Mike Tannenbaum Shows Midas Touch in Jets' Front Office

Everyone credits Rex Ryan for the job he has done in changing the culture of the "same old Jets" to that of the "new bold Jets." The loquacious head coach deserves it for instilling belief in his players—not to mention being a good game-day coach.

That said, it's the players that make a good head coach into a great one. Bill Parcells said it best when he talked about a team needing someone to "buy the groceries" for a coach to work with when he announced his reasoning for his departure from the Patriots.

New York Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum and his staff have done that in recent years. They provide players who enable Ryan and his staff to be in a position to succeed.

It's time for the Jets' front office to get some credit for their work in recent years. They've drafted well, and they've spent their money wisely in getting the correct free agents.

Tannenbaum also deserves credit for getting it right with the hiring of Ryan. No one took a chance on Ryan until Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson became sold on him.

The experts talk about how great the Steelers, Colts, and Patriots are when it comes to drafting. The Jets shouldn't have to take a back seat to those teams—they are as good as those three perennial AFC contenders.

Most of the players on the Jets' roster are homegrown. Guys like Shonn Greene, Darrelle Revis, Kerry Rhodes, Jerricho Cotchery, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Nick Mangold in particular stand out.

What's remarkable is how the Jets seem to find unheralded talent in the later rounds. It's a credit to Terry Bradway and Joey Clinkscales that they've been able to find these guys. Bradway's strength has always been in finding such players.

Most of the time, it's hard to build a team just by drafting well or buying players. The Jets appear to have found the right mix. It's hard to pick a free agent that's been a bust under the Tannenbaum administration.

Better yet, Tannenbaum has not made a bad trade. Jets fans love to talk about how Brett Favre was a bust, but they forget Favre led the Jets to be in a position to win the division until his arm and body gave up on him.

It happens.

The Jets' general manager's best move was finding a way to move up to get Mark Sanchez. It was worth it even if he has struggled this entire season.

Now at least the team has a young quarterback around whom to build for the next decade, instead of relying on quarterbacks that look like they are in their final days.

Sanchez hasn't been perfect at times, but that's okay. Overall, it's refreshing to see a general manager that likes to think big and go for it.

He does not get fazed when it comes to obstacles. He finds a solution to get it done, and obviously doesn't fear alienating others when it comes to alleged tampering, as he demonstrated with his pursuits of Deion Branch, Brandon Marshall, and Michael Crabtree.

That's how a general manager operates.

Tannenbaum has grown into his job with the Jets franchise. He does not shy away from the media when things go bad, and he holds himself accountable when things don't go well.

This franchise has come a long way. The front office should get their due for the renaissance of this franchise.