows the ropes, though Bill Belichick would beg to differ, and Wolf is as good as it gets in football, a Hall of Fame executive and longtime confidant of Bill Parcells who wrote a book called “The Packer Way” in which he outlined nine stepping stones.

1. Identify what needs to be fixed.

2. Hire the best — before anyone else does.

3. Develop an obsession with winning today.

4. Play to your strengths.

5. Use the four Cs — Certain Devotion; Certain Dedication; Certain Work Ethic; Certain Results — to measure performance.

6. Making it work.

7. Keeping it going.

8. Handling the unexpected.

9. Staying on top.

Wolf who hired Mike Holmgren and traded for Brett Favre, once said: “I believe that the head coach and quarterback positions are the key to everything in our business. You have to do whatever it takes to get them and then don’t micromanage them. But I don’t believe in double standards. Treating people like prima donnas is a mistake. They have to be compatible with you and they need to know, ‘Here are the rules. You must accept them if you are to be a part of this organization.'”

Casserly agrees: “You have to have an owner who is committed to winning, ” he said once. “In addition to a solid general manager, you have to have head coach who is a good leader, a good motivator and who can hire good people. He has to understand how to use personnel. Ultimately, you’re not going to get where you want to get without a quarterback. If you have one, conversely, every time you go out to play a game, you have a chance to win.”

The new coach will inherit Geno Smith, increasing the urgency for an offensive-minded coach.

“You have to be a good manager, I think, as well as be able to inspire the team,” Johnson said.

Casserly believes it is important that any college coach seeking an NFL job has a knowledge of the workings of the league.

“I think if he’s been a pro assistant and understands the pro game, and therefore has connections within the league to hire a staff — which is crucial — and understands how to build an organization in the NFL to include the draft, salary cap, dealing with ownership; those are all things you want,” Casserly once said.

When Johnson was asked if he regretted not firing Ryan when he whacked Mike Tannenbaum, he said: “I guess in retrospect, yeah.”

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When he was asked if he sensed a disconnect between Ryan and Idzik, Johnson said: “I’m not sure if there was a disconnect, but I can tell you the ideal is to have a connect, because you have to be on the same page with your coach.”

There is no connect when your GM leaves over $20 million in cap room in his pocket for a win-now head coach.

“We didn’t spend every dollar that we had, but he had a plan for that,” Johnson said. “We were gonna sign players that we didn’t get signed, we reserved it for that. We should have spent more, probably should have.”

Asked specifically whether Idzik was under any directive from him not to spend the money, Johnson said: “No.”

With one exception: Darrelle Revis. Johnson had grown weary of dealing with Revis’ agents, and Bill Belichick swooped in with a $12 million offer for this season. The problem is Revis would have been renegotiating yet again after this season, and would not have made the Jets a playoff team by himself.

“I’d love Darrelle to come back,” Johnson said. Whoops. Inadvertent tampering. Urgent apology to Bob Kraft extended. Plus, don’t believe that for a second, and besides, that ship sailed the second Ryan walked out the door.

The Jets swiftly began reaching out to GM candidates. The owner has a list, and ideally, Wolf and Casserly are checking it twice to determine who’s naughty or nice.

“The three of us will be leading this search, but I’ve always been open to ideas and discussion,” Johnson said.

You mean well, but you buttfumbled it the last time, Woody. There is no guarantee Wolf and Casserly get it right. But at least the odds are better. Get out of the way and stay out of the way this time.

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The watch begins: 5 possible coaches and GMs for Jets (Brian Costello) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/30/the-watch-begins-5-possible-coaches-and-gms-for-jets/

A look at some of the noteworthy candidates to fill the Jets’ openings at GM and head coach:

Head coaching candidates

Todd Bowles, Cardinals defensive coordinator

He’s a hot name after the way the Cardinals played defense this year, but would the Jets replace Rex Ryan with another defensive-minded head coach?

Adam Gase, Broncos offensive coordinator

He is going to have to overcome the perception that anyone can run an offense when Peyton Manning is your quarterback.

Pep Hamilton, Colts offensive coordinator

Had a lot of success at Stanford, interviewed for the Jets offensive coordinator job two years ago and is now running an offense with Andrew Luck at the controls.

Dan Quinn, Seahawks defensive coordinator

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Former Jets assistant is from Morristown, N.J. Was viewed as the likely candidate if John Idzik stayed as GM, but the team remains interested in him even with Idzik gone. He is represented by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum.

Nick Saban, Alabama head coach

It’s a long shot, but the Jets should check if the legendary college coach wants to scratch that NFL itch after failing in a two-year stint with the Dolphins.

GM candidates

Chris Ballard, Chiefs director of player personnel

He is one of the most coveted candidates in the NFL. The Bears are seen as the favorite to land him.

Eric DeCosta, Ravens assistant GM

Every year teams call on DeCosta and every year he turns them down to stay in Baltimore. The Jets called in 2013, and probably will call again. No one expects him to leave Baltimore, where he is seen as the next GM.

Ryan Pace, Saints director of player personnel

The Saints denied the Dolphin’s request to speak to Pace last year, someone GM Mickey Loomis has described as their “secret” they don’t want the league to find out about.

George Paton, Vikings assistant GM

The Jets have already requested permission to speak to Paton, according to an NFL Network report. They wanted to talk to him two years ago, but he was not interested.

Scott Pioli, Falcons assistant GM

Was a key part of the dynasty Patriots as Bill Belichick’s top personnel man. He flamed out as Chiefs GM, but knows how to find talent.

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‘It was rough, man': Rex Ryan speaks to cap his whirlwind day (Mark Cannizzaro) New York Post December 29, 2014

http://nypost.com/2014/12/30/it-was-rough-man-rex-ryan-speaks-to-cap-his-whirlwind-day/

ORLANDO, Fla. — It certainly did not take Rex Ryan very long to move on — into his Jets afterlife.

In less time than it took for the Jets to defeat the Dolphins in their season finale Sunday at Sun Life Stadium, Ryan woke up Monday morning, went to the office, got fired, went back home to pick up his wife and flew back to Florida to watch his son’s Clemson Tigers play in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

The Ryans’ son, Seth, is a red-shirt freshman reserve receiver for 17th-ranked Clemson, which routed Oklahoma, 40-6. He got into the game on the Tigers’ last three offensive plays, but did not have a pass thrown to him.

Rex Ryan — wearing a white T-shirt with “Clemson’’ written across the chest in orange letters, a white Clemson ball cap with an orange tiger paw on it and black sweat pants — was accompanied by his wife, Michelle.

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About 12 hours earlier, Ryan was fired from his dream job by Jets owner Woody Johnson, but he hardly wore the look of a guy who was feeling sorry for himself Monday night. Ryan looked relaxed and happy.

Asked what Monday morning was like speaking to his players for the last time, Ryan said, “It was rough, man. But hey, that’s the way it is.’’

Ryan then said: “I’m going to go now, because this really isn’t supposed to be about me. It’s about my kid, man.’’

Ryan then put his arm around his wife and whisked off into the sea of orange-clad Clemson fans — and he now awaits his next career opportunity.

Ryan did not make himself available to reporters after his firing — going out with a whimper after such a blustery beginning to his Jets tenure. But, addressing his future after the win over the Dolphins, he defiantly told reporters: “Understand this: I’m not afraid of anything. I’m not afraid of what lies ahead.’’

Nor should he be. Ryan is 52 and in the prime of his coaching career. Sure, he missed the playoffs the last four years, but he also coached the Jets to two AFC Championship games. There are not a lot of coaches in the market for jobs with that on their résumé.

It, too, is widely known around the NFL that Ryan was dealt a weak hand personnel-wise the last few years, though he hardly should be exonerated from fault for the Jets demise, because he surely played his part.

Ryan might not want to concede this publicly, but being fired Monday was a relief of sort. He needed a change of scenery and now he can get it.

And other than getting fired, Monday was a pretty good day for Ryan.

In addition to Clemson’s bowl victory:

•The Falcons fired their head coach Mike Smith.

•The Bears fired their head coach Marc Trestman.

•And former 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is virtually signed and sealed at Michigan.

Add to that the Raiders’ open job and Ryan is staring at three potential places that would seem like a perfect fit for him with the most attractive candidate (Harbaugh) now out of the mix.

In Atlanta, Ryan would have a ready-made offense in place led by franchise quarterback Matt Ryan, needing only to fix the defense, which of course is his specialty.

In Oakland, where the Raiders were in hot pursuit of Harbaugh, Ryan would also inherit a potential franchise quarterback in Derek Carr.

In Chicago, the quarterback situation is a bit complicated with the staggering regression of Jay Cutler. And Ryan would be returning to a place his father was a hero as the Bears defensive coordinator during their 1985 Super Bowl run.

If no team hires Ryan as its head coach in 2015, he is believed to already have a TV contract in place at ESPN. So don’t feel too sorry for Ryan. He’s going to be just fine.

So on Monday, hours after being bounced from his dream job after six years, Ryan did what he always does: He went out and had a good time.

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48 | P a g e

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

After firing John Idzik and Rex Ryan, Woody Johnson gets chance to show he’s not to blame for Jets circus (Mike Lupica) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/lupica-jets-circus-spotlight-shines-woody-johnson-article-1.2059503

So this is how, after all the noise and fun and even the clown-show seltzer down the pants of the head coach sometimes, the circus leaves town. Rex Ryan gets it and so does John Idzik, early on a Monday morning after the end to one of the worst seasons in Jets history. This season most of the most important noise came from Jets fans, telling Woody Johnson that it was time for him to move on from both a general manager and a coach on the same day.

Now the whole thing isn't about a loud coach or a wildly ineffective GM. It is about the owner. Now Woody Johnson, like it or not, is the out-front star of the Jets. He takes away all of his cover now as he gets rid of his coach and his general manager. We will find out, once and for all, if the real ringmaster at Florham Park is the owner.

KEEP 'EM OR DUMP 'EM: WHO SHOULD FOLLOW REX AND IDZIK OUT THE DOOR?

Rex Ryan goes now, after six seasons, all the bright work for him coming at the very beginning, and all the fun. Idzik? He goes after two years, an amazingly short time for a new general manager, but after an amazingly lousy body of work. The Jets start over again. Again. They did it once with Mike Tannenbaum and Eric Mangini, when you got the idea that a couple of football kids had taken over the principal's office.

Now they do it again. This time Woody Johnson will do it right. He will listen to smart football people, a couple of wise old football heads like Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, and then hopefully he can hire the kind of general manager the Giants hired a long time ago with the great George Young, who came to Jersey and began to change everything with the football Giants.

It is no easy thing, and no small thing. Bill Parcells wasn't the first coach Young hired — Ray Perkins was — and he nearly fired Parcells after a year on the job. But he stayed with him, and now the Giants have won four Super Bowls and there are only a handful of teams who have ever won more.

The Jets aren't looking for four. They are looking for their second, and their first since Joe Namath. And because of how hard and how fast they fell this season, this really now does become the biggest and most important decision Woody Johnson will make, for the Jets and for himself and for an angry fan base, angry enough to even hire skywriters this season about Woody's last hand-picked general manager, one who knew more about staying under a salary cap than about picking the kinds of players who put your team over the top.

Woody Johnson spared Rex Ryan once — by forcing John Idzik to keep him on as head coach — but couldn’t defend his coach’s 4-12 season.

And now, because of the way this happens for the Jets, because they took this kind of fall and because all the speculation about Idzik's replacement will begin before the speculation about Rex's replacement, Woody gets what he wants — at least in the short run — for himself and for his team:

It is all about him.

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49 | P a g e

He has created this committee, himself and Casserly and Wolf. But this is on him now. And the reality of his situation is the reality that Wellington Mara and Tim Mara faced when the then-commissioner of the league, Pete Rozelle, basically brokered the deal to make Young the Giants' general manager:

You can talk about star coaches all you want, but being wrong about a general manager is the same as being wrong about your quarterback in pro football. If you are wrong, you can set your program back years. It is exactly what has happened with the New York Jets. They won four games this year and the Giants, who act as if they did something by beating some scrub teams down the stretch, won six. And yet the gap between two teams playing in the same stadium once again feels as big and wide as ever.

"Over the year, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence," Johnson said in his statement on Monday morning, "and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember."

Rex did that. This isn't all his fault. It isn't all John Idzik's fault. Or the offensive coordinator's fault. It is never just one thing in sports when the whole thing falls apart. Everybody gets blamed, well, unless they are Phil Jackson. The coach made it to two AFC championship games with a kid like Mark Sanchez, but never had a star quarterback in a quarterback league.

In just two seasons, Woody Johnson sees enough from John Idzik (r.) to know that he’s not the right man to be the Jets’ general manager.

And it is fair to say that Rex never had enough guys at the skill positions on offense. But none of the guys he did have on offense got better on his watch. When he needed help from a general manager who never wanted him, on whom Ryan was forced, he got no cornerbacks, even though people in outer space know how important cornerbacks are to Rex and his crazy, aggressive, gambling schemes.

