After starting his tenure with two AFC Championship game appearances, Head Coach Rex Ryan’s hold on the New 
York Jets job slowly started eroding year by year. In 2014 it collapsed entirely, as the team slunk to a 4-12 mark.
So Ryan and GM John Idzik hit the road and a new era is beginning with Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan. And it’s not like the cupboard is entirely bare either. Last week’s trade for Brandon Marshall ensures that the Jets will have some firepower at the skill positions on offense, assuming they can find someone to throw him and Eric Decker the ball. And the defense has had several solid pieces for several years.
So can the Jets make a run in 2015? David Wyatt, a managing editor with Gang Green Nation, joined us to share his thoughts.
Zoneblitz: Everything seemed to fall apart on the Rex Ryan era in 2014. How would you assess the season and the factors that led to 4-12?
Wyatt: There were a lot of problems last year and most of it can be attributed to the off-season that John Idzik had. He missed on all cornerback prospects and didn’t do anything apart from sign Eric Decker. We had poor depth throughout our roster and Rex never stood a chance. However I’m not willing to say Rex was completely innocent, he never learnt from his mistakes, he stuck with ageing veterans and never paid enough attention to the offense. The season was obviously very poor but it was to be expected. If you don’t have a secondary you can’t stop the other team from putting up points, when your team can’t score points, it’s amazing that we won 4 games.
Zoneblitz: What did you think of the decision to fire Ryan and GM John Idzik?
Wyatt: 100% agreed with both decisions. The Jets needed a new direction, Rex Ryan’s act was getting tired and he wasn’t producing. John Idzik is a numbers man, he’s not a personnel man, and his inability to build a roster sealed his fate. He mumbled his way through a mid-season press conference, that didn’t help.
Zoneblitz: And what do you think of the hirings of Head Coach Todd Bowles and new GM Mike Maccagnan?
Wyatt: It’s very early to judge either man. However the early signs are good. Todd was a player so he has that respect from the locker room. He’s had great success in Arizona and I love his attacking philosophy. He’s a breath of fresh air this season and we needed that. Mike has started like a house on fire with the Brandon Marshall trade and re-signing David Harris. We have heard rumors in relation to who the Jets are looking at in the draft and I’m very hopeful.
Zoneblitz: Michael Vick isn’t the QB of the future. Geno Smith hasn’t shown he is either. How will the team address that spot in 2015?
Wyatt: Geno Smith has shown just about enough to keep me interested. We’re so quick to write players off in today’s game, there was a time where QB’s could sit and learn for 2 years and you wouldn’t expect anything until year three. Geno is only 2 years into his career and I think it’s completely wrong to write him off. This year with Chan Gailey in charge I fully expect him to make a jump, when you add someone like Brandon Marshall, this could be Geno’s break-out year. We tried to sign Josh McCown, and I fully expect us to sign a veteran. If Mariota falls to us, it will be interesting to see what we do, although I imagine we’ll trade out of that selection. I think we’ll pick up a quarterback at some point in the draft, but I imagine it will be a lower round selection with a high ceiling, someone who needs development like Brandon Bridge.
Zoneblitz: The team was particularly bad on offense in 2014, but with Eric Decker, Percy Harvin and supplementary guys like Jeremy Kerley, it’s not completely devoid of talent – what has to happen for to take this unit to the next level?
Wyatt: We need to get better and more consistent play from the quarterback first and foremost. We need better play calling, we need to play to our strengths and we need to protect the quarterback more. We need to get better production from our 3rd down back (who I hope will be C.J Spiller) and we need to improve our red-zone offense. Brandon Marshall can help with a lot of that, but we still need to add talent on the line and in the backfield. Free agency is massive for us this year and we have money to spend.
Zoneblitz: What do you think of the trade for Brandon Marshall?
Wyatt: For a 5th round pick, it has the potential to be a steal. You won’t pick up a player in the 5th round of the draft who’s better equipped to improve the team than Brandon Marshall. We need to surround him with positive influences and ensure he doesn’t put himself in situations that are likely to cause headlines and animosity. Bringing Marshall on board instantly makes us better in relation to his own skill set, however he also improves Eric Decker. Having someone like Decker as a number two WR is excellent for any quarterback. We now have a legitimate receiving core that defenses will really need to plan against, having two top of the range receivers will cause problems. We haven’t even started free agency and we’ve already upgraded the team significantly. Does his personality scare me? Absolutely. Do I think he may blow up when he experiences inconsistent QB play? Quite possibly! Knowing it’s a 5th round pick, does that make it worth the risk? More than likely.
Zoneblitz: The Jets basically have until March 19 to make a decision on Harvin’s future with the team. What’d you think of the trade to get him and what is your sense – will he be back?
Wyatt: It was a desperation trade by Idzik in an effort to spark the team and save his job. It didn’t work and I think he’ll be playing somewhere else next year. We’ve just brought on Marshall and I can’t see us paying over $10 million for Harvin, he just didn’t show enough. If he is happy to restructure his deal then I’d love to have Decker, Marshall, Harvin and Kerley in the same receiving core, but I don’t think he’ll do that. If that’s the case, then it’s time to move on.
