Thursday, January 24, 2013

Idzik stresses competition in building Jets' roster

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The New York Jets introduced new general manager John Idzik Thursday, and it just took minutes for him to coin his catchphrase: "The power of we over me."

"That's something that'll be very strong here in New York," Idzik told reporters during a late-morning press conference, via NewYorkJets.com.

Idzik, a former Seattle Seahawks execute who has much more of a football background than he gets credit for, pledged to pull all the stops when putting the best possible product on the field in 2013 and beyond. (photo: Nick St. Denis)

"We're going to continually develop, maintain and enhance a roster here that's grounded in competition. There will be a constant influx of competition," Idzik said. "... We'll explore every measure."

Idzik said the draft "will be a lifeline for us, year in and year out," but that he'll also be "judicious" and "thoughtful" in free agency. He rounded it out by mentioning trades, waiver claims and practice squad player development as being important in creating a competitive environment.

"In football, you relish in competition," he said. "It gets everybody better."

It will be a very busy offseason for Idzik, who said a "thorough and comprehensive review of our roster" is the starting point.

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