Now Woody takes away his cover by firing both of them. His own crazy scheme — bring in a new general manager, force him to keep the incumbent coach — was doomed to produce the kind of dreary mess the Jets became this season, when their best moments were two moral-victory losses to the Patriots. They had been reduced to that, under the coach who said he didn't come here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings.

Woody gets his publicity now, he sure does, everybody knows how much he loves that. But this is his chance, once and for all, to not act like a clown himself, to understand that you get not one yard closer to the Lombardi Trophy with back-page headlines and a colorful coach. The circus leaves town as Rex leaves. Maybe Woody can replace it with an actual organization. As two guys lose their jobs, we find out if Woody can do his.

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Mike Shanahan, Josh McDaniels and Pep Hamilton among names that could replace Rex Ryan as Jets head coach (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/rex-ryan-fired-jets-coach-article-1.2059403

After six big, bold and brash seasons, Rex Ryan is out as Gang Green’s head coach. Finding his replacement now tops Jets owner Woody Johnson’ 2015 to-do list.

POSSIBLE HEAD COACHES (in alpabetical order)

Todd Bowles, Cardinals Defensive Coordinator

A coveted candidate, but does it really make sense to replace Rex Ryan with another defensive-minded head coach?

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Adam Gase, Broncos Offensive Coordinator

Pulled his name out of consideration for the Browns job last year. Some might question Gase’s influence on an offense that Peyton Manning runs in his sleep.

Pep Hamilton, Colts Offensive Coordinator

Andrew Luck’s star has turned Hamilton into a hot prospect, but remember that the play caller drew the ire of critics last year when he seemingly shackled Luck with a run-centric scheme. Hamilton interviewed with Rex Ryan for the Jets OC job before Marty Mornhinweg was hired.

Hue Jackson, Bengals Offensive Coordinator

Got a raw deal in Oakland before rebuilding his brand in Cincy. Andy Dalton’s uneven season could give pause for concern if the Jets are looking for a quarterback developer.

Josh McDaniels, Patriots Offensive Coordinator

Feeling in league circles is that he’s learned valuable lessons from his flameout as a first-time head coach in Denver. A young innovative offensive mind that makes sense.

Dan Quinn, Seahawks Defensive Coordinator

Probably would have been on John Idzik’s short list. Success in Seattle is hard to dismiss.

Kyle Shanahan, Browns Offensive Coordinator

Veteran coach Mike Shanahan has two Super Bowls on his extensive resume.

A creative play caller who actually made RG3 look good. The divorce in Washington shouldn’t prevent the Jets from reaching out.

Mike Shanahan, Former Raiders, Broncos, Washington Head Coach

A two-time Super Bowl champion. One of a long list of people who couldn’t get along with Daniel Snyder. An experienced leader.

Norv Turner, Vikings Offensive Coordinator

A season pro with a track record of offensive success.

NY Jets to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn in Seattle Friday for vacant coaching job (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-interview-seahawks-defensive-coordinator-dan-quinn-article-1.2060159

Is this the next head coach of the Jets? Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be interviewed by Gang Green Friday.

The Jets are wasting little time going after potential replacements for Rex Ryan. The Daily News has learned that Woody Johnson and consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf will be among the Jets brass traveling to Seattle on Friday to interview Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Per NFL rules, the Jets will have as much as four hours to meet with the architect of Seattle’s famed Legion of Boom defense. The next opportunity for the Jets to interview Quinn will be after the Seahawks, who have a first-round playoff bye as the NFC’s top seed, are eliminated from the postseason.

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Quinn, 44, has been a hot coaching candidate since he took over as Seattle's defensive coordinator in 2013. He drew interest from clubs last year during Seattle’s Super Bowl run. The Falcons and 49ers have also requested permission to interview Quinn, according to NFL.com.

The Seahawks led the league in scoring and total defense for the second consecutive season.

Quinn was the Jets defensive line coach from 2007-08 under Eric Mangini.

Woody Johnson and the Jets are wasting little time interviewing potential replacements for Rex Ryan, as team brass will head out to Seattle on Saturday.

Although the Jets are making an aggressive play for Quinn, the News has learned that the team brass still prefers to have a general manager in place before hiring a head coach.

The Jets are also starting their search for a new general manager. The team requested an interview with Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner, according to sources, and Vikings assistant GM George Paton, according to a source.

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Rex Ryan leaves NY Jets in silence after loud, boisterous career with Gang Green (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-rex-ryan-silence-loud-proud-article-1.2060295

Moments after Rex Ryan was officially unemployed Monday morning, he walked into a meeting room at the Jets facility and said very little. It was unlike the man who had swept into our lives with so much bravado six years ago to be so quiet. He knew it was the only way this should end.

Ryan had carved out an unmistakable presence in the biggest town under the brightest lights with refreshing authenticity. He introduced swaggerlicious into our lexicon one outrageous statement at a time, but none of that noise felt right shortly after Woody Johnson fired him around 7:30 a.m.

Ryan knew this was coming. So, he told his players that the time for words was over.

Besides, he had talked enough in the past six years to last a lifetime.

There were times through the years when the coach’s speeches had prompted his assistants to pull out camcorders to forever preserve the messages for their own kids.

PLAY JETS KEEP 'EM DUMP 'EM

On the flight back from the Jets season-ending victory over the Dolphins Sunday night, Ryan walked up and down the team plane and shook every man’s hand to thank them for all they had done for him.

Ryan’s last act Monday was a simple and sweet tribute to his players. He wanted them to be the story on this day no matter how silly that might have seemed to everyone else.

“Thanks for the memories,” Ryan said without shedding a tear.

Then, he turned on an eight-minute video of the people who had made plays for him. He didn’t stick around to watch or maybe his eyes would have welled up. So, he left as the images of his “mighty men,” as he often called them, rolled across the screen.

Ryan watches Clemson, where his son Seth plays, in the Russell Athletic Bowl hours after Jets fire him.

An Irish goodbye was the perfect end to a season that would have cracked most coaches.

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Ryan, instead, took the high road when it would have been tempting to tell everyone what they already knew: The deck was stacked against him the moment a new general manager rolled into town.

Ryan spent two years defending the indefensible and doling out “A” grades so often that you wished he would have taught your killer ninth-grade biology class back in the day. He was the ultimate company man for a company that was broken.

He exited the Jets with class, dignity and the hope that he might find another head coaching job in the coming weeks. The Falcons, who fired head coach Mike Smith on Black Monday, would be an ideal match.

The Falcons, who hired the same executive search firm that the Jets used to hire John Idzik, have reportedly requested permission to speak to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

Owner Arthur Blank came away impressed from his interviews with Ryan in 2008. Ryan might be an elixir for a team that finished last in the league in total and pass defense. His ability to coach every type of personality (and potential problem child) would be extremely desirable as well. “It makes a lot of sense,” one front office executive said. “It would also give him a Top 10 (draft) pick to invest on defense and money to spend in free agency. The offense needs minor adjustments, but (he already) has a quarterback, Pro Bowl wide receiver, left tackle and good guard play.”

The Bears, who fired GM Phil Emery and head coach Marc Trestman, might be a good landing spot for Ryan, too. Chicagoans never met a Ryan they didn’t like after Buddy Ryan’s defense anchored the 1985 Super Bowl champions.

Ryan has never been around the type of skill-position firepower on the Bears roster. His task would be to fix the 30th ranked defense in the league.

Wouldn’t Ryan and the Black Hole crazies in Oakland be something to behold?

He positioned himself as well as anyone could after a four-win season, but his reputation as a defensive Yoda would be attractive to teams that need to repair that side of the ball. If Ryan doesn’t land a head coaching job, he already has a television job lined up (hint: Worldwide Leader).

No matter what happens, his glass will forever be half full. After Ryan left his players on Monday, he drove home, picked up his wife and left all decked out in orange for the Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando to watch his son’s Clemson team.

He smiled and waved as he drove off.

The quiet farewell was the perfect one.

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With John Idzik gone, NY Jets QB job no guarantee for Geno Smith (Seth Walder) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-insider-idzik-geno-scramble-job-article-1.2060327

Even Geno Smith knows he won’t be handed the reins to the Jets offense next year.

On Monday he lost the man who was probably his biggest supporter, John Idzik, when the GM was fired along with coach Rex Ryan. On top of that, Smith didn’t play nearly well enough this season to be considered a definitive starter in the league.

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Regardless of who the new GM is, it seems likely the Jets will bring in alternatives at quarterback via the draft, trade or free agency.

“All I can ask for is a chance to compete,” Smith said. “I love to compete. I believe in myself.”

Even with Smith’s shockingly good performance in the Jets’ 37-24 victory over the Dolphins on Sunday, a quarterback competition seems like the best Smith can hope for considering his second consecutive disappointing season.

Smith finished 2014 with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 77.5. The Jets are 11-18 in games Smith has started.

BREAKING UP HARD TO DO

After players showered Ryan with praise after the team’s final game on Sunday, it was no surprise that the mood was melancholy among those who addressed the media on Monday.

“Obviously, it is not a good day for any of us,” Smith said. “First of all, we love Rex, we love every single one of our coaches on this staff.”

“I think everybody was really kind of sad that it actually went down the way it did. ... Today is kind of a hard day,” D’Brickashaw Ferguson said.

It became increasingly clear as the season wound down that Ryan wouldn’t return, and the players, especially by season’s end, recognized that.

“Obviously, you go through a situation like this for the past couple of years not being in the playoffs, you kind of saw the writing on the wall,” Nick Mangold said.

STICKING AROUND

The Jets signed LB Mario Harvey, DB Keith Lewis, DB Dashaun Phillips, T Brent Qvale and LB Chris Young to reserve/future contracts. All those players had been on the practice squad.

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NY Jets should hire Scott Pioli and Adam Gase (Gary Myers) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/myers-best-fix-jets-hire-pioli-gase-article-1.2060350

The blueprint to fix the Jets and make them relevant again really shouldn’t be all that hard for Woody Johnson to follow.

Step one: Hire a general manager who knows football, will know what to do with the sixth pick in the 2015 draft and with over $40 million in cap room — this job has a lot of potential — and then let him hire a salary cap expert to play with the numbers.

Step two: Hire a head coach whose reputation was made on offense, can develop a quarterback, but will also pay attention to defense and special teams every now and then.

PLAY JETS KEEP 'EM / DUMP 'EM

Johnson just wasted two seasons he will never get back with two crucial errors two years ago. Once he fired GM Mike Tannenbaum, he never should have kept Rex Ryan. Then he allowed himself to be fooled by John Idzik, whose job in Seattle was managing the cap, but sold himself to Johnson as a football guy.

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Johnson, who suffered along with Jets fans during the 4-12 season, better get it right this time. “This is very, very critical right now,” Johnson said Monday. “We’ve got to make good decisions. We have to structure it properly. We have to know exactly what we’re looking for in a head coach and how he defines what he’s looking for and same with a general manager.”

My solution: Scott Pioli, the very influential former right-hand man to Bill Belichick when the Patriots won three Super Bowls, as the general manager. Adam Gase, the Broncos innovative offensive coordinator, as head coach.

Pioli had a big say in drafting Tom Brady and so many of the other Patriots, before he was hired to be the GM of the Chiefs in 2009. He made good personnel decisions for Kansas City, but was given too much power by owner Clark Hunt and his overbearing management style didn’t work. Like so many of Belichick’s protégés, he tried to be too much like Belichick. It only works for one guy.

But if Johnson hires Pioli and tells him his only responsibility is building the roster, there is no better candidate to turn the Jets into winners. He knows players. But can Johnson get past Pioli being Bill Parcells’ son-in-law — Johnson and Parcells are not best buds — and Pioli being the first one to run out of town with Belichick to New England when Belichick quit on the Jets in 2000?

Answer: This is business.

Pioli lasted only four seasons in Kansas City, but re-signed or drafted many of the Pro Bowl players who led the Chiefs to the playoffs last year and to a 9-7 record this year. He was in TV in 2013 and the Falcons assistant GM this season and is smart enough to have learned from his mistakes.

Gase is just 36 years old and has been the Broncos coordinator for two years. Of course, the issue is how much of what Denver does offensively has to do with Gase and how much of it is about the great Peyton Manning? It was the same question asked about Mike McCoy two years ago when he was hired by the Chargers after working with Manning in his first season with the Broncos. McCoy has done a nice job with San Diego.

Gase’s experience with Manning will benefit the Jets. Manning and Tom Brady are the two smartest offensive minds in the NFL — including coaches — so Gase certainly becomes a stronger candidate because of what he’s picked up from Manning. Gase is challenged to make sure he has all the answers to Manning’s questions about the defense he’s going up against.

Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase may have the benefit of Peyton Manning being his quarterback, but he is an ideal candidate to replace Rex Ryan as head coach of the Jets.

“He’s learned how to use the voice memo on his phone, which is awesome,” Gase told me over the summer. “There’s nothing like listening to a 15-minute voice memo from him at 1 o’clock at night.”

He was the Broncos quarterbacks coach when Manning arrived in Denver in 2012 and to prepare, Gase spoke to many of the coaches who had worked with Manning. Gase pays attention to detail.

