we were not in cap hell, it was an easy fix and would have been fixed just as easily w/ Tannenbaum. the reason we bottomed out in 2014 leads back to the firing of Mike. The 2015 season we have had really should have taken place in 2014 and w/ Mike it likely does. Mike is aggressive, too aggressive at times which is his biggest flaw, idzik was stockpiling cap space for a future he never got. He also acquired 12 draft picks in 2014 and totally whiffed on the draft, Tannenbaum would have 3-4 picks but would usually hit on a few and bring in vets w/ those picks he traded away that would help our team.
Mike is not Ozzie Newsome but he did a good job for us. He inherited an aging roster and had to make drastic changes after year 2 where we had the worst OL in football then in one offseason he gave us one of the best. we had one of the best OL and DLs in the game and all of a sudden were SB contenders b/c of it. the cost went up and we would eventually have to make some tough decisions but he built legit SB contenders and in each title game run we had some major injuries we had to overcome and he provided us w/ the depth to do so.
In his first season in 2013 as general manager, Idzik released linebacker Bart Scott, defensive back Eric Smith, offensive lineman Jason Smith, and defensive tackle Sione Pouha. In free agency, he added quarterback David Garrard, running back Mike Goodson, offensive lineman Willie Colon, linebacker Antwan Barnes, and safety Dawan Landry. Prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, Idzik traded star cornerback Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their first round selection (13th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft and a conditional pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He also agreed to a trade with the New Orleans Saints to obtain running back Chris Ivory for a fourth round selection (106th overall). His first draft class saw him select cornerback Dee Milliner with the 9th overall selection, Sheldon Richardson with the 13th overall selection, and Geno Smith with the 39th overall selection. Upon the drafting of Smith, Idzik also chose to release quarterback Tim Tebow on April 29, 2013.
With the Jets making the change in quarterback to rookie Geno Smith, the team went 8–8 and finished second in the AFC East in Idzik's first season as general manager.
During the 2014 offseason, Idzik released a number of players, including cornerback Antonio Cromartie, wide receiver Santonio Holmes, and quarterback Mark Sanchez. To replace Sanchez, Idzik added veteran quarterback Michael Vick, who previously worked in offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's system with the Philadelphia Eagles. In addition to Vick, Idzik also signed former Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Breno Giacomini and former Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker. In April, Idzik saw an opportunity to bolster the offensive side of the ball by adding veteran running back Chris Johnson, formerly of the Tennessee Titans. The 2014 NFL Draft saw the Jets have 12 draft selections, including 18th overall selection safety Calvin Pryor and 49th overall selection tight end Jace Amaro. Idzik addressed the wide receiver position with a trio of wide receivers in the 4th round, including Jalen Saunders, Shaquelle Evans, and Quincy Enunwa. Saunders and Enunwa were subsequently cut from the team after the start of the season although Enunwa later returned to the active roster on December 27, 2014.[2]
During the 2014 season, Idzik received a large amount of criticism for the lack of talent he provided on the roster. As a result, a group of fans raised money to purchase billboards in New Jersey reading "Fire John Idzik" and passed out rally towels with the same message at select home games. A second group of fans flew a plane over the Jets practice facility with the same message.
Idzik was fired on December 29, 2014 after two seasons with the team.[3]
