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http://nyjetsfanatics.com/content.php?147-Breaking-Down-GM-Candidates
New article on our main board. Check it out! It details our GM candidates. First article by our new writer, Matt D'Agostino. Let us know your thoughts!
To read about the rest of our candidates, please click on the link above.
New article on our main board. Check it out! It details our GM candidates. First article by our new writer, Matt D'Agostino. Let us know your thoughts!
Black Monday marked the end of John Idzik’s short and tumultuous career with Gang Green. His missteps have been well documented and torn apart by analysts and beat writers alike. For the purpose of this article though we will avoid re-hashing our former GM’s mistakes and focus on the near future.
Woody Johnson began the search for his next GM and Head Coach with haste, working alongside with prestigious former GM’s Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf as his consultants. It seems Woody is determined to get it right this time around. The list of candidates is as impressive as the swiftness that the group acted in reaching out to them. There are seven known candidates that the Jets have requested interviews with/ permission to interview including in-house candidate Rod Graves (Sr. Director of Football Operations). The others include Trent Kirchner (Seahawks Pro Personnel Director), Mike Maccagnan (Texan’s College Scouting Director), Rick Mueller (Eagle’s Pro Personnel Director), and Bill Kuharich (Brown’s Executive Chief of Staff). Eric DeCosta (Raven’s Assistant GM) and George Paton (Viking’s Assistant GM) have already rejected the Jets request to interview. DeCosta has made a habit of turning down interview’s and is slated to take over as the Ravens GM when Ozzie Newsome retires, so this comes as no surprise. Paton simply stated that he is happy with the direction the Vikings are going right now and will be staying put as well.
It is clear that Woody and his consultants have decided to pursue candidates with scouting backgrounds as opposed to their recent history of hiring financially savvy prospects. Let’s get to know a little bit more about the candidates:
Rod Graves
John Idzik hired Rod in June 2013; now before you get nervous let’s take a look at Rod’s background to form an opinion not based off the man who hired him but for his own accolades and football knowledge. Graves grew up in a football family; his father Jackie Graves was, at one time, the Assistant Director of Player Personnel. Rod himself has over 30 years in scouting experience getting his start as a regional scout for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL. Ron was promoted from regional scout to Assistant Director of Player Personnel in 1983 and then moved on to the NFL shortly after in 1984 becoming a regional scout for the Chicago Bears. He held that position for 9 years before being promoted to Director of College Scouting in 1993 and then Director of Player Personnel in 1994. In June of 1997 Rod was hired to oversee the scouting department and eventually take over as GM of the Arizona Cardinals after spending 13 years with the Bears organization. He would serve in this position for 15 years before being fired in 2012. During this time period the Cardinals went to the playoffs three times, including a Super Bowl run in 2008. His draft history was average with the Cardinals having a few years of very low impact drafts but also having drafts that produced pro-bowlers and solid starters such as:
Pat Tillman (DB 7th Rd ‘98), Thomas Jones (RB 1st Rd ’00), Leonard Davis (OT 1st Rd ’01), Kyle Vanden Bosch (DE 2nd Rd ’01), Adrian Wilson (DB 3rd Rd ’01), Calvin Pace (LB 1st Rd ’03) , Anquan Boldin (WR 2nd Rd ’03), Gerald Hayes (LB 3rd Rd ’03), Larry Fitzgerald (WR 1st Rd ’04), Karlos Dansby (LB 2nd Rd ’04) Darnell Dockett (DT 3rd Rd ’04), Antrel Rolle (DB 1st Rd ’05), Levi Brown (OT 1st Rd ’07), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DB 1st Rd ’08), Calais Campbell (DT 2nd Rd ’08), Andre Roberts (WR 3rd Rd ’10), O’Brien Schofield (LB 4th Rd ’10), and Patrick Peterson (DB 1st Rd ’11)
At this point I don’t see Rod as a realistic option. With how this last season went Woody is most likely looking to make a splash with his hires. Interviewing Ron does satisfy the Rooney Rule for their GM search and it also allows Ron to gain some traction in his job search as well. Ultimately though, if Ron ended up being the guy it wouldn’t be the worst choice in the world. He currently is handling all football operations for the Jets while the search is being conducted. Ron may be retained in a similar role to his current one, once the new regime has taken over.