The forced marriage between Ryan and Idzik was dysfunctional. Rex needed a quarterback. Idzik gave him Geno Smith. Rex needed cornerbacks. Idzik gave him cap room and Dimitri Patterson. Ryan wanted to win now. Who knows what timetable Idzik was on?

Johnson has owned the Jets for 15 years and this is the low point. He strongly indicated to the Daily News at the NFL meetings in Dallas on Dec. 10 that he was ready to tear apart the organization and start over. Give him credit for following through and acting quickly and decisively Monday.

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The fan base is agitated. The Jets seem years away from winning. But Johnson is off to a good start hiring Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, former GMs who each built Super Bowl champions, to advise him on the GM and coach hirings. No search firm this time.

Jim Harbaugh may have been Johnson’s first choice and if the Jets got him, they would have likely changed the structure and given him total control and at least $7 million per season. Harbaugh then would have hired someone he trusts to run the personnel department. The Jets made a run at Harbaugh, but he’s expected to be introduced as Michigan’s new coach Tuesday.

It was worth a shot. But Johnson can recover nicely. Pioli can pick the players, maybe he can even find another pretty good QB in the sixth round. Gase can then coach ’em up.

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Rex Ryan and John Idzik fired as Jets owner Woody Johnson opts to start over (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-coach-rex-ryan-gm-john-idzik-fired-article-1.2059390

Woody Johnson jolted the Jets landscape on Black Monday by firing Jets coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik in the wake of a miserable season.

Wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt and the blue NYPD cap he wore during Sunday's win in Miami, Ryan left his Summit, N.J. home around 6:40 am Monday to head to the Jets facility in Florham Park for a 7:30 a.m. meeting with Johnson, who delivered the news to the head coach, then to Idzik.

Ryan's farewell to his players was an Irish goodbye of sorts. He said he had spoken so much through the years that he wanted to do something for them, and began to show them a video of plays they had made for him. He told everyone thanks for the memories, and before the video actually began, he walked out.

Ryan returned to his house around 9 a.m., picked up his wife and left again, this time in a white Clemson hat. He waved to reporters and photographers as he left and said "Thanks, guys."

According to a man picking up the Ryans' two dogs, Dixie and Jet, Rex and his wife were headed to Orlando to watch their son play for Clemson against Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl. He said he would be watching the dogs until the Ryans figure out their situation.

Two Jets employees showed up at John Idzik's Morristown home around 10:30 a.m. in a black Chevrolet Tahoe. A woman in a white sweatshirt emerged from the garage to greet them. One employee in a green Jets jacket was unloading boxes from the car. The car was backed into the garage for a minute before the two employees got back in the car and left the premises. There was no sign of Idzik.

Ryan's coaching staff was informed of their firings by email.

The Jets owner will immediately begin GM and head coach searches with the help of consultant Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf to re-shape an organization that has plunged to the AFC East cellar. Casserly and Wolf, members of the NFL's Career Development Advisory panel, have been enlisted to identity qualified GM and coaching candidates for Johnson.

Johnson will also look to upgrade from Idzik, whose roster-building missteps resulted in two lost seasons for the franchise. Ryan's ouster was a fait accompli after the Jets missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, but there was some doubt in the past month about Idzik's fate.

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Idzik and Ryan's competing timelines ultimately doomed the franchise. Idzik's inability to act decisively in free agency and a general lack player personnel knowledge were a recipe for disaster. His penchant for making the wrong decision at the wrong time proved costly.

Ryan was in win-now mode. Idzik was in no rush.

Even after Ryan managed to squeeze out eight wins for a talent-strapped team in 2013, Idzik curiously didn't make an aggressive play to help out the head coach last offseason. Although Johnson made it clear after the 2013 season that he had purged "patience" from his lexicon, Idzik lacked a sense of urgency to bolster the roster.

Ryan is expected to accept a TV job, probably on ESPN, if he doesn't land a head coaching job.

Idzik's mistakes agitated the fan base and turned him into Public Enemy No. 1. From a sad and disjointed mid-season press conference to billboards and planes flying over practice demanding his ouster, the anger reached deafening levels. His stubbornness fostered an unhealthy environment at the team facility.

"He's definitely making things more paranoid," an organizational source told the Daily News after Idzik's first year on the job. "He doesn't trust anyone."

Earlier this month, Woody Johnson tells The News exclusively that he wants change within his organization.

The Idzik-led front office had "no clear chain of command" and was defined by "a lack of communication," a source said last week.

Idzik's failed two-year experiment included trading away Darelle Revis, refusing to entertain a Revis reunion a year later, leaving the cornerback spot (Ryan's most valued position in his defense) barren, whiffing on arguably the most talented and deepest wide receiver draft class in history and signing free-agent train wrecks Mike Goodson and Dimitri Patterson.

Idzik's decisions directly impacted Ryan, who never got back to the postseason after magical runs to the AFC Championship Game in his first two years. Ryan's bold prediction upon his arrival in 2009 that the Jets would visit the President Obama after winning a Super Bowl didn't materialize.

A group of Jets fans even pay for digital billboards on New Jersey roadways to get the attention of team owner Woody Johnson.

Ryan's six-year tenure was entertaining, but ultimately unfulfilling for a franchise that hasn't won the ultimate prize in 46 years. He finished 50-52, including four road playoff wins.

Ryan grabbed headlines and injected life into the organization with a refreshing bravado and honesty. He was the master of the outrageous, the swashbuckling face of the franchise that famously dropped four-letter words in a training camp speech captured by HBO cameras.

He was the center of attention all the time. He had a self-deprecating style that made many people look past his inability to develop a quarterback. The Jets followed a familiar script under Ryan that simply wasn't good enough. Ryan had Top 10 defenses in five of his six seasons (The Jets were 11th in the other season), but he never had a dynamic offense.

While Rex Ryan didn’t always win on the field, he always won over fans with his antics in the pressroom.

Although the Jets had a Top 6 rushing attack four times with Ryan, they never found balance. The Jets finished in the bottom third of the league in total offense in five seasons. He went through three offensive coordinators along the way. Careless quarterback play contributed to his demise.

Through it all, Ryan was the life of the party.

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From his claim that the Jets - not the Giants-were the "big brother" in town to a series of videos that revealed his love for feet to a tattoo of his wife wearing only a Mark Sanchez No. 6 jersey on his arm, there was never a dull moment.

Johnson was the coach's biggest fan, but it was time for a change. Idzik had to go too.

The next Jets GM and head coach will have the No. 6 pick in the 2015 draft and more than $40 million of salary cap space to rebuild the team.

Johnson made the smart move to start over.

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Jets fans behind ‘Fire John Idzik’ website thank Woody Johnson ‘for doing the right thing’ (John Healy) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/jets-fans-behind-fire-john-idzik-woody-johnson-article-1.2059748

Jets fans finally got what they wanted.

Woody Johnson's decision to fire Rex Ryan and John Idzik concluded a season-long campaign from Jets fans who demanded change in the organization.

The website FireJohnIdzik.com, which was created after the Jets began the season 1-7, fueled plenty of fire and animosity toward Idzik this season from the fans. They raised money for billboards which called for Idzik's job and had them placed in close proximity of MetLife Stadium. They also handed out "Fire Idzik" rally towels for last week's game against the Patriots.

On Black Monday they were happy the franchise seemingly took a step in the right direction for the first time in a long time.

"At the end of the day, 4-12 is the main reason that these changes were made and all that matters to FireJohnIdzik.com and our supporters is that we got what we wanted - hope for the future of the franchise," said Jason Koeppel, one of the website's creators and Jets season ticket holder. "We thank Woody for doing the right thing and fully support his move to bring in (Charley) Casserly and (Rick) Wolf to steer the Jets in the right direction."

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With John Idzik fired, here are 10 candidates to be the next Jets GM (Manish Mehta) New York Daily News December 29, 2014

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/10-candidates-jets-gm-article-1.2059413

With the John Idzik disaster in the rear-view mirror, Woody Johnson must find the right GM to lead his franchise on the winning path again. Here are 10 possible candidates (in alphabetical order):

Chris Ballard, Kansas City Chiefs Director of Player Personnel

Ballard has been a hot name buzzing around league circles. John Dorsey’s right-hand man in Kansas City, who cultivated his scouting chops for 12 years with the Bears. Chicago might be his desired landing spot.

Eric DeCosta, Baltimore Ravens Assistant GM

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DeCosta declined the opportunity to interview for the Jets gig two years ago. He’s the GM-in-waiting in Baltimore when Ozzie Newsome steps aside, but there’s a belief that he wouldn’t be averse to leaving the Ravens for the right situation. Johnson would hit a home run if he somehow landed him.

Brian Gaine, Houston Texans Director of Pro Personnel

A nuts-and-bolts scout from the Bill Parcells tree who interviewed with the Jets two years ago. The feeling is Johnson won’t rule out candidates from his previous search.

Tom Heckert, Denver Broncos Director of Pro Oersonnel

Respected in league circles as a stellar scout. Part of John Elway’s inner circle, who fell victim to the mess in Cleveland. His DUI arrest last year shouldn’t preclude him from getting a look-see for a team looking for an seasoned personnel guy.

Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers Director of Football and Business Administration

A consensus builder who was a finalist for the Jets gig two years ago. Johnson was impressed the first time around. Would he circle back to give Khan another look-see?

Tom Heckert’s reputation as a top-level scout could make him an ideal candidate for the Jets.

Trent Kirchner Seattle Seahawks Director of Pro Personnel

John Schneider’s right-hand man who has stayed in the background during the organization’s success. The failed Idzik experiment shouldn’t preclude the Jets from exploring him.

Will McClay, Dallas Cowboys Assistant Director of Player Personnel

A sleeper who has helped the Cowboys revive their player evaluation department.

Ryan Pace, New Orleans Saints Director of Player Personnel

The guy who toils in the background of an organization dominated by Sean Payton and GM Mickey Loomis model. Pace worked through his way up the ranks in the personnel department.

George Paton, Minnesota Vikings Assistant GM

The Vikings struggles in recent years might hurt Paton, but league insiders believe he’s ready for the big chair. The Rams nearly hired him a few years ago before choosing Les Snead.

Scott Pioli, Atlanta Falcons Assistant GM

Pioli was an integral piece that helped build the Patriots dynasty. Lessons learned during a three-year run as Chiefs GM could serve him well the second time around.

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NEW YORK TIMES

Rex Ryan and John Idzik Fired as Jets Begin Overhaul (Ben Shpigel) New York Times December 29, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/sports/football/rex-ryan-and-john-idzik-fired-as-ny-jets-begin-overhaul-.html

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A day after the Jets finished their worst season since 2007, an on-the-field embarrassment compounded by absurdity and clumsiness off it, the owner Woody Johnson meted out the consequences: a full overhaul at 1 Jets Drive.

As expected, Johnson fired the team’s iconoclastic coach, Rex Ryan, who restored the Jets to relevance by leading them to two A.F.C. championship appearances before presiding over four consecutive nonwinning seasons without a playoff berth. Johnson also on Monday dismissed General Manager John Idzik, whose poor personnel judgments and inability to quash the perception of the Jets as dysfunctional cost him the trust of the fan base and of the owner, and ultimately a job he had held for less than two years.

“It became pretty apparent during the season as we progressed the team was not getting better,” Johnson said Monday, adding, “It was kind of obvious that we had to make a change.”

The moves reflect Johnson’s dissatisfaction with the team’s direction as much as its performance: a 12-20 record in the Idzik era. They also amount to a tacit admission of a mistake Johnson made by insisting during the interview process 23 months ago that the new general manager retain Ryan as coach. Such a demand winnowed the pool of candidates, costing the Jets a chance to hire executives with stronger résumés. It also created an awkward partnership between Idzik and Ryan, who operated on different timelines — Ryan in the present, Idzik in the future he thought he had.

The mismanagement has set back the franchise two years, if not more, and roiled a fan base that grew disenchanted with a coach it once adored and disillusioned with a general manager who failed to project, or instill, confidence that he could execute a long-term plan. For Idzik, regaining financial flexibility and adding assets like Chris Ivory, Sheldon Richardson and Eric Decker could not offset his bungling of the Jets’ cornerback and quarterback situations and his failure in May to draft a talented receiver from the deepest crop in almost two decades.

“Maybe we should have spent more, probably should have,” Johnson said.

After endearing himself to fans and players with his audacious confidence and his insistence that the Jets — his Jets — would be feared for years to come, Ryan departs six years later as a man humbled by his team’s downfall. He spoke wistfully last week about the team’s playoff years, when interest in the Jets was so strong that his news conferences would be packed with reporters.

“I definitely miss those days,” Ryan said.

Counting the postseason, the Jets were 50-52 under Ryan, who is the only coach in franchise history to have guided the Jets to consecutive appearances in the conference championship game.

But he never did reach the Super Bowl, nor did he ever dislodge his longtime rivals, the New England Patriots, from atop the A.F.C. East. He finished 4-9 against the Patriots, including a victory in the 2010 playoffs, and 16-21 in the division, including 1-5 this season.

“We had some great highs and we had some great lows,” center Nick Mangold said. “And I appreciated every moment.”

