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Mailbag: Could Bill Cowher be a fit with the Jets?
December, 13, 2014
DEC 13
8:00
AM ET
By Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com
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Excellent stuff this week on the New York Jets. I can definitely see flashes of Pro Bowl question-asking ability:
@RichCimini: I'm not sure if Woody Johnson has a relationship with Bill Cowher, as you say, but I know this: In 2009, when they started looking for Eric Mangini's replacement, Cowher was on the Jets' radar. There was an ever-so-brief flirtation. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Johnson places another call to Cowher. But, from what I'm told, if Cowher considers a comeback in New York, it would be with the Giants, not the Jets. From all indications, Cowher is happy in TV, so it probably would take an extraordinary situation to get him back on the sideline. Cowher, 57, hasn't coached in eight years, so it wouldn't be an easy transition. The game has changed. Then again, it didn't stop Dick Vermeil, who came back to win a Super Bowl after a 15-year hiatus.
@RichCimini: Hold everything. Just because Mel Kiper Jr., says they're not franchise quarterbacks doesn't mean it's true. First of all, I'm starting to hate the "franchise quarterback" label, because what does that really mean? Here's my take: If you need a quarterback and a good one is available, you take him. I haven't done a lot of homework yet on Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston -- i.e. talking to scouts and personnel people -- but if Mariota is available when the Jets are picking, it seems like a no-brainer. By the way, he's No. 1 on Mel's Big Board. It's more complicated with Winston because of his off-the-field baggage. In terms of trading up, I'd have to think twice about that. The cost could be prohibitive. If not a quarterback, you'd have to think hard about wide receiver Amari Cooper. Right now, there are no corners deemed worthy of a top-10 pick.
@RichCimini: Believe me, the Jets won't have any cap issues in 2015. Right now, they have $99.8 million counting toward the '15 cap, which is being projected from $138.6 million to $141.8 million. So you're talking about roughly $40 million in cap room, and that's before the rollover. Right now, they have $12.9 million in room. The question is, will they spend it? And who will be doing the spending?
@RichCimini: I highly doubt it. If he doesn't land a head-coaching gig in the NFL, Rex Ryan will surface as a TV analyst, I believe. Becoming a defensive coordinator doesn't enhance his resume because he needs to break away from the perception that he's a defense-only coach. There's no chance he goes to college; he's an NFL guy all the way. He should step away for a year, do the TV thing and spend his down time visiting with offensive gurus from pro and college. That said, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of him convincing an NFL owner to hire him right away. The won-lost record is a tough sell, but Ryan could be a breath of fresh air for a franchise that needs an injection of energy. The Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins could be possibilities.
@RichCimini: No, I think Woody Johnson is wise to John Idzik. I'd be surprised if Idzik survives this mess. Wins and losses aside, the credibility of the Jets' brand has taken a major hit, and a lot of that falls on Idzik. Johnson will have a hard time selling Idzik to the fanbase if he brings him back, and I think he knows that.
December, 13, 2014
DEC 13
8:00
AM ET
By Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com
00COMMENTS0EMAILPRINT
Excellent stuff this week on the New York Jets. I can definitely see flashes of Pro Bowl question-asking ability:
@RichCimini: I'm not sure if Woody Johnson has a relationship with Bill Cowher, as you say, but I know this: In 2009, when they started looking for Eric Mangini's replacement, Cowher was on the Jets' radar. There was an ever-so-brief flirtation. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Johnson places another call to Cowher. But, from what I'm told, if Cowher considers a comeback in New York, it would be with the Giants, not the Jets. From all indications, Cowher is happy in TV, so it probably would take an extraordinary situation to get him back on the sideline. Cowher, 57, hasn't coached in eight years, so it wouldn't be an easy transition. The game has changed. Then again, it didn't stop Dick Vermeil, who came back to win a Super Bowl after a 15-year hiatus.
@RichCimini: Hold everything. Just because Mel Kiper Jr., says they're not franchise quarterbacks doesn't mean it's true. First of all, I'm starting to hate the "franchise quarterback" label, because what does that really mean? Here's my take: If you need a quarterback and a good one is available, you take him. I haven't done a lot of homework yet on Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston -- i.e. talking to scouts and personnel people -- but if Mariota is available when the Jets are picking, it seems like a no-brainer. By the way, he's No. 1 on Mel's Big Board. It's more complicated with Winston because of his off-the-field baggage. In terms of trading up, I'd have to think twice about that. The cost could be prohibitive. If not a quarterback, you'd have to think hard about wide receiver Amari Cooper. Right now, there are no corners deemed worthy of a top-10 pick.
@RichCimini: Believe me, the Jets won't have any cap issues in 2015. Right now, they have $99.8 million counting toward the '15 cap, which is being projected from $138.6 million to $141.8 million. So you're talking about roughly $40 million in cap room, and that's before the rollover. Right now, they have $12.9 million in room. The question is, will they spend it? And who will be doing the spending?
@RichCimini: I highly doubt it. If he doesn't land a head-coaching gig in the NFL, Rex Ryan will surface as a TV analyst, I believe. Becoming a defensive coordinator doesn't enhance his resume because he needs to break away from the perception that he's a defense-only coach. There's no chance he goes to college; he's an NFL guy all the way. He should step away for a year, do the TV thing and spend his down time visiting with offensive gurus from pro and college. That said, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of him convincing an NFL owner to hire him right away. The won-lost record is a tough sell, but Ryan could be a breath of fresh air for a franchise that needs an injection of energy. The Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins could be possibilities.
@RichCimini: No, I think Woody Johnson is wise to John Idzik. I'd be surprised if Idzik survives this mess. Wins and losses aside, the credibility of the Jets' brand has taken a major hit, and a lot of that falls on Idzik. Johnson will have a hard time selling Idzik to the fanbase if he brings him back, and I think he knows that.
