Why the Jets’ decision to outsource their big hires makes sense

“It’s about the process. It will be led by Woody and me. We have a lot of good people in this organization. They’re going to help us make the right decision. We’re not going to rule anybody in or anybody out, but it’s an important decision. We have to make the right one. We’re going to move quickly, but we’re going to be thorough. That’s the most important thing.”
— Mike Tannenbaum on Dec. 29, 2008

That is what Tannenbaum, then the Jets general manager, said on the morning the Jets announced they had fired head coach Eric Mangini. Tannenbaum then led a coaching search that led to the team hiring Rex Ryan three weeks later.

Sixteen years later, here we are.

Tannenbaum is not leading the search this time, but the Jets have hired Tannenbaum’s company, The 33rd Team, to help Jets owner Woody Johnson through the process of finding the team’s next general manager and head coach. Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman also will be one of the point men on the search, a year after he helped Washington hire Adam Peters as GM and Dan Quinn as coach.