A master motivator and a brilliant defensive tactician who engendered tremendous loyalty among his players and coaches, Ryan learned from some of the mistakes he made — his folly of creating unreachable expectations, his hubris in temporarily losing the pulse of his locker room — but not all of them.

Ryan’s gravest error was his shortcomings on offense. He went through two quarterbacks and three coordinators, and the Jets still never had a reliable, or productive, identity when moving the ball. In his six drafts, not once did they select or develop an offensive player who became anything better than a complementary piece.

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This season, the Jets ranked 28th in scoring, a year after they finished 29th. Since the start of the 2012 season, a Jets quarterback has committed at least two turnovers in 23 of 48 games. In those 23 games, the Jets were 5-18.

Johnson said: “We’ve got a good core here. We don’t have enough of a core, but the core we do have, i think, is pretty strong.”

In a way, Ryan set himself up for failure in 2013 when he coaxed eight victories out of a team with 11 new starters, including a rookie quarterback, and a staff with three new coordinators. Ryan received a one-year extension, and throughout the off-season he spoke as if no longer muzzled, boasting about how it was “time to deliver” and saying, “I’m so confident that I don’t care who knows it.”

But burned by instability at quarterback and a dearth of quality cornerbacks, the Jets bumbled to a 4-12 record, their ineptitude at times evoking the regrettable tenure of Rich Kotite.

Geno Smith, the quarterback Idzik picked in the second round in 2013, cursed out a fan at MetLife Stadium, missed a team meeting the next week in San Diego and was benched after throwing three interceptions in the first quarter of an October loss to Buffalo — a setback that, as it turned out, did not even qualify as the Jets’ most miserable defeat against the Bills. That came a month later, when they lost, 38-3.

On Oct. 27, the day after that first loss to Buffalo, Idzik rambled through an uncomfortable news conference that began with a 19-minute filibuster and ended without an explanation as to why the team that he had assembled was in the midst of losing a losing streak that would reach eight games. Idzik’s presentation, a humiliating moment for an organization so conscious of its public image, prompted a movement to fire him, complete with banners toted by airplanes, billboards on highways in northern New Jersey and towels given out before the Jets’ final home game, a 17-16 loss to New England on Dec. 21.

Some of the more notable statements made by Jets Coach Rex Ryan since he charged into New York in January 2009, promising Super Bowls and vowing that no way would these be the same old Jets.

A search for a new general manager and coach will begin immediately. Johnson will be guided by the former N.F.L. general managers Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf. Johnson has hired only coaches with defensive backgrounds — Herman Edwards, Eric Mangini and Ryan — and with the Jets in need of someone to groom their next quarterback, whoever that may be, this time he might prioritize offense.

“This is very, very critical right now,” Johnson said Monday. “We’ve got to make some good decisions.”

Among N.F.L. assistants, potential candidates could include the Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, the Arizona defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, the Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson; the Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and the Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. In the college ranks, Gus Malzahn of Auburn, Jim Mora of U.C.L.A. and Brian Kelly of Notre Dame could merit looks.

To replace Idzik, Johnson could look to a former general manager, like Scott Pioli, now an assistant in Atlanta, or at executives with vast experience in personnel who have never held the position. Contenders could include Chris Ballard, the Chiefs’ director of player personnel; Eric DeCosta, the assistant general manager in Baltimore, where he is considered the successor-in-waiting to Ozzie Newsome; Tom Gamble, the Eagles’ vice president of player personnel, who interviewed with the Jets two years ago; Duke Tobin, the Bengals’ director of player personnel; Mike Maccagnan, the Texans’ director of college scouting; Lake Dawson, the Titans’ vice president of player personnel; and George Paton, the Vikings’ assistant general manager.

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Johnson said on Monday that he would ideally like to hire the general manager before the coach and that the Jets had started contacting candidates.

I'm guessing the Sanchez tattoo will be removed shortly.

Good riddance, egotistical, blow-hard, jerk!"iconoclastic"? Is that the polite term for arrogant boor?

I'm beginning to believe New York is cursed when it comes to sports. The Jets and the Giants are out of the playoffs again. The Yankees are...

However inevitable, Ryan’s firing will be met with disapproval, or at least sadness, in the locker room, where players again pledged their allegiance to him after their season-ending 37-24 victory Sunday at Miami. They have remained steadfast in their support of him, much as they have since he barged into New York six years ago.

“I think everybody had the same emotion,” lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson said. “A feeling of sadness, a feeling of loss.”

Ryan arrived after the 2008 season, the antithesis of his predecessor, Mangini, and his influence extended from the practice fields — where he was known to admonish players for not smiling enough — to the draft room to the personnel offices. The former general manager Mike Tannenbaum felt comfortable acquiring players with troubled pasts because of his confidence that Ryan would reform them, building a cohesive group through sheer force of personality.

At his introductory news conference, Ryan bragged and boasted and predicted a visit with President Obama — after winning the Super Bowl, he meant. He swore at hecklers and zinged one-liners and got a tattoo of his wife wearing a Mark Sanchez jersey and ate gosh-darn snacks until gastric bypass surgery scythed away more than 100 pounds.

Ryan also assembled a snarling defense that, coupled with one of the league’s top rushing attacks, helped the Jets go on the road and win four playoff games — including visits to Indianapolis and New England, against Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, on consecutive weekends — in his first two seasons.

At the time, it was presumed that the Jets, with Sanchez and a strong core, were ascending, a rising power in the conference and the league, when in fact it was their second A.F.C. championship loss, to Pittsburgh in January 2011, that initiated their decline.

The departures of high-character players like Jerricho Cotchery, Tony Richardson and Damien Woody created a leadership void that emerged during a turbulent 2011 season that ended in dysfunction and despair, with three consecutive losses that cost the Jets a wild-card spot. In a stunning mea culpa, Ryan conceded that he had been unaware of the turmoil engulfing his locker room.

He regained the pulse in 2012, but the Jets, foiled by continuing problems at quarterback, muddled through another desultory season defined by the failed experiment with Tim Tebow. Ryan acknowledged that he had never established an offensive identity, his second straight off-season acknowledging a disconnect with his team. He was spared his job; Tannenbaum and Tony Sparano, the offensive coordinator, were not.

“i’m not sure if there was a disconnect but i can tell you the ideal is to have a connect because you have to be on the same page as your coach,” Johnson said.

“Ultimately I get all the blame. I do. To the extent there’s blame. Sure, I have to get a lot better.”

Sitting beside Ryan at the season-ending news conference, Johnson called him the “perfect” coach for the Jets. He echoed that appraisal a year later, in a euphoric locker room at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., when he and Idzik announced that Ryan would return in 2014.

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There was so much optimism then — in the arc of the franchise, in Ryan’s abilities, in Idzik’s plan. And then came this wretched season, and then came Monday: Precisely a year to the day after Ryan was told he would be retained, Johnson fired his coach and his general manager, and optimism reigns no longer.

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Rex Ryan Might Find Studio a Good Fit (Richard Sandomir) New York Times December 29, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/sports/football/jets-remain-consistently-inconsistent-and-fall-to-the-steelers.html?_r=0

Rex Ryan’s dismissal as coach of the Jets means that he can fulfill his destiny and become a studio analyst.

He has assets that would suit any network’s needs. Like Ralph Kramden, he has a big mouth. He is bright and engaging and blessed with a terrific football mind. And he has a tattoo on his right arm — of his wife wearing a No. 6 Mark Sanchez jersey.

With his bonhomie, he would be able to live down the 4-12 record that ended his sixth year with the Jets.

Bottom line: He proved his television mettle as the profanity-loving breakout star of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” in 2010, the highest-rated edition of the series. On one episode, his pep talk to the Jets the night before their final preseason game included a rallying cry to go eat a gosh-darn snack, something that Knute Rockne or Gen. George S. Patton never thought to use.

So he is indisputably ready for a full-time television job, as long as he ditches his sweater vests and long-sleeve white shirts.

Ryan would be ideal at ESPN, which has so much N.F.L. programming it could give him his own show. Until then, he could crash the Sunday morning show, work straight through Monday night, call into “Mike & Mike” every morning and moonlight as a sideline reporter for the SEC Network when his son Seth’s Clemson Tigers play the South Carolina Gamecocks next November.

CBS’s and Fox’s Sunday pregame show casts are full, and NBC has Tony Dungy, who won a Super Bowl as a coach, on its evening show. NFL Network has pretty much reached full employment on its studio shows, but it must create 365 days a year of N.F.L. content. Finding a place for Ryan — even as part of a “Duck Dynasty”-like reality show about his football family — should be on the league-owned channel’s must-do list.

A scouting report from people involved in N.F.L. production was overwhelmingly positive: Ryan has a TV-ready personality, is unafraid of candor and is a sparkling conversationalist.

“He’s clearly a great sound bite, and he’s got great energy,” said Bob Stenner of Fox Sports, who this month ended his career of producing N.F.L. games. “He always surprises you.”

Consider the job of a studio analyst: bantering, narrating highlights and standing on a faux gridiron to show how plays develop. Perfect for Ryan.

Eric Weinberger, the executive producer of NFL Network, said: “We value everything Rex has done in this sport: how he’s communicated with players, the media and how he was on ‘Hard Knocks.’ He’s funny, gracious, and we think that makes for good TV. I’d love to work with Rex.”

Brian Billick, a studio analyst for NFL Network, who was also Ryan’s boss with the Baltimore Ravens, said, “I’m sure those considering him would say he’s Maddenesque.”

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Ryan could quickly get another coaching job, but if he doesn’t, a studio job might interest him for only a season before he resumes his quest to coach a team to a Super Bowl title. It is less likely that a network would hire him to call games, because the No. 1 analysts’ slots are taken, and he would probably not view his taking a spot low on CBS’s or Fox’s depth charts as a lateral move from coaching.

Ryan would not be the first to shift between television and the sidelines. Bill Parcells toggled frequently from coaching to the studio. Mike Ditka joined NBC after being fired by the Chicago Bears and signed with CBS after losing his job with the New Orleans Saints. He has been with ESPN since 2004.

Some former coaches, like Dungy, Billick, Bill Cowher, Herman Edwards and Steve Mariucci, moved from coaching to television, apparently permanently.

“I enjoy what I’m doing,” said Billick, who also called games for Fox. “I joke, ‘I’ll live a lot longer doing this than going back into coaching.’ Someone told me a long time ago when I got into coaching that if you can do without the profession, do it, you’ll be happier.”

He added: “Rex has to decide now where he wants to go. If he still wants to coach, he can go the Mike Shanahan/Jeff Fisher route, lay back for a year and resurface, or, as others have done, do TV to keep his hand in the game and look at coaching opportunities.”

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Silver Spoons, Few Trophies (Harvey Araton) New York Times December 29, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/subscriptions/Multiproduct/lp3004.html?adxc=263520&adxa=390283&page=www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/sports/football&pos=Bar1&campaignId=4H6QR

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Woody Johnson does not quite take command of a room as much as he blends in. His manner is amiable but guarded. His sartorial message — a ubiquitous Jets cap that shouts jock informality offset by the seriousness of a dark business suit — is curiously mixed. His voice is shallow enough to be almost drowned out by photographers at work.

Sitting at a mike, expounding on his football team, Johnson, 67, occasionally comes across as a well-heeled baby boomer absolutely thrilled with his expensive techno-toy but not quite certain he knows how it works.

“We’re in the winning business,” he said early in his news conference Monday morning to discuss the firings of Coach Rex Ryan and General Manager John Idzik. More than an assurance of a fresh start moving forward, Monday’s 23-minute session was an overdue explanation of organizational steps backward — business as usual, more or less, for much of Johnson’s 15-year ownership of the franchise.

In purchasing the Jets for $635 million in January 2000, Johnson outbid Cablevision, which may have ultimately kept the team from the clutches of James L. Dolan, the guitar-strumming strongman of Madison Square Garden. But the Jets’ fans lament of the past decade-plus has pretty much run parallel to that of supporters of the Knicks: They have come to expect men who have successfully built on family fortunes to infuriatingly meddle and fail miserably as team owners.

They have had to bear the heir, a common man’s complaint on the current state of New York City sports.

Under the co-ownership of John Mara and Steve Tisch, sons of Wellington and Bob, the Giants’ two Super Bowl victories since February 2008 have cushioned the sting of three straight playoff-less seasons. But at the Garden with the Knicks and until recently the Rangers, Dolan, son of the Cablevision patriarch, Charles, has become a symbol of wrongheaded stewardship.

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At Citi Field in Queens, Jeff Wilpon has left Mets fans feeling no great yearning for a day when he will carry on solely for his none-too-popular father, Fred.

Even at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the levelheaded Hal Steinbrenner does not strike many as having his father’s insatiable appetite for winning, the stomach for continued spending on the franchise that George Steinbrenner purchased in 1973 with 12 other investors for $10 million — or less than Hal will pay Chase Headley to play third base next season.

For all his foibles, the Boss built something formidable, competitively and financially. Johnson, by comparison, merely bought something and made more money off it.

