After falling flat with John Idzik and Rex Ryan, it appears the New York Jets aren’t taking any chances in their bid to get the GM and head coach positions right this next time around. The man they’ve called upon is NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly, and to those who may not know much about him, this is a smart and thought out move.
Jets owner Woody Johnson is preparing to hire former Texans and Redskins GM Charley Casserly as a consultant in... http://t.co/vlEuqN3U3l
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 22, 2014
Here is why.
Casserly, before he became a prominent draft expert on television had built a rather strong reputation in the league as a general manager. He began his football career with the Washington Redskins in 1977, eventually becoming a scout and playing a big hand in the team building one of the best offensive lines in NFL history, nicknamed the “Hogs.” By 1982 Casserly had skyrocketed to assistant GM, the same year the Redskins won their first Super Bowl.
Five years later, during a players strike it was his job to put together a replacement team. That unit won all three of their games during the strike, becoming an inspiration for the hit movie “The Replacements.” Finally, by 1989 Casserly became GM and was the architect of the 1991 squad that is consider one of the best ever, still owning the record for the average margin of victory in a playoff run that culminated in a third Super Bowl title.
Only after the team was purchased by Daniel Snyder in 1999 was he fired, this after he was named Executive of the Year. He went on to take over the expansion Houston Texans and got them to a 7-9 record by 2004 and selected some excellent players in the process including Andre Johnson, Mario Williams and Owen Daniel among others.
This man has seen what it takes to build strong rosters and knows the type of men it takes to lead them. His expertise is what the New York Jets need and now they will have it.