John Idzik On WFAN: All 12 Draft Picks Can Rise With Jets
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Fast. Fit. Tenacious.
New York Jets general manager John Idzik says his incoming rookies were picked for talent above all else -- that's the way business is done nowadays in Florham Park.
"I think you're going to notice a few common threads," Idzik said Wednesday on WFAN's "Boomer & Carton" show. "They have speed, they play aggressively, they're instinctive, they're tough. They fit what we feel is our Jet profile."
John Idzik
Subscribe to the Boomer & Carton Podcast »
Idzik held on to all 12 of his picks instead of packaging some to move up in the mid-rounds, surprising some analysts and fans. He said the team "fielded calls at every stage," but ultimately decided to stand pat as each round unfolded.
"We believe any one of our draftees can make our roster, come in and compete at a high level," Idzik said. "We'll let their actions over the next couple of months be the answer."
Idzik touched on a number of other topics, some draft-related, some not:
-- On first-round pick Calvin Pryor: "When you watch Calvin play, to me he personifies playing like a Jet. He's got range, he's got ball skills, he's very instinctive, he trusts himself. ... He just plays like a Jet. We had him very high and felt very fortunate that he was there at 18."
-- Did the Jets consider Johnny Manziel? "(Laughter) ... We were zeroed in on Calvin. Once (Baltimore's) pick was announced, our entire room erupted that we had the chance to pick Calvin Pryor."
-- Where did the Jets rank Michael Sam? "I won't get in to other players or where we had them. I'd say this: if you played college football, there's a really good chance that the New York Jets had a couple of reports on you."
-- On his sixth-round selection of Clemson QB Tajh Boyd: "He's coming in as a quarterback. He was highly productive at a huge program there in Clemson. And as you said Boomer, any time you have inside knowledge so to speak -- in Rex's case, his son plays with him; we know the Clemson staff very well -- if you have coaches that have coached against him or know someone on the staff, you're gonna use that knowledge to really know the player and the person a little bit more. We felt like we had a real good handle on Tajh, so (I'm) anxious to see what he does here."
-- On Joe Namath saying Michael Vick is best option at quarterback: "I saw Joe yesterday. It was good to see him. Our job here quite simply is to get the best possible players on our roster and let them determine who starts, let them determine who plays. Acquiring Mike Vick, with his experience and with his talent, we felt like we did just that. Geno (Smith), we all saw how he finished the season very strongly. ... So we feel like we have two quarterbacks. And let's not forget about Matt Simms and how he came along last summer and into the fall."
-- On his relationship with head coach Rex Ryan: "Rex and I, we've said it before, we think a lot alike. We want the same type of players in Jet uniforms. So I think that's just manifested itself over the last year or so, and over that time we've grown closer together for sure."
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