Johnson — the great-grandson of the co-founder of Johnson & Johnson — likened himself Monday to the typical Jets fan after four nonwinning seasons, bottoming out with a just-completed 4-12 disaster.

On what they call Black Monday around the N.F.L., Johnson dismissed Idzik, who was handpicked by him two years ago, along with Ryan, whose outsize personality had made him an appealing six-season face of the franchise. Not surprisingly, Johnson sounded sorry only about Ryan.

“Those first two years, he was so phenomenal,” he said of Ryan’s consecutive runs to the A.F.C. title game.

Yet even Johnson had to admit, albeit a year or two too late, that Ryan’s Jets were sloppily managed, a mistake machine. Charisma could not overcome an inconsistent offense, average (at best) in-game coaching skills and the knack for having bombast blow up in his face.

History will most likely recall Idzik as overmatched in his abbreviated time with the Jets, not up to the task of assembling enough talent. We should also note that he was an obvious victim of Johnson’s man-crush on Ryan, and thus not allowed to hire his own coach and to establish an orderly chain of command.

“I get all the blame,” Johnson said. “I have to get a lot better.”

Having said that, he did not rule out hiring the next coach before a general manager, depending on who’s available and at what time.

He said, “Ideally, you want to hire a G.M. first.” But added: “I have a little trouble with that argument, Which comes first, the chicken or the egg. You get what you get.”

If Johnson can talk Bill Cowher into coaching the Jets and he comes with the front-office clout Bill Belichick has in New England, then that’s different. Otherwise, he again may get what he asked for.

For now, his fan base can wistfully bid farewell to Ryan, thankfully forget about Idzik and hopefully wait on Johnson to get it right in what he called a “really critical” period.

Hal Steinbrenner's father was bombastic and, for better or worse, willing to do anything to keep his Yankees on top. But Hal, 45, is not George. He is mild-mannered, and careful, both welcome traits. But will he do anything to keep the Yankees from slipping? Credit Barton Silverman/The New York Times

He has made a believer out of at least one informed skeptic.

“I’m starting to get some faith in Woody, that maybe this has been a learning experience,” Jay Koeppel said in a telephone interview. “The fact that he’s hired Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as consultants is encouraging — those are two highly respected guys.”

Who is Jay Koeppel? Part of a small group of fans (including his brother, Jared) responsible for the recent campaign to have Idzik fired. Koeppel, 35, said it was Idzik’s meandering midseason news conference that drove him to create a website and raise almost $20,000 from disaffected fans and the sale of merchandise to pressure Johnson to part ways with Idzik.

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“There was no reason to bring Rex into this, kick him when he was down, because it was a foregone conclusion that he was going,” said Koeppel, who has a web design business. “But we wanted Woody to know that we weren’t going to accept this kind of management. Who knows how much influence we had? I don’t care. All I care about is the result.”

Fans like Koeppel do not live in the same world as the billionaire Johnson, with his multiple homes and tax settlements with the government for more millions than the richest of Jets will ever earn.

The fans do not begrudge him that. They ponied up for those scandalous personal seat licenses in the new stadium. All they ask in return is for him to make smart decisions, sign the checks, stay out the way.

They do not want to bear, or fear, the heir. On Black Monday, they want the coach and general manager on the podium, happily employed, talking about the playoffs.

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Woody Johnson Wants Darrelle Revis to Return. Oops, Sorry. (Ben Shpigel) New York Times December 29, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/30/sports/football/woody-johnson-wants-darrelle-revis-to-return-oops-sorry.html?ref=football&gwh=84B31F24B88759385F61160598B95187&gwt=pay

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Woody Johnson would love cornerback Darrelle Revis to play for the Jets again. One problem: Revis is still under contract with the Patriots.

Johnson may or may not have violated the N.F.L.’s tampering rules in explaining why the Jets did not pursue Revis in March, when he was a free agent. Revis’s representatives broached a reunion, but the Jets declined. The Patriots swooped in and are paying Revis $12 million this season, a reasonable cost for a player of his caliber at a premium position.

A league spokesman declined to comment on Johnson’s remarks, though New England Coach Bill Belichick, speaking on WEEI-FM in Boston, said he expected the N.F.L. to investigate.

“Darrelle is a great player and if I thought I could have gotten Darrelle for that I probably would have taken him,” Johnson said Monday. “It was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle’s a great player. I’d love Darrelle to come back.”

Johnson later recanted his comments, saying in a statement issued by the team that he called the Patriots’ owner, Robert K. Kraft, to apologize and that “I would never interfere in the contractual relationship of a player with another team and should not have used those words.”

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WALL STREET JOURNAL

New York Jets Fire Head Coach Ryan, General Manager Idzik (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal December 29, 2014

http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-jets-fire-head-coach-ryan-general-manager-idzik-1419862675

When Rex Ryan was introduced as coach of the New York Jets in 2009, he proclaimed that within a couple of years, he would take his team to the White House after winning the Super Bowl.

Ryan couldn’t follow through on that decree, and should he win an NFL title, it will have to be with another franchise. Jets owner Woody Johnson on Monday fired the charismatic but fruitless Ryan, who led the

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team to consecutive AFC championship games in his first two seasons but has missed the playoffs in the past four years. The Jets finished the 2014 season with a 4-12 record, their worst finish since 2007.

Also ousted was general manager John Idzik, who left the Seattle Seahawks front office to join the Jets in 2013. The professorial executive oversaw a team that finished with a better-than-expected 8-8 record last season, stirring playoff hopes for 2014. But the team floundered from the start. Angry fans, who eventually bought billboards and aerial ads calling for his firing, blamed Idzik for botching free-agent signings and draft picks.

“We’re in the win business and we’re not winning,” Johnson said Monday morning, during a news conference explaining his decision.

The Jets had already started the process of finding replacements for Ryan and Idzik before Monday’s moves. Johnson has hired Charley Casserly, the former general manager of the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans, and Ron Wolf, a former Green Bay Packers general manager, as consultants to help find a new head coach and general manager.

The franchise will need to hire new leaders within a couple of weeks to adequately prepare for the NFL Draft, which begins on April 30, and the free-agent signing period. The first major scouting event of college players, the Senior Bowl, begins in mid-January.

Despite his mediocre 46-50 record with the Jets, Ryan was one of the most beloved coaches in New York sports history. He endeared himself to football fans during the 2010 season, when the HBO documentary series “Hard Knocks” portrayed him as a jovial, genuine and foul-mouthed leader; in one memorable scene from the show, he led his players to “go get a goddamn snack.”

Players under Ryan embrace his spirit. “I’ve never played for a guy who fought as hard for his players as hard as we fought for him,” Jets linebacker Calvin Pace said at the end of the 2013 season, after Johnson announced that Ryan would return for 2014.

The 52-year-old Ryan comes from a football family. His twin brother, Rob, is the New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator, while their father, Buddy Ryan, was a former assistant coach for the Jets from 1968-75 before head coaching jobs with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals.

A graduate of Southwestern Oklahoma State, Rex Ryan spent years as an assistant defensive coach at several colleges and then in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2001. He earned a reputation as a defensive-football pioneer, putting many defenders near the line of scrimmage to confuse the quarterback as to whom was rushing the passer.

Anchored by All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, Ryan’s defense led the Jets to the AFC championship games in 2009 and 2010, but the team has faltered since, hindered by two turnover-prone quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez and then Geno Smith.

Ryan also made some serious blunders, the greatest coming in a 2013 preseason game when he inserted Sanchez in the fourth quarter behind a backup offensive line. Sanchez, the presumed starter for the season, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on a sack, forcing Ryan to go with the rookie Smith for the entire year.

Fans who adore Ryan blame Idzik for failing to provide the coach with adequate players. The fired general manager has had only one successful draft pick, Sheldon Richardson, who won the 2013 defensive rookie of the year award. His other first-round pick from 2013, Dee Milliner, struggled in his first year and missed most of 2014 with an injury. His first two selections from the 2014 draft, safety Calvin Pryor and Jace Amaro, have had little impact on the field this year. His third, cornerback Dexter McDougle, missed the

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season with a knee injury. He cut his fourth draft pick, punt returner Jalen Saunders, in September, only to see Saunders play well for the Saints later in the season.

It remains unclear how his big-ticket free-agent signing, Eric Decker, will work out. Decker has played relatively well, catching 74 passes for 962 yards and five touchdowns, despite the poor quarterback play of Smith and backup Michael Vick .

In Monday morning’s news conference, Johnson blamed himself for the Jets’ failures. He said in retrospect, it was a mistake to hire Idzik two years ago, but force him to work with Ryan. Most new general managers get a say in picking a head coach. Johnson also said the team, which had more than $20 million in salary-cap space before the season began, should have spent more to acquire capable free-agent players.

Johnson said Ryan, whose agent did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday, had expected the dismissal and took the news of the firing well. In his last public appearance, after the Jets’ 37-24 win in Miami on Sunday, Ryan said he was proud to be the coach of the Jets.

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Ryan said Sunday. “I’m not afraid of what lies ahead, I can tell you that.”

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Jets’ Rex Ryan Lost His Way, and His Job (Stu Woo) Wall Street Journal December 29, 2014

http://www.wsj.com/articles/jets-ryan-lost-his-way-and-his-job-1419902870?tesla=y&mod=WSJ_NY_Sports_LEFTTopStories&mg=reno64-wsj&url=

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—For a head coach with a losing record, Rex Ryan was extraordinarily adored. Jets fans excused him, arguing that the general managers he worked with supplied him with second-rate talent. His players took the blame for defeats, saying they let down their coach.

Both are legitimate defenses for Ryan, who nonetheless was fired, along with general manager John Idzik, on Monday after finishing the 2014 season with a 4-12 record.

Yet the 52-year-old Ryan is also culpable for his failures during his six years with the Jets, when he compiled a 50-52 record. He never figured out how to foster a young quarterback. He made boneheaded mistakes with clock management and replay challenges during games. And the characteristic that made him so beloved—his absolute trust in his players—turned out to be one of his biggest flaws.

Jets owner Woody Johnson was candid and straightforward in explaining his decision to fire Ryan and Idzik. “We’re in the win business and we’re not winning,” Johnson said at a news conference Monday, “so I think this was something I had to do.” He said that despite Ryan’s popularity, he owed it to players and fans to try something new in hopes of winning a Super Bowl title.

The self-deprecating Ryan had hinted and joked for weeks that he expected his dismissal, and Johnson said the coach wasn’t surprised by the verdict. Ryan’s agent didn’t respond to requests for comments on Monday; in his last public appearance, after Sunday’s 37-24 win in Miami, Ryan said, “I’m not afraid of what lies ahead.”

In a statement through a Jets spokesman, Idzik said he thanked Johnson for the job opportunity and wished the organization well.

Johnson has hired two NFL former general managers, Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, as consultants in the search to find a new coach and general manager. The owner said they would begin interviewing candidates as soon as Tuesday.

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Ryan won over New Yorkers from the moment he was named Jets head coach. During his introductory news conference in 2009, Ryan proclaimed that within a couple of years, he would be taking the team to the White House after winning the Super Bowl. He endeared himself to fans nationwide in 2010, when the HBO documentary series “Hard Knocks” portrayed him as a jovial, genuine and foul-mouthed leader; in one memorable scene, he told his players, “Let’s go eat a goddamn snack!”

Ryan’s twin brother, Rob, is a longtime NFL defensive coordinator, and their father, Buddy Ryan, is most famous for being the defensive coordinator of the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears. Rex Ryan himself is considered a defensive genius, pioneering a strategy of putting as many defenders as possible near the line of scrimmage to confuse the opposing quarterback.

Thus, Ryan’s Jets were focused on defense, and led by All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis they went to consecutive AFC championship games in 2009 and 2010. But in the following two years, they missed the postseason, in large part because quarterback Mark Sanchez remained plagued by turnovers.

Ryan continued to back Sanchez. Then in 2013, the coach made the worst blunder of his career. Ryan inserted Sanchez in the fourth quarter of a meaningless preseason game against the Giants. Playing behind backup offensive linemen, Sanchez was sacked and suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Sanchez had been the presumed starter for the season, so Ryan had to turn to rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who had his own turnover problems. In addition, the coach asked his two cornerbacks, Antonio Cromartie and Dee Milliner, to do what the now-departed Revis did: cover receivers one-on-one.

Cromartie was hindered by a hip injury. Milliner was a rookie. So other teams repeatedly beat them on deep passes. Late in the season, Ryan conceded he might have been asking too much of them. He adjusted his defensive strategy, having other defensive backs help them. The Jets finished the 2013 season with a better-than-expected 8-8 record, but missed the playoffs—an outcome they might have avoided with a healthy Sanchez or a better pass-coverage strategy.

Ryan was also criticized during the 2014 season for playing Smith over veteran backup Michael Vick during the team’s 1-7 start, but the reality was that this year’s team lacked talent in the passing game and in the secondary. Neither Idzik nor Ryan’s first general manager, Mike Tannenbaum, drafted a dynamic quarterback, running back or wide receiver. Tannenbaum traded up to select receiver Stephen Hill in the second round of the 2012 draft, but Idzik this summer cut Hill, who didn’t appear in an NFL game this season.

