So the final 53-man roster is here, and the Jets are set for Week 1 against the Bengals. While the starters must certainly be pumped to get going, some former high-round draft picks got the short end of the stick in the roster trimming. Notable players, such as Dee Milliner, Zach Sudfeld and Jace Amaro, were shown the door at MetLife and will most likely not be picked up another team until the season starts.
What do two of the three players cut have in common with each other? Both Miller and Amaro were first and second round picks for former General Manager John Idzik. During Idzik's two year stint as GM from 2013-14, fans grew discontent with his draft selections and roster moves. Upper management heard the gripes and saw the ineffectiveness of Idzik's decisions and promptly fired him. The Jets hired Mike Maccagnan as his replacement, and he impressed in his first season, winning NFL executive of the year for 2015. This offseason, he has tried to wipe away as many remnants from those two failed draft classes as he can. Of the 19 picks during Idzik's reign, only seven remain. That's an astonishingly low number of retained players, and it merits a closer examination of just what went wrong those two years.
2013 Draft Class
After the lengthy, rollercoaster tenure of Mike Tannenbaum came to an end in 2012, John Idzik was tasked with improving upon the Jets' 6-10 record. In the first round of the 2013 draft, Idzik selected Dee Milliner with the 9th overall pick and Sheldon Richardson with the 13th. This first round proved to be a mixed bag. While Milliner was highly touted coming out of Alabama, Idzik missed out on the chance to pick Desmond Trufant, who went on to be a Pro Bowler in his rookie year. Many scouts had Trufant above Milliner, but Idzik went with the college success of Milliner, and in return got an oft-injured corner back who just wasn't good enough to play in the NFL. Idzik was able to save face with the selection of Sheldon Richardson, who is considered part of the core of talented defensive linemen that will wreak havoc this year. Call this one a toss-up for Idzik.
In the second round, Idzik selected Geno Smith, who some projected would be a third or fourth round pick. Idzik reached high for Geno, and his play during his first two years definitely showcased why many didn't think too highly of him. While Geno is still on the roster, he will most likely be supplanted by Bryce Petty as the backup of choice for Todd Bowles. Meanwhile, Geno has been the subject of trade bait for the Jets and his future with the team is not certain.
Everyone else in the draft was either off the team before the final roster cuts, or was cut on Saturday--all except for third round pick Brian Winters. The former Left Guard, Winters moved to Right Guard last year and faces no immediate competition for his starting position this year. However, with one year left on his contract, Winters might add onto the other Idzik failures unless he drastically improves.
2014 Draft Class
The Jets improved two games from the previous season to go 8-8. However, they missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year and the pressure was building for Idzik and Rex Ryan to shine, unless they wanted to lose their jobs.
In the first round, Idzik chose hard-hitting Safety Calvin Pryor. After initially looking like abust, Pryor entrenched himself as the best Safety for the Jets in 2015. He can only hope to improve in 2016, with two years experience under his belt. Idzik may have picked a future Pro Bowler with Calvin Pryor.
After this pick though, Idzik's picks begin to show just how poorly his draft classes were. Second rounder Jace Amaro got cut Saturday. Deter McDougle survived the chopping block, but will most likely serve as a precautionary back-up behind Revis and Skrine. The only other survivors os this 12-man draft class were Dakota Dozier and Quincy Enunwa. Quincy may just be Idzik's best draft pick, having found him in the sixth round. Enunwa showed flashes of brilliance in the shadows of Decker and Marshall and his most likely play any three of four wide receiver sets.
The Aftermath
Although Calvin Pryor and Quincy Enunwa are blossoming into solid NFL starters, the immediate aftermath of both draft classes led to a 4-12 season for the 2014 Jets. Idzik and Rex both were fired that year, as frustration grew from the lack of production on and off the field. The only saving grace from this season for John Idzik was Sheldon Richardson's Pro Bowl selection. However, many pundits agreed that Idzik was one of the worst GMs of that year and that only a couple draft picks have panned out.
With 2016 right around the bend, it seems like Jets have recognized this and have begun the process of removing the stink accumulated during Idzik's time as GM. And while it wasn't all bad for the former GM, the final roster cuts and the possible maneuvering of Geno Smith shows that the Jets are trying to move in another direction entirely.
