With the 13th overall pick on the 2013 draft, the Jets selected defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson from Missouri.

The addition of Richardson will raise a lot of questions about how the Jets plan to utilize their defensive front this season. How will last year’s first round pick Quinton Coples, 2011 first rounder Muhammed Wilkerson  and 2011 second rounder Kenrick Ellis all fit in together? The Richardson pick is as sure a sign as any that the Jets plan to run a 4-3 defensive front.

According to various sources, the Jets did try to trade out of this pick, but were unable to find a partner. Meanwhile, Idzik told the media the team “stuck to their board.

“We selected two of our Top four players on our board,” Idzik said. “Period.”

Okay then.

(This guy hated the pick).

Due to personal conflicts, I have not have an opportunity to write about the two major hires for the Jets this offseason, new general manager John Idzik and new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. I apologize for the delay, but you can listen to my initial thoughts on the hire from Friday’s episode of Flight 5 and yesterday’s edition of  “The Blue and Green Review.”

As you’ve likely heard by now, the Jets have hired Seahawks executive John Idzik as the team’s new general manager. The team announced the hire on Friday afternoon and will hold a press conference introducing Idzik to the media and the fan base on Thursday (tomorrow).

So who is John Idzik and what can we expect from his as the New York Jets general manager?

Idzik spent the last six seasons as VP of football administration with the Seattle Seahawks, where his duties included cap and contract deals and player negotiations and agent communications, among other things. So yes, he is indeed coming from a job where his primary responsibilities fell under “cap and contract” work, but Idzik was also actively involved in player evaluations in Seattle, though that may not exactly fall under his technical job description.

Prior to joining the Seahawks, Idzik spent three seasons as Senior Director of Football Operations for the Arizona Cardinals, helping to build an NFC championship team. He also spent 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay buccaneers Idzik and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2001.

Idzik coached at Duke University, the State University of New York at Buffalo and for the Aberdeen Oilers (Scotland) of the British American Football League.

He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. At Dartmouth, he also played wide receiver for the Ivy League Champion Big Green. He later earned a master’s degree from Duke University in 1992.

Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com wrote an excellent blog post about Idzik, explaining his strengths and accomplishments and also dispelling somer rumors about Idzik’s perceived limitations with personnel. I suggest you give it a read if you have concerns about the hire. » Continue reading “John Idzik And Marty Mornhinweg Hires Aim To Get Jets Back On Track”