Their big-ticket free-agent signings have had mixed results. Receivers Santonio Holmes, now with Chicago, and Eric Decker have played well, but both missed time with injuries.

As a result, in Ryan’s six years his team’s defense always ranked 11th or better in yards a game, but his offense ranked 20th or worse in all but one.

Johnson said Monday that in hindsight, Idzik should have spent more money this off-season, considering he had more than $20 million of salary-cap space available. Johnson conceded he might have made a mistake in pairing the professorial Idzik, who joined the Jets in 2013, with Ryan. In the NFL, general managers typically get to pick their own head coach.

Johnson said he wanted his new general manager to have more of a traditional scouting background—both Idzik and Tannenbaum were salary-cap specialists—but was open to any possibilities, including hiring the league’s first female general manager. It isn’t yet clear what qualities the owner seeks in his new head coach, but during Ryan’s six years, Johnson was open about his fondness for the coach’s exuberance.

“It was a long run and I think he had a tremendous impact,” Johnson said of Ryan. “He made the team relevant in some respects.”

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Jets Tend to Get Defensive With Coaches (Andrew Beaton) Wall Street Journal December 29, 2014

http://www.wsj.com/articles/jets-tend-to-get-defensive-with-coaches-1419901766?tesla=y&mod=WSJ_NY_Sports_LEFTTopStories&mg=reno64-wsj&url=

Jets owner Woody Johnson said he will “consider all options” to improve the team, following the dismissal Monday of head coach Rex Ryan . Johnson added that they need a coach “that fits the scheme.” But as the NFL evolves into a passing-oriented game, perhaps the Jets should just do something they haven’t done in 20 years: hire an offensive-minded head coach.

The Jets’ last five head coaches all had backgrounds in coaching defense: Rex Ryan, Eric Mangini, Herman Edwards, Al Groh and Bill Parcells. (That doesn’t even include Bill Belichick’s one-day stint as “HC of the NYJ.”) During that span, the Jets have produced elite defenses, ranking in the top 10 in yards allowed a game seven times, but only ranking once in the top 10 in offensive yards a game.

Only one other team has hired as many consecutive defensive-minded head coaches as the Jets: the New England Patriots (Belichick, Pete Carroll, Parcells, Dick MacPherson and Rod Rust). Additionally, all four head coaches in Carolina Panthers history have backgrounds in defense.

Conversely, Washington is the only team that has hired five consecutive offensive coaches. The Redskins coaches combined for a 82-126 record and one playoff win.

Overall, going back through the last five coaches for each of the 32 NFL teams (or fewer in the case of such expansion teams as the Panthers), franchises have been split on the issue: There have been 77 offensive versus 74 defensive hires. Occasionally, such as in the case of former Bills and Cowboys head coach Chan Gailey, the candidate had a diverse background on both sides of the ball. Then there’s the Ravens’ John Harbaugh, who got the top job after being a special teams coach for the Eagles.

Perhaps the Jets have been hesitant because the last time they brought in an offensive guru, it didn’t go so well. Rich Kotite, hired before the 1995 season, went 4-28 during his tenure, the worst two seasons in franchise history.

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ESPN NEW YORK

Jets fire John Idzik, Rex Ryan (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/newyork/nfl/story/_/id/12091383/new-york-jets-clean-house-fire-gm-john-idzik-coach-rex-ryan

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik were fired early Monday morning, the first casualties of the New York Jets' fourth straight year out of the playoffs.

Owner Woody Johnson made the decisive, if not surprising, moves after his team stumbled to 4-12, its worst record since 2007. Johnson recently called it the most difficult of his 15 seasons as the head of the organization.

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Ryan addressed the team briefly Monday morning, showing little emotion, according to players. Instead of giving a speech, Ryan showed a highlight film of top moments from the past few years. Idzik did not speak to the team.

"We're in the win business and we're not winning, so I think this was something I had to do. ... It became pretty apparent during the season the team wasn't getting better. Like [former Jets coach and GM Bill] Parcells says, you are what your record says you are," Johnson said at a news conference.

Johnson said he and newly hired consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf -- both former longtime GMs -- will lead the general manager and coaching searches. He said they'd probably hire a general manager first, but he said things could change.

"This is very, very critical right now," Johnson said. "We've got to make some good decisions. We have to structure it properly. We have to know exactly what we're looking for in a head coach and how he defines exactly what he's looking for. Same with the GM."

He said they already have reached out to GM and coaching candidates, adding they want to begin the process immediately.

In a mea culpa, Johnson expressed some regret for hiring a GM -- Idzik -- who didn't have a background in scouting and personnel. This time, the Jets would like to add a football executive with a scouting pedigree. The owner also admitted they should've spent more in free agency. They began the season with more than $20 million in cap space.

"I get all the blame," Johnson said. "I have to get a lot better."

Johnson had one foot-in-mouth moment, saying he'd be in favor of reuniting with Darrelle Revis, who is under contract through 2015 with the New England Patriots.

"I'd love for Darrelle to come back," he said, perhaps opening himself up to a possible tampering accusation.

Ryan's fate was sealed several weeks ago, as the Jets were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention before Thanksgiving. In recent days, he had been telling friends he expected to be fired.

"I'm not afraid of what lies ahead, I can tell you that," Ryan said Sunday after the Jets beat the Miami Dolphins.

Until recently, the decision to fire Idzik was less certain, if only because he was hired just two years ago. But news of the Jets' hiring Casserly last week was a clear sign that Johnson wanted to take the franchise in a different direction.

Idzik came under heavy criticism for his conservative spending, his poor 2014 draft class and a rambling, midseason news conference in which he seemed out of touch with the sorry state of the team. It prompted a group of disgruntled fans to raise money to purchase a "Fire John Idzik" billboard near MetLife Stadium.

Ryan and Idzik, paired by Johnson, spent two seasons together, raising expectations after a surprising 8-8 finish in 2013. Ryan received a contract extension -- guaranteed money through 2015 -- but the 2014 season was undermined by poor quarterback play and a glaring lack of depth at cornerback.

The Jets have had an average Total QBR just once under Rex Ryan and have finished 30th or worse each of the past three seasons, when his teams were a combined 18-30.

The Jets lost eight straight games at one point, resulting in what Ryan called an "awful" season.

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Ryan finished with a 46-50 record in six seasons, the third-longest tenure among Jets' head coaches. He won more postseason games (four) than any other Jets coach.

So ends one of the most entertaining eras in team history.

The outspoken Ryan, whose brash style and Super Bowl guarantees turned the Jets into a national fascination, was a media sensation from day one.

In his first news conference, he predicted a celebratory visit to the White House, and he came close to delivering one with back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons. But he wasn't able to sustain the success, as the Jets went 26-38 over his final four seasons.

Ryan was brash to the bitter end, vowing last week, "One day, I'm going to win that thing" -- meaning the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

His downfall was instability at the quarterback position. The defensive-minded Ryan started two rookies during his tenure, Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith, resulting in 109 interceptions -- the sixth-highest total over that span.

Ryan probably could've survived a non-playoff season if the Jets had been a .500 team, give or take a win, but they were doomed by a 1-8 start this season. Johnson has a strong affinity for Ryan, but confidantes said he told them that the team's plunge to laughingstock status left him with no choice but to make a change.

Idzik was a curious hire by Johnson because he had only a limited background in scouting and personnel; his expertise was in cap management and contract negotiations. His tenure was marked by controversial decisions, none bigger than trading star cornerback Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the 2013 season. The Jets received a first-round pick in the swap, which they used to select star defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.

Richardson was Idzik's best acquisition in two years, but he left the cornerback position barren for Ryan, whose defense is predicated on man-to-man coverage by the corners. Revis became available last offseason, but Idzik -- with prodding from Johnson -- showed no interest in a reunion, frustrating Ryan and his coaching staff.

Even the team's official website seemed to be piling on, posting a critical review of Idzik's personnel moves on Friday, pondering whether he would be fired.

Idzik never got a chance to hire his own coach, as he was mandated to keep Ryan. But throughout his tenure, he always spoke of Ryan as "our" coach, saying they were a tandem.

"We're in it together," Idzik once said. Now they're out together.

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Rapid Reaction: Rex Ryan and John Idzik, an arranged marriage that failed (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/47869/rapid-reaction-rex-ryan-and-john-idzik-an-arranged-marriage-that-failed

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- A few takeaways on the firings of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik on Monday morning:

1. Owner Woody Johnson is rebooting, and not a moment too soon. Not only did the Jets miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season, but there also was dysfunction within the organization. There were

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conflicting agendas and clashing philosophies -- coaching staff versus management, offense versus defense and run versus pass. The franchise needs a fresh start and a strong leader who can galvanize it.

2. Ryan never had a chance this season. He was handed a poorly constructed roster by Idzik, who failed to supply his head coach with the necessary tools to win. Isn't that the GM's job? Ryan coached most of the season with third-rate cornerbacks, hampering his ability to run his style of defense. It was gross mismanagement by Idzik.

3. Ordinarily, you could argue that a GM deserves more than two years, but Idzik's mistakes were so profound that he deserved a quick hook. His stubbornness in free agency, coupled with a poor 2014 draft, resulted in serious damage to the roster. He also failed to find a long-term solution at quarterback. Idzik's micromanaging style created an unhealthy working environment at One Jets Drive. His return would have scared away potential head-coaching candidates.

4. Johnson deserves plenty of blame, too, for hiring a former cap expert with a limited background in scouting and personnel. He also messed up by forcing Ryan on Idzik, an arranged marriage that backfired. Johnson has reached a crossroads in his ownership. He must seize this opportunity to re-establish the franchise’s credibility because right now it's in the gutter.

5. Ryan teased the Jets' fan base by starting out with two near-championship seasons, but he was a mediocre coach over his final four years -- a 28-38 record, including no winning seasons. It's too bad, because he was one of a kind, a larger-than-life personality with the goods to succeed on the New York stage. It's hard to find coaches like that. Ryan changed the perception of the Jets, blowing into town with his bold predictions and tough-guy swagger. He was the right coach at the right time, but the talent dried up.

6. Ryan's blind spot for offense was his downfall. He went through three coordinators and two primary starters at quarterback during his tenure, cracking the top 20 in total offense only once. Ryan rarely meddled in the offense, letting his coaches coach. They appreciated the hands-off approach, but it created a split-squad perception. With Ryan's defense, the Jets didn't have to be great on offense. Average would have sufficed, but they never got to that level, failing to stabilize the quarterback position and develop any offensive stars. The Jets need an offensive-minded coach, or at least a star coordinator, who can help Geno Smith and/or The Next Hope at quarterback.

7. The Jets didn't have playoff-caliber talent this season, but they could have stayed in the hunt longer if Ryan had reacted quicker to two issues. He stayed with Smith too long; he should have gone to Michael Vick at 1-4. Ryan was loyal to a fault when it came to his quarterbacks, although we will cut him some slack in this case because Idzik was no doubt pushing for Smith. Ryan's other mistake came on defense. Undermanned at cornerback, he adapted his scheme as the season progressed, blitzing less frequently and playing more zone than usual -- but it was too late. He stuck with his man-to-man schemes through the early part of the schedule and was shredded by the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning et al.

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Jets describe 'feeling of sadness' after Rex Ryan is fired (Danny Knobler) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/48005/jets-describe-feeling-of-sadness-after-rex-ryan-is-fired

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets players had heard the talk, heard it for weeks.

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They hoped it wasn't true. They hoped they could do something to change it.

But they had to know it was coming.

Follow the league's head-coaching vacancies as positions become open and as they're filled. Chart

As Jets owner Woody Johnson said after firing Rex Ryan and John Idzik on Monday, "It's been telegraphed, I guess."

The Jets players knew, but that doesn't mean they liked it. They liked Ryan and they didn't want to see him go after their 4-12 season. When what was inevitable became fact, there was disappointment.

"Today is kind of a hard day," tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson said. "To have the season we had and end it with this is challenging. I think everybody had the same emotion, a feeling of sadness, a feeling of loss."

They said, as players do after coaching changes, that they understood the way they played had led to people losing jobs. But this was even more personal for many of the Jets, because of their strong relationship with their coach.

"All the players here love him," Ferguson said.

The Jets players didn't have nearly as close a relationship with Idzik, who was the general manager for just two years and didn't interact with them on a daily basis the way a coach does. Idzik did not address the team Monday, while Ryan had a meeting that featured a short video showing highlights from his six seasons.

Quarterback Geno Smith, who Idzik drafted and installed as the Jets' starter, did speak with the fired GM.

"John's a tough guy," Smith said. "He's very strong. He's always told me he believed in me, and vice-versa. I believe in him, as well. He gave me an opportunity here in New York, and I appreciate that."

Only three Jets players were made available for interviews Monday, but over the last few weeks, many more had already made their feelings known. They've pointed out that the Jets have continued to play hard, if not always well, and also how the injured players on the roster have pushed to get back on the field for the final games of a season that has long been lost.

Center Nick Mangold worked through last week in hopes of playing Sunday against the Miami Dolphins after suffering a high ankle sprain, and said he even would have taken whatever painkillers were necessary to get on the field.