Zoneblitz: The team has lived off a defensive reputation for several years, but that unit was vulnerable at times in 2014. How would you assess the 2014 defense and how does it look coming back in 2015?
Wyatt: We needed to see improvement from some of our young players and we didn’t get it. First of all the defensive lineman were exceptional, Muhammad Wilkerson, Damon Harrison and Sheldon Richardson are three of the finest players at their respective positions and I can’t wait to see them all back next year, Harrison is a RFA but I think he’ll be back. In the middle I’m happy with Harris who we just re-signed and Demario Davis is improving. Unfortunately the problems lay with our outside linebackers who didn’t quite get it done. Quinton Coples has struggled to make a difference there and Calvin Pace/Jason Babin are in the twilights of their careers. We lack an exceptional pass rusher and I fully expect us to try and address that this off-season. In the secondary Dee Milliner suffered an injury that ruled him out for the year early on and Dexter McDougle’s rookie year was a write off. If we can pick up some corners and a true free safety, this defense will be just fine and we’ll be back to our dominant best.
Zoneblitz: Seven of the team’s losses were by eight points or fewer – is this team closer to contending than a 4-12 record might lead one to believe?
Wyatt: We do have a severe lack of depth but we need to make some big improvements to contend. Now we have Marshall, if we can pick up some key additions on the defensive side of the ball, that four could turn into a seven or eight quite easily. We have talent, a lot more than a Tampa Bay or a Jacksonville, but we’re not close to the Seahawks or Patriots right now. Things can change in a hurry in the NFL.
Zoneblitz: What Jets have a chance to break out in 2015?
Wyatt: I really think Geno Smith has that chance. With Chan Gailey calling the shots and Decker and Marshall on board, there has never been a better time for him to break out. I think if we can bring in someone like Devin McCourty to play center field enabling us to move Calvin Pryor to SS, he could break out in a big way. He’s not a FS and if he can play up at the line, he’ll do some damage.
Zoneblitz: What would you like to see the team do in free agency and the draft?
Wyatt: I would like us to address the secondary first and foremost. I would love Darelle Revis and McCourty, potentially Jackson or Maxwell if Revis isn’t available. I would also like us to pick up a game changer like C.J Spiller, and with Gailey here, it makes sense to bring him here. After that I want to see us pick up a good guard, someone like Iupati or Franklin. In the draft you have to add quality depth to your team. With the #6 overall pick in the draft, we have a chance to add a ferocious pass rusher to the mix, potentially a quarterback or even more help in the receiver core. If we do our work in free agency, it will allow us to take a BPA approach in the draft which I always favor.
Zoneblitz: How far is this team from contending for a playoff spot?
Wyatt: In the NFL, it can change in a heartbeat. If we upgrade the secondary and get more consistent QB play, we’ll be contending for a play-off spot in 2015.
Zoneblitz: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Wyatt: We have a lot more talent on this roster than people realize. We just need to put it all together.
Follow David Wyatt on Twitter at: @DavidWyattNFL
Follow Gang Green Nation on Twitter at: @GangGreenNation
Follow Zoneblitz.com on Twitter at: @ZoneblitzCom
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Jets lost to the Pats by a total of 3 points in 2 games. A win is a win and a loss is a loss , but I’ll take 1-2 point losses over 44-3 in a loss. One means you’re competitive, the other means you are getting embarrassed. Jets also beat the Steelers. Jets just traded for Marshall and gave up a 5th round pick for him. They already have Decker and Kerley under contract for years. They could trade the 6th pick to Eagles(they might want Marcus Mariota) and realistically could receive 2 first round picks and Nick Foles. Eagles re signed Mark Sanchez but that doesn’t mean they can’t go after Eminem (see what I did there?).
As a Jet fan. I like the direction they are going in. I am a Rex fan even after they fired him, but Todd Bowles is a great pick up.
I thought we would take a receiver with the #6 pick. I liked A. Cooper. Marshall will only give us 2 good years. Both Marshall and Decker have little speed to stretch the field. This is why I wanted us to draft Cooper. I do not like the edge rushers. I would like to see what Enemkpali, Ikemefuna could do. I’d use the 2nd round draft pick on either a CB or OL.3RD a RB 4Th OLB or lets also see what we have from last years draft of OL Dozier, Dakota, WR Evans, Shaq, WR Enunwa, Quincy, CB McDougle, Dexter, WR Owusu, Chris RB Richardson, Daryl, OLB Reilly, Trevor and WR Powell, Walter. A lot of players we know nothing about. I hope we can sign C.J.Spiller.
Getting Darrelle Revis, Cromartie, and Skrine , Jets went from no secondary to one of the best in the league.
And trading a late pick for Ryan Fitzpatrick was a good move. He was the 9th highest rated QB in NFL this past season. Look at the team difference. J.J. Watt and then? Yes, Arian Foster is good but he is a RB. Defenses can stack the box and make them throw. Fitz had an aging Andre Johnson and a solid rookie; but look at who the Jets have.
I meant a solid 2nd year player*
Jets can trade down and get Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley in later of the 1st round.