Idzik’s heart set on second shot at GM
WE WERE walking and talking through the Indiana Convention Center last March, reviewing the past, trading apologies and wondering how we both could have handled matters differently. This was a different John Idzik than I remembered.
He wasn’t at peace, but he was getting there.
The wounds from his two-year run as Jets GM weren’t entirely healed. You could hear it in his voice.
“I just want an- other chance to finish the job,” he told me at the scouting combine last year.
Maybe there was some residual anger in the wake of his experience on One Jets Drive, but he sounded like he was in a new good place in Jacksonville.
Idzik is the special assistant to the GM for a team one win away from the franchise’s first Super Bowl. He has done a little bit of everything for the Jaguars, including salary-cap management, contracts and pro and college scouting. He’s been a part of the organization’s bigpicture strategic-thinking brain trust.
He vouched for exJets RBs Chris Ivory and Tommy Bohanon, whose touchdown catch capped a 45-42 instant-classic victory over the Steelers in the divisional playoffs last week.
Idzik is starting over with the hope that he’ll get another chance to be in the big chair. People who have seen his work for the Jaguars feel like he deserves that opportunity.
The vitriol toward Idzik took on a life of its own during his Jets tenure from 2013-2014. Billboards and banners from planes flying over practice calling for his ouster. His arranged marriage with Rex Ryan was an unadulterated mess with both men on different timelines.
Idzik was shrouded in secrecy, much to the dismay of some Jets co-workers. He had a single-minded focus to build through the draft – sound familiar, Jets fans? – but missed on many of his picks. The “Idzik 12” draft class in 2014 was underwhelming. (Only two players from that class are still on the roster).
His refusal to resign Darrelle Revis one year after trading him away enraged Ryan and others. His deliberate approach clashed with people in the building. He did, however, make some savvy decisions like signing Eric Decker, drafting Sheldon Richardson and trading for Ivory.
He ultimately created a treasure chest of salary-cap space that his successor took advantage of in 2015. The ire from Woody Johnson’s paying customers coupled with 8-8 and 4-12 seasons prompted a change. Some wondered if Idzik was set up to fail given the owner’s desire to ask his GM to inherit Ryan and produce immediate results. dzik became an easy target. I repeatedly criticized him for nearly two years. Some of the language was harsh. I apologized to Idzik that day last year for being too harsh at times. He viewed me as one of the ringleaders for the media tidal wave. He also admitted that he should have been more open about his vision.
Idzik has always been a sharp guy. He’s in a good place now, but he’s looking for what all of us want at some point in our own lives: a second chance.
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