"Rex told me he knew what I was doing, and he wasn't going to let me play," Mangold said.

The final game went well, a 37-24 win that included Smith's best performance as a pro.

It was too late. The Jets' players kept hoping it wasn't, but they had to know it was.

"I think until the final word was said, there's always an opportunity," Ferguson said. "We didn't really know what was rumor and what was reality, but I think we learned that [Monday] morning."

The decision was made, and even if they didn't like it, they couldn't really argue with it.

"We were hoping we had another season with Rex, to kind of show this wasn't representative of who we really are," Ferguson said. "We've had seasons we've been competitive. We've been to AFC Championship Games, and we were trying to get back to that.

"Four wins is just not enough in this league."

No matter how much they loved Rex, four wins was all they could give him. And four wins were not enough to save his job.

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Geno Smith gets vote of confidence from Jets owner Woody Johnson (Danny Knobler) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/48021/geno-smith-gets-vote-of-confidence-from-jets-owner-woody-johnson

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan is gone. John Idzik is gone.

Geno Smith is still here, at least for now.

And while the future of the New York Jets quarterback will no doubt depend on who replaces Ryan and Idzik as coach and general manager, Smith did get one possibly significant vote of support Monday.

"I've got confidence in Geno," Jets owner Woody Johnson said. "I really do. He'll be good."

Geno Smith, who had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the Jets' season-ending 37-24 win against the Miami Dolphins: "I believe I have the ability to be a starting quarterback."Smith was very good on Sunday, when he had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the Jets' season-ending 37-24 win against the Miami Dolphins. The second-year quarterback hadn't had a rating better than 100 in any of his previous 24 games -- Eli Manning had eight this season, and Aaron Rodgers had 11 -- and he was the only NFL starter this season to record a 0.0 rating in a game.

Ryan benched Smith during that ugly 43-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, but put Smith back in when the coach pulled Michael Vick three games later (also against the Bills). Smith started the final five games of the season.

Smith understands that his future as Jets quarterback remains very much up in the air, but he vowed Monday to fight for the job if given the chance.

"I'm very confident in myself and my ability," Smith said. "I believe I have the ability to be a starting quarterback. I've got to go in there and compete. That's all I can ask for."

Smith also vowed to spend the offseason working to get better, and to figure out ways to become more consistent in his play, and especially his decision-making. Smith has thrown 34 interceptions in his first 30 NFL games. He has also fumbled 16 times, and taken sacks at times when he absolutely had to find a way to throw the ball away.

"My goal is to be more consistent, and I think that would help this team," Smith said. "I don't have to go out there and have a perfect passing rating every game. Some things you just have to go through to learn. Whatever it takes. I want to get bigger, stronger, faster, and I want to become smarter."

Though it's easy to say the Jets simply need to find someone better than Smith, that might not be so simple. Sunday's win dropped them to sixth in the NFL draft order, no doubt too far down to take either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. The free-agent class doesn't offer much hope at the quarterback position, either.

Could Geno be their guy?

That's impossible to answer now, on a team with no head coach and no general manager. But it can't hurt to have an owner who likes him.

"He's a young quarterback who the last five games has gotten much, much better," Johnson said. "I mean, the last five games he's played pretty well."

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Johnson did mention Smith's careless fumble Sunday, saying the Jets need to teach him to tuck the ball in when he's running outside the pocket.

"He'll make better decisions as he moves on," Johnson said.

As of right now, Geno hasn't moved on, at least not the way Ryan and Idzik have. He is still a Jet and he's the incumbent at quarterback, something that seemed unlikely in the days after he was benched.

Smith said Monday that watching the three games from the sideline helped him, giving him better perspective and also more motivation to succeed when he got another chance.

He did play better when that chance came, and with the Miami game he was able to leave a very good last impression.

Woody Johnson noticed.

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Woody Johnson, bumbling billionaire (Ian O’Connor) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/12093765/new-york-jets-woody-johnson-billionaire-plan

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Woody Johnson fired a couple of senior employees who did not have a workable plan before stepping to the microphone and revealing he does not have one either. This was not exactly an upset on Monday, bloody Monday in the NFL, because the owner of the New York Jets often operates his franchise as if he's a kid drawing up plays in the schoolyard dirt.

Johnny, you go long, and Jimmy, you go short. I'll just run around and hit whoever's open.

Woody Johnson speaking with reporters at Jets headquarters on Monday.Johnson had to fire his longtime coach, Rex Ryan, and his not-so-longtime general manager, John Idzik, just as he had to admit it was a bad idea to force Ryan on the new guy a couple of years ago. In that context, Johnson scored a few points in a news conference that wasn't nearly as embarrassing as Idzik's with the Jets at 1-7.

The owner admitted he should have spent some of those millions available under the salary cap, admitted he should have hired a GM with at least some experience in picking players, and admitted this obvious big-picture truth: The disastrous state of the Jets is all his fault.

"Well, ultimately, I get all the blame," Johnson said. "Yeah, I do. To the extent of who's to blame, sure, I have to get a lot better."

Perhaps if Johnson were being completely honest with himself, he would have followed the lead of fellow sports baron John Henry, who took the occasion of Theo Epstein's temporary resignation as his GM in 2005 to stand before the assembled media and concede, "Maybe I'm not fit to be the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox."

Henry was only a year removed from a ghost-busting World Series title, and yet he wondered aloud how he could let a bright light like Epstein slip away. (The boy wonder returned a few months later.) Woody Johnson? He's not even a baby step closer to a ticker-tape parade than Rich Kotite was in the really bad old days, and yet the Jets owner sold himself as part of the solution to the problems he created.

This is where Johnson's appearance got downright frightening for Jets fans who weren't even born the last time their team won it all. Woody was all over the map when it came to his vision, if you can call it a vision, and on everything from the relevance of fan opinion to whether he'd definitely hire a GM before a

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coach to the mind-boggling mistake in allowing Darrelle Revis to sign with the New England Patriots, of all teams, after Revis told the Jets he wanted to come home.

But first the basics: Johnson allowed Ryan to stick around a season or two too long, and that was at least understandable. Rex was a great guy for a billionaire to hang with and, hey, the guy did deliver the Jets to back-to-back AFC title games out of the gate.

Idzik, on the other hand, never made any sense at all. He was a numbers guy with no meaningful background in personnel, and he also had the interpersonal skills of a tackling dummy in a market where building relationships is pretty important. Long before Idzik set fire to his own career in a news conference that would have been rejected as a "Saturday Night Live" skit, his approach kept summoning this question:

How did Johnson ever hire this man? No New York sports owner has been so duped since Fred Wilpon spent less than a half-hour in the company of a managerial candidate he described as magnetic, Art Howe, before declaring their job interview over and anointing Howe a partner.

"It was obvious that we had to make a change," Johnson said. "It was obvious to me anyway."

It should have been obvious to Johnson to rehire the best player he ever dressed, Revis. Idzik shipped the cornerback (and agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod) to Tampa Bay for the first-round pick that would become Sheldon Richardson, and the Bucs effectively spent $16 million to rehab Revis' knee before sending him into free agency and granting the Jets an opportunity to pounce.

Revis' agents called a Jets official to make it clear that their client wanted to return to his old team, and at some point after Tampa Bay released the cornerback, Ryan spoke with Revis by phone to reiterate his undying love. With plenty of salary-cap space to burn and with a roster devoid of competent cornerbacks, Idzik could have assumed the role of genius and played the Bucs for fools by signing a healthier Revis for an ultra-reasonable $12 million for one year while Richardson grew into a star.

Instead, the Jets allowed their former franchise corner and future Hall of Famer to sign with the same team that just won its 12th AFC East title in Johnson's time as Jets owner, and that just placed Revis in yet another Pro Bowl.

"If I thought I could've gotten Darrelle for that ($12 million)," Johnson said, "I probably would've taken him. It was our best judgment to do what we did, but Darrelle is a great player. I'd love Darrelle to come back."

Asked why he didn't think he could sign the corner, Johnson said: "I guess my experience with his agents. It would've been very hard."

A league source had told ESPNNewYork.com that Revis preferred to sign with the Jets over the Patriots (the Giants and Broncos were the other teams on his list of destinations), and that he would have played for Johnson for the same $12 million he got from Bob Kraft. That source repeated Monday that Jets management never returned the call from Revis' reps before the deal was made with New England, a fact that angered Ryan.

This error in judgment was much bigger than the one Johnson made in confessing he'd love another crack at Revis; the NFL has enough problems already to busy itself with a tampering fine for an owner merely trying to give an honest answer to a reporter's direct question.

Either way, Johnson's responses to other questions were more confusing to Jets fans in dire need of direction and hope. Woody said he would lean on consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf for guidance, but added he would "rely on a lot of people," before declaring, "I'm going to ultimately be the one who hires the coach."

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Rex Ryan and John Idzik didn't arrive together, but they departed together.Johnson left open the possibility that he'd have a coach in place before a GM, and didn't that work out swimmingly the last time around? The owner said of his paying customers: "I work for the fans, but I don't listen to the fans because the fans that are the most vocal are not maybe ... the fans that represent all the fans." Johnson later said, "We need to speak to our fans," and reminded reporters that "fans know more than you think. They know what's going on, so I don't have to convince them."

Follow that?

Truth is, Johnson comes across as a nice-enough rich guy who's operating at a disadvantage in these settings. He never fills a room with his presence, and his tinny, retreating voice detracts from the points he's trying to make.

But the lack of presence is less alarming than the lack of a plan. Johnson has hired all kinds of personalities with all kinds of approaches for his two most important positions, with no common thread running through anything.

This is the Johnson way. He sent a bad message to all in the locker room in Miami last year by turning an 8-8 season into a Ryan coronation and a New Year's Eve-style bash, celebrating the mediocrity that preceded this year's 4-12 bust. And a mere two games into this season, Johnson admitted he was already shocked by Rex's recklessness at the end of the first half in Green Bay.

"It was those kind of mysteries that were hard for me to follow," the owner said, "and I know our fans said, 'What's going on here?'"

Those fans are asking the same thing now. The Jets might have thrown up a desperate Hail Mary for Jim Harbaugh, but the same headhunter who saddled them with Idzik -- Jed Hughes -- delivered Harbaugh to his alma mater, Michigan. Of course he did.

So without a consistent playbook to work with, Johnson goes searching for different candidates to run his football team. Jets fans shouldn't have any faith in him, not until Woody earns it.

Being a billionaire means you get to own a football team. It doesn't mean you get to know how to manage one.

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Jets owner on Revis: 'I'd love Darrelle to come back' (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/48014/jets-owner-on-revis-id-love-darrelle-to-come-back

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets showed no interest in reuniting last offseason with star cornerback Darrelle Revis, but they would welcome him back in the future.

Owner Woody Johnson said so Monday -- an eyebrow-raising comment, considering Revis is under contract to the New England Patriots.

Johnson was asked about Revis during a news conference in which he discussed the firings of coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik. The Jets traded Revis after the 2012 season, and despite interest from the Revis camp, they declined to pursue him upon his release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Revis signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Patriots, but it's essentially a one-year deal for $12 million.

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"Darrelle is a great player," Johnson said. "If I thought I could've gotten Darrelle for that, I probably would've taken him. It was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle is a great player. I'd love Darrelle to come back."

Some might perceive Johnson's comments as tampering. A league spokesman declined to comment on whether the owner violated the league's tampering rules.

Not only did the cornerback-needy Jets pass on Revis, but they also watched him sign with their archrival. The second year of Revis' Patriots contract has a prohibitive cap charge of $25 million, meaning he could be free to test the market again after this season.

Johnson alluded to past acrimony with the Revis camp when asked why the Jets didn't pursue him last offseason.

"I guess my experience with his agents, and that's all," Johnson said. "It would have been very hard."

The Jets traded him to the Bucs because they didn't feel they would be able to sign him to a long-term contract. Dealing Revis allowed Idzik to clean up the salary-cap situation, but it left them short at cornerback.

Idzik eventually was criticized for not spending enough money. The Jets went into last season with more than $20 million in cap room.

Johnson second-guessed his former GM.

"Maybe we should've spent more," he said. "We probably should've."

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Jets owner: 'Misspoke' on Pats' Revis (Rich Cimini) ESPN New York December 29, 2014

http://espn.go.com/newyork/nfl/story/_/id/12094822/new-york-jets-owner-woody-johnson-misspoke-darrelle-revis-comments?ex_cid=espnapi_public

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Those old AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots and New York Jets, are at it again.

Jets owner Woody Johnson, who might have violated the league's anti-tampering rules Monday by saying he'd welcome back star cornerback Darrelle Revis, issued a statement later in the day saying he "misspoke." He said he called Patriots owner Robert Kraft to clarify his remarks.

Nevertheless, Patriots coach Bill Belichick evidently believes Johnson might have crossed the line.

"I would think that the league would look into those comments," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said of Woody Johnson's remarks on Darrelle Revis.

"I would think that the league would look into those comments," Belichick said during his weekly interview on Boston's WEEI radio station.

