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The first give GM candidates to be interviewed by the Jets are Rick Mueller, Trent Kirchner, Eric DeCosta, George Paton and Mike Macagnan.
Kirchner is the guy with the least amount of experience. He is currently the Seahawks director of pro personnel, a position he’s held for four years. Prior to that he was a scout for the Carolina Panthers from 2002-2009.
DeCosta has been a hot GM candidate for quite some time, and seems like a great candidate. He has been with the Ravens since they have been in Baltimore.
DeCosta has been Ozzie Newsome heir apparent in Baltimore for quite some time.
In 2011, the Chicago Bears were very interested in hiring him, but Ravens owner Steve Biscotti, one of the best owners in the league, blew DeCosta away financially, making him one of the NFL’s highest paid executives, so he stayed in Baltimore as the assistant GM. He’s been told he will replace Ozzie when he retires.
So it would take a huge offer to pry this guy out of Baltimore.
Mueller has done it all.
Coach in the CFL, scout with the Jaguars, director of college scouting with the Jaguars, Saints director of player personnel, Saints VP of player personnel, ran the UFL and was Eagles director of pro personnel.
He’s basically handled all aspects of personnel. He’s certainly paid his dues.
Maccagnan is a guy that Jets consultant Charlie Casserly knows well. Maccagnan worked under Casserly when Charlie was the GM of the Texans and the Redskins. Mike has been the Texans director of college scouting since 2011. He has been with the Texans organization in various personnel positions since 2000. Prior that that he was as scout for the Redskins for six years. Prior to that he worked in personnel in the World League and the CFL. Another guy who has truly paid his dues.
Paton (pronounced Payton) I have some questions about.
I’m sure he’s decent evaluator, but he’s worked for GM Rick Spielman in both Miami and Minnesota. They were also together in Chicago. It all depends if Spielman is your cup of tea.
DaCosta would be quite a get.
He seems content in Baltimore as the highest paid assistant GM in the league with the promise he will take over for Ozzie in a few years. He’s in his early 40’s.
It would take a huge offer from Woody to get him to Florham Park, along with total control of the football side – basically handing him the keys, and having Woody and Ira leave him alone. In other words, don’t meddle with personnel decisions.
To me, if the Jets could land a DaCosta/Gary Kubiak tandem out of Baltimore, that would be a nice duo to lead them going forward.
Of the first wave of coaching interviews the Jets are conducting, Kubiak is the cream of the crop. I think he’s one of those guys, like Carroll/Belichick, who will do even better his second time around, learn from his first head coaching experience. His second to last year in Houston, they were 12-4. Then in his last year, Matt Schaub played horribly, the field goal kicking was real bad, and Kubiak got sick, and he got fired. I wouldn’t judge him by that last season in Houston. it was a Murphy’s Law situation.
Reuniting Maccagnan and Kubiak from Houston might not be a bad idea either.
But you definitely see a trend here with the GM candidates – all pure personnel guys – not cap guys. The Jets want a top-shelf personnel guy as their next GM following two guys with cap backgrounds
December 30, 2014
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