The 2024 season is winding down to a conclusion and it’s fair to say that it didn’t go to plan for the Jets. A season that started with Championship aspirations is ending in disappointment.

While that’s hard to take for us fans, this offseason represents a period of hope. The Jets will be looking for a new GM to lead the ship, and that in itself is an exciting proposition.

The search for a new GM promises to be comprehensive, with the Jets hiring The 33rd Team, led by former GM Mike Tannebaum and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman to help with the search. 

Although this will be the first time that the 33rd Team as an organisation has assisted an NFL team with a GM search, Spielman was part of the six-man panel last year that helped the Washington Commanders hire Adam Peters, so not only will he bring knowledge from his own time as GM, but he also has first-hand experience helping a team pick a new GM. 

The team has started to release information on preliminary interviews with candidates this week, including Thomas Dimitroff, Jon Robinson and Jim Nagy. This marks the start of an exhaustive manhunt to find the right person who possesses the perfect skills and attributes. 

But what should the Jets be looking for in a new GM? 

Here’s what I’d like to see from the new man in charge:

Strong college scouting background

Good franchises who are consistent winners tend to be the ones that scout well. The foundation of any team is built through the draft. It’s something the Jets have done well over the last few years with Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Will McDonald and Olu Fashanu among others appearing to be the keystones to build around. It’s hard to be a consistent winner by relying on free agency to build out your team; missing on draft picks can set franchises back years, as we have seen up and down the NFL. 

So when I look at a potential candidate’s background I like to focus on their scouting experience. Have they played the game? Have they worked as a road scout or an area scout, putting in the long hours and the high miles? Have they been recognised within their organisation and promoted to hold more authority in the scouting game. A lot of general manager candidates would have started as scouting assistants, working their way up. 

You’re not going to hit on every single draft pick, but having a strong scouting background will set you up for success moving forward. 

Mentorship within the industry

The NFL is full of highly respected executives. Most of them are tied down to their current teams and going nowhere, they’re respected because they’re successful and if you’re successful in this league you tend to stay where you are. That’s frustrating for teams looking for the best but it also offers an opportunity. With the top job blocked, their assistants tend to have to look elsewhere to take the next step in their career. 

You look at someone like Ian Cunningham in Chicago. Outside of his own individual characteristics, his executive history makes him an appealing candidate for any open job. Not only has he worked for the great Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore, but he’s also worked for Howie Roseman in Philadelphia as well. 

You don’t work under two of the best in the business for as long as he did without picking up a few things here and there. He’s certainly not the only candidate to have worked in successful franchises under widely respected executives. 

The Franchise Turnaround

Not every GM job is the same. We can’t avoid the fact that the Jets have the longest playoff drought in North American Sports. So part of the remit for the new man in charge is being able to identify how to turn a franchise around. 

Most GMs walk into situations that require a little work; there’s usually a job opening for a reason. But in some situations, the GM needs to change the narrative, the perception and guide the franchise into a full turnaround. 

Look at the job that Jon Robinson did in Tennessee. Inheriting a team that had not been to the playoffs in 7 years and was coming off a 3-13 season, he helped guide them to the playoffs in 4 of his 6 full seasons in charge.

Ray Agnew in Detroit has been front and centre of the Lions renaissance. Before their playoff win against the Rams in 2023, you had to go back to 1991 to find the last one. The Lions went all the way to the NFC Championship game last season and they’ll be heading back to the playoffs this year. 

Securing a candidate from a franchise that has been a perennial winner has advantages, but for a team like the Jets, securing a candidate from a franchise that has experienced a turnaround may be more beneficial in the long run.