A league spokesman declined to comment on whether Johnson might have violated league rules. A team can be fined or docked a draft choice if tampering allegations stick.

The latest Jets-Patriots soap opera started Monday morning, when Johnson held a news conference to discuss the firings of coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik.

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The Jets traded Revis after the 2012 season and, despite interest from the Revis camp, declined to pursue him upon his release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013. Revis signed a two-year, $32 million contract with the Patriots, but it's essentially a one-year deal for $12 million.

"Darrelle is a great player," Johnson said. "If I thought I could've gotten Darrelle for that, I probably would've taken him. It was our best judgment to do what we did. Darrelle is a great player. I'd love Darrelle to come back."

Not only did the cornerback-needy Jets pass on Revis, but they watched him sign with their archrival. The second year of Revis' Patriots contract has a prohibitive cap charge of $25 million, meaning he could be free to test the market again after this season.

Johnson alluded to past acrimony with the Revis camp when asked why the Jets didn't pursue him last offseason.

"I guess my experience with his agents, and that's all," Johnson said. "It would have been very hard."

It didn't take long for Johnson's eyebrow-raising comments to hit the Internet. Several hours later, he issued a mea culpa.

"I misspoke today when I commented on Darrelle Revis," Johnson said. "I would never interfere in the contractual relationship of a player with another team and should not have used those words."

Johnson said he called Kraft to "emphasize those points."

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METRO NEW YORK

FireJohnIdzik.com celebrates Jets moves (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 29, 2014

http://www.metro.us/new-york/firejohnidzik-com-celebrates-jets-moves/zsJnlC---MWaIbQov3UKFk/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Santa brought a belated gift to the Christmas stocking for the FireJohnIdzik.com people, who got their wishes fulfilled with Monday's announcement that general manager John Idzik was fired by Jets owner Woody Johnson.

Since late October, the Idzik era has been on a death watch as the team's fanbase collectively turned against the general manager just two years into the job of returning the Jets to the playoffs. Idzik was originally hailed as a savior and one to bring disciplined spending and an emphasis on the NFL Draft back into the franchise's forefront.

Instead, his plodding approach to free agency and negligible returns from 19 draft selections over the past two seasons saw things sour fast. This led to fan protests, including billboards bought near the stadium and planes flying over practices and prior to a home game, all asking for Idzik to be fired.

Metro obtained a statement from FireJohnIdzik.com on their reaction to Monday's news:

“For the past two months, FireJohnIdzik.com and our supporters have been tirelessly campaigning for Woody Johnson to 'clean house' in Florham Park. Today, we celebrate as our message has been heard.

“Some will say that our efforts were more responsible for this fantastic news than we deserve credit for. Others will say that we had absolutely nothing to do with it. But at the end of the day, all that matters to us is that we got what we wanted - hope for the future of the franchise.

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“We thank Woody Johnson for taking these necessary steps and not accepting the direction that we were headed in. We look forward to seeing who Charlie Casserly and Ron Wolf bring in to lead this franchise going forward.

“Finally, we would like to thank Rex Ryan for giving this organization everything that he had. He is loved by so many in our movement and we wish him all the best going forward.”

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Jets source: Fans were heard by Woody Johnson (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 29, 2014

http://www.metro.us/new-york/jets-source-fans-were-heard-by-woody-johnson/zsJnlC---GEBvHS1KvU27A/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Mondays' decision to fire head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik was a move about wins and losses, a source says, but it was also about dollars and sense.

That the Jets would part with their head coach after four straight years without the playoffs is not a huge surprise, especially considering the regression from a .500 team in 2013 to this year's 4-12 record. But a bit more surprising was that owner Woody Johnson was willing to cut ties with his general manager after just two years on the job, this after publicly embracing his vision in early October.

But a source in Jets management tells Metro that Johnson “did see the unrest among the [fans], he heard what they were saying and clearly sensed the impact here.” The impact being, according to the source “that fans were willing to leave the team if this direction continued.”

Does that mean that the Jets fired their general manager and head coach knowing that if they continued – in particular if the highly unpopular Idzik remained as general manager – that the impact on season ticket sales would be detrimental? The answer here is yes and no.

“The decision was made about the on-the-field product. This season was a let down,” the source said. “Perhaps there was an overstatement here on how good we were going to be. Everyone thought this could be a playoff team. But it didn't work out that way.

“The fans' reaction – it didn't necessarily factor in – but it was heard, definitely. If John had stayed, he would have impacted ticket sales and yes, PSLs next year. But Woody is more concerned about building a winner here in New York.

“I'm not saying that the decision was made because of the fans, many fans wanted John to stay too. But Woody clearly knew that keeping John would be unpopular. He knew that there would be a fallout if John had stayed next year and that the negative impact would be felt off the field.”

Idzik seemed to be on solid footing for much of the year but then saw everything fall apart following his midseason press conference. A 19-minute soliloquy to start the press conference was followed by a tense question and answer session where he failed to explain his vision or shed let on the plan to build the Jets into a winner.

“That moment didn't help,” the source said about the press conference. “It didn't lead to this decision, again it was the product on the field. But it didn't help him out.He had the chance to explain himself, his direction for the team. And he wasn't able to do that.”

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John Idzik's tenure with Jets short and unsuccessful (Kristian Dyer)

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Metro New York December 29, 2014

http://www.metro.us/new-york/john-idzik-s-tenure-with-jets-short-and-unsuccessful/zsJnlC---kwQ26wpY8kVU/

FLORHAM PARK, New Jersey – It was the end of the John Idzik error on Monday as the Jets general manager was fired after just two years on the job. Also falling on the sword was head coach Rex Ryan, paying the price for a poor team that was handed to him.

Despite Ryan's relatively long tenure with the team, it was the termination of Idzik that will send shockwaves through the organization. He came to the Jets two years ago, preaching prudence and calling the NFL Draft the team's “lifeline.”

Instead, his prudence this past offseason led the Jets to whiff on several prominent free agents and his inability to draft players turned from a “lifeline” into a noose. After four straight seasons without the playoffs, there was little surprise that Ryan would be on the chopping block. But Jets ownership bought Idzik's pragmatic approach two years ago, and have decided to end the relationship with just 32 games as evidence for termination.

“After extensive thought and reflection about the current state of our football team, this morning I informed Rex Ryan and John Idzik that they will not be returning for the 2015 season," Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a team-released statement. "Both Rex and John made significant contributions to the team, and they have my appreciation and gratitude for their efforts and commitment. Over the years, Rex brought the Jets a bold confidence and a couple of great post-season runs, which all of us will remember.

“I am beginning our search for new football leadership, effective immediately, with guidance and support from respected football experts, including Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf, two Super Bowl winners with decades of valuable experience.

“We will consider all options to improve the Jets.

“Getting the Jets back on track is my top priority, and today’s decisions are important steps towards achieving our goals.”

After a 2013 season where his underrated free agent moves paid dividends and a draft class where five rookie starters emerge, Idzik's star quickly began to fade. His second season in New York saw a lackluster free agency period and a very poor draft. With his team struggling and with just one win on their record at the time, Idzik's midseason press conference in late October likely determined his fate.

In the press conference, which included a 19-minute opening monologue, Idzik didn't provide any type of vision or hope for Jets fans. And while he took full responsibility for the roster assembled, those words sealed his fate, leaving Johnson little choice but to fire the unpopular general manager.

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Rex Ryan never lost Jets locker room (Kristian Dyer) Metro New York December 29, 2014

http://www.metro.us/new-york/rex-ryan-never-lost-jets-locker-room/zsJnlD---vGUrAYPjJ7kMc/

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – It was an anticlimactic finish for a man who breathed new life into a team that lacked not just direction but hope.

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Rex Ryan was fired on Monday after a 4-12 record and a fourth straight year without the playoffs, a decision that owner Woody Johnson clearly didn't want to make. It was a tough call for the Jets owner, who two years earlier had hired general manager John Idzik with the mandate that Ryan remain as coach. Now head coach and general manager are gone, part of a house cleaning that likely will continue over the coming months.

The decision to can Ryan was clearly coming, with Metro reporting on Friday that the Jets owner was ready to make the decision to terminate the head coach after six years with the team.

“Well, it's been telegraphed; I guess you guys have been writing about it for awhile so it wasn't a total shock,” Johnson said on Monday. “Rex understands; he comes from a football family. He understands the dynamics of the – not the business – but the activity we're in. So he was fully prepared. He was fine with it.”

Ryan is 46-50 in the regular season as head coach during his tenure with the Jets, along with a 4-2 record in the playoffs. All those postseason appearances came in his first two years with the Jets.

To his credit, Johnson praised Ryan's tenure with the organization, taking over a Jets team that disappointed in 2008 with a veteran roster that finished to finish short of the playoffs. The Jets owner said that Ryan “made the team relevant in some respects.”

While he will forever be remembered for leading the Jets to consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances during his first two seasons as head coach, his legacy will forever be mixed. He failed to develop first round pick Mark Sanchez into a franchise quarterback and the same can certainly be said of current starting quarterback Geno Smith. His offensive units were never great, something that is a severe detriment in a league that is geared towards scoring points.

And despite all the bravado of those early years, he never returned to the playoffs after the 2010 season let alone bring that often promised Super Bowl appearance. His teams always played hard but seemed to fall short and often struggled with inconsistent performances as well as penalties.

Rewind to the final game of the regular season last year when the Jets celebrated an improbable 8-8 season with a Gatorade bath for their then head coach following a win in Miami. That game earned a contract extension in what was arguably his best coaching job to date. This time, despite another win at the Dolphins, the flight back from Florida was a glum one for Ryan, a man who passionately cared about the team and the franchise.

Even with the record a disappointing 4-12, Ryan never lost his locker room.

“Obviously you go through a situation like this for the past couple of years not being in the playoffs, you kind of saw the writing on the wall,” center Nick Mangold said.

“It is disappointing. Rex and I have been together for six years. That is the longest I have ever been with a head coach, beginning playing peewee in the third grade till now. He is a great guy. He is very passionate about what he does. I know he will land on his feet somewhere.”

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MONDAY’S SPORTS TRANSACTIONS

Associated Press December 29, 2014

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/dec/29/mondays-sports-transactions/

BASEBALL

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American League

KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Agreed to terms with RHP Edinson Volquez on a two-year contract.

NEW YORK YANKEES — Traded RHP Shawn Kelley to San Diego for RHP Johnny Barbato.

American Association

AMARILLO THUNDERHEADS — Signed LHPs Jan Granado and Ryan DeJesus.

FOOTBALL

National Football League

NFL — Suspended Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh one game for a violation of safety-related playing rules during Sunday's game.

ATLANTA FALCONS — Fired coach Mike Smith.

BUFFALO BILLS — QB Kyle Orton announced his retirement. Signed S Deon Broomfield, LB Jimmy Gaines, DE Bryan Johnson, CB Rod Sweeting, DT Jeremy Towns, QB Jeff Tuel, OGs William Campbell and D.J. Morrell and WRs Caleb Holley and Tobais Palmer to futures contracts.

CHICAGO BEARS — Fired coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery.

CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed OL Karim Barton, WR Kevin Cone, DB Kendall James, LB Keith Pough and DL Calvin Barnett, Christian Tupou and Jacobbi McDaniel to futures contracts.

NEW YORK JETS — Fired coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik.

TENNESSEE TITANS — Signed DB Ri'Shard Anderson, G Justin McCray, T Will Poehls, RB Lache Seastrunk, QB Alex Tanney and LBs Nate Askew, Yawin Smallwood and Chaz Sutton to futures contracts.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

CAROLINA HURRICANES — Activated C Jordan Staal from injured reserve.

DALLAS STARS — Recalled D Jamie Oleksiak from Texas (AHL).

EDMONTON OILERS — Claimed F Matt Fraser off waivers from Boston. Released F Steve Pinizzotto.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS — Assigned F Derek Roy to Milwaukee (AHL).

NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Recalled Fs Joe Whitney and Stefan Matteau from Albany (AHL).

NEW YORK ISLANDERS — Loaned G Kent Simpson to Stockton (ECHL).

American Hockey League

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS — Loaned F Peter Sivak to Stockton (ECHL).

HAMILTON BULLDOGS — Recalled D David Makowski from Wheeling (ECHL).

LEHIGH VALLEY PHANTOMS — Loaned G Connor Knapp to Reading (ECHL).

PORTLAND PIRATES — Reassigned F Dyson Stevenson to Gwinnett (ECHL).

PROVIDENCE BRUINS — Loaned F Andrew Cherniwchan to South Carolina (ECHL).

SPRINGFIELD FALCONS — Assigned G Scott Munroe to Kalamazoo (ECHL).

ECHL

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READING ROYALS — Released G Matt DiGirolamo.

COLLEGE

INDIANA — Announced RB Tevin Coleman will enter the NFL draft.

SOUTHERN CAL — Announced DL Leonard Williams will enter the NFL draft.

TENNESSEE — Announced DL Jaylen Miller and DB D'Andre Payne intend to transfer.

YALE — Named Kylie Stannard men's soccer coach.

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