New York Jets owner Woody Johnson introduced new general manager John Idzik at a press conference today. It’s the first time Idzik has addressed the media and Jets fans. Johnson described the thorough process he and the front office went through to eventually hire Idzik. He went on to praise Idzik’s background saying, “I think he’ll do a great job.”
The new general manager went on to give some information on his NFL experiences and his family’s past roll with the Jets organization as his father was a Jets coach in the late ‘70s. Idzik talked about how he’d been around the Jets organization during childhood and gained experiences with football from a young age.
He also thanked head coach Rex Ryan and members of the staff whom he met in Mobile, Alabama over the past few days, as Idzik was their viewing Senior Bowl practices, which showcases top prospects in the NFL draft.
“You can sense from me that family cohesion, team work, there at my core, there at the core of the New York Jets,” said the general manager. “Whenever you can build a cohesive unit that’s trustworthy and their dedicated to a common cause, to each other, and you can fight through difficult times … you know how to handle success and know how to handle success over an extended period.”
Idzik went on to say, “We are going to be all-in, all together and that is how we are going to develop a sustainable winner. Something our community and our fans are going to be proud of.” He also described how many experiences over his career in the NFL has molded his philosophy, “all those experiences has solidified the power of we, the power of we over me, and that’s something that is going to be very strong here in New York … based on a collaborative effort, it will be inclusive, it will be well thought out, well researched, and it will be the power of we.”
“Continually develop, maintain and enhance a roster here that is grounded in competition there will be a constant influx of competition,” he said. “We’ll explore every measure to bring in talent and continue to compete.”
Idzik explained about using the coaches and staff to do a thorough review of the roster which would aid in developing plans for salary cap management. He went on to say there would be “countless hours” spent in preparation for the draft something he sees as a “lifeline” to the team’s long term success.