Trent Kirchner
Kirchner actually started his career in professional sports as an intern for the Minnesota Twins after graduating from St. John’s University in 1996. Trent’s true passion was football and after gaining some experience and knowledge of the inner-workings of running a professional franchise he aggressively started pursuing a career in the NFL. According to Patrick Ruesse of The Minnesota Star Tribune, Trent began writing to NFL teams GM’s, scouts, coaches and assistants. He boldly went as far as showing up at the 2000 NFL Combine without any credentials. Trent waited by the bathrooms that the scouts and coaches used and was able to strike up a conversation with Marc Trestman, who was an OC for the Cardinals at the time. Trestman was waiting on an assistant coach who was late and decided to let Trent borrow his credentials to get into the combine. This is where he met John Schneider (current GM of the Seattle Seahawks).
At the time Schneider was just hired by the Seahawks and was able to help Kirchner with the connections to gain an internship in communications. The next year he was able to quickly transition into scouting, becoming the College Scouting Coordinator for the Redskins. In 2002 he was hired as a Pro-Scout for the Panthers and spent 8 years there, before being hired by the Seahawks and John Schneider in 2010.
The Seahawks have had an excellent draft history over the past few years under this regime. There’s not much documentation on which players Trent has had a say in drafting but being the Pro Personnel Director he has definitely had his say in picks. Unlike Idzik, who came from Seattle as well, Trent’s background is primarily talent evaluation over cap management. One has to wonder how close Trent and John were and whether or not Mr. Idzik will steer his opinion the job.
Mike Maccagnan
Maccagnan may be the best traveled of the 5 prospects. Maccagnan is a New Jersey native who got his start in scouting while he was a student at Trinity College. He began as a training camp scout for the Redskins in 1990 while still attending classes. He quickly moved to becoming a scout at the NFL’s World League office in Dallas. He continued his trend of quickly escalating in his NFL career path, becoming the Director of Player Personnel for the London Monarchs in 1991 in a year in which they captured the League Championship. Maccagnan then transitioned to the CFL in becoming the Director of Scouting and Player Personnel for the Ottawa/ Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
The Redskins hired Mike in 1994 as a College Scout; he transitioned to becoming a Pro Scout the following year, spending six years in total with the franchise. In 2000, the NFL introduced the Houstan Texans as an expansion franchise. Mike became one of their first hires and has been with the organization ever since. He was hired as a Pro Scout in January of that year and then promoted to Coordinator of College Scouting four months later. In June of 2010 he was promoted to Assistant Director of College Scouting. The following year he was promoted to Director of College Scouting; the position he’s held ever since.
Many analysts and beat writer’s believe Maccagnan to be the front-runner for the job at this point due to his connections with Charley Casserly. It is still a very fluid situation so I’m not ready to jump on that speculation just yet. That being said, Maccagnan’s scouting background is impressive, he would not be a bad option at all.
Rick Mueller
Rick was a three-year starter as the QB for the University of Puget Sound in Washington until 1990. He began his paid football career in coaching though. He was a Graduate Assistant at Washington State from 1990-1992. He was the team’s QB Coach, Head JV Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. In 1992 he was hired as a Defensive Assistant and Special Teams Coach for the World League’s Sacramento Surge. In 1993 Mueller finally transitioned to front office work while maintaining his position on the field as well. He was hired by the CFL’s Sacramento Gold Miner’s as the Director of Player Personnel and Wide Receiver’s Coach.
Mueller finally got his NFL break in 1994, when the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars hired him as a College Scout. He maintained this position for four years until being promoted to Director of College Scouting. The New Orleans Saints hired him in 2000 as the Director of Player Personnel. He was promoted to VP of Player Personnel in 2006. According to the Eagles media guide, his role in New Orleans ranged from evaluating potential free agents, studying college prospects and supervising the organizations college and pro scouts.
In 2009 Mueller took on a role that was a little different then he was used to. He was hired by the UFL in it’s inaugural season to be the league’s Vice President and General Manager of all four teams. The following year he became solely the General Manager of the 2010 expansion team, The Omaha Nighthawks. In 2012 the UFL folded and Mueller was offered a job with the Eagles as Pro Personnel Director where he’s been ever since.
In his 18 years in the NFL, Mueller’s teams have a regular season record of 135-121, have earned 7 playoff appearances, and advanced to 3 conference championships. Mueller is a solid prospect, with experience at all levels of NFL personnel departments as well a unique situation with his Executive experience in the UFL.
To read about the rest of our candidates, please click on the link above.
