New York Jets: Mike Tannenbaum's Offseason Success

One of the youngest general managers in the league at 37, Mike Tannenbaum has taken the NFL by storm. He quietly built the New York Jets into a defensive powerhouse over the past four years. They have quickly become a topic of conversation around the league.

Read on as I outline Tanny's best (and a few of his worst) offseason moves since he was promoted to GM in 2006.

D'Brickashaw Ferguson

D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the fourth overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. Originally labeled a bust, Ferguson has been able to become a paramount member of the Jets' offensive line.

Along with marquee players Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, Ferguson has helped bring the Jets the best offensive line and run game in the league.

Alan Faneca

Alan Faneca is a veteran offensive lineman who made a name for himself on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tannenbaum recognized how his skill as a player and leadership as a person would help be the "glue" that brought together a line filled with stars.

Nick Mangold

Nick Mangold was named the best prospect at center in a long time prior to the 2006 NFL Draft. That was something Mike Tannenbaum simply couldn't forget. Drafting two offensive linemen in the first round (Ferguson and Mangold), Tannenbaum rebuilt the Jets line.

Mangold has become widely known as the best center in the league. Mark Sanchez has nothing to worry about with Nick Mangold protecting him.

Thomas Jones

Behind Tannenbaum's top-ranked offensive, Thomas Jones was able to become the star he never became earlier in his career. A Pro Bowler in 2008, Jones had his two best seasons over the last two years. Rushing for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2008, and 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns, Jones played a big role in bringing the Jets the league's best run game.

Leon Washington

Drafted 60 picks after the comparable Devin Hester, kick-returner/running back Leon Washington does it all. Utilizing his dangerous speed and suave moves, Washington is a threat every time the ball is in his hands.

From returning kicks and punts (for multiple touchdowns) to breaking down the field for a touchdown on a screen pass, he has become widely known as one of the best all-around players in the league.

Shonn Greene

While it has not yet been set in stone, Shonn Greene showed enormous potential during his 2009 rookie season. Mike Tannenbaum was convinced by some of the Jets draft team that it was worth trading up to get Greene. He eventually gave in and took the punishing running back out of Iowa.

His late-season success helped bring the Jets to the AFC Championship game, but unfortunately an injury during that game halted a Jets' offensive surge that brought 17 early points.

Mark Sanchez

In what could possibly go down as the greatest trade in Jet history, Mike Tannenbaum traded up in the 2009 NFL Draft to select Mark Sanchez with the Cleveland Browns' fifth overall pick.

The USC quarterback is already loved in New York. His Cinderalla-esque playoff run that brought the Jets to the AFC Championship match proved that the rookie has what it takes to make it in this league.

Darrelle Revis

When you think of the best defensive player in the league, only one name comes to mind: Darrelle Revis. During the 2007 NFL Draft, Mike Tannenbaum recognized the talent that Revis had, and traded the Jets' first, second, and fifth-round selections to Carolina for their 14th overall pick.

Just one spot ahead of the Steelers, who were interested in the hometown hero, the Jets selected the shutdown cornerback. After a stellar rookie season in 2007 and a Pro Bowl season in 2008, Revis shocked the league in 2009 when he established himself as a shutdown corner, going on to make the All-Pro team.

David Harris

David Harris, an inside linebacker out of the University of Michigan, was a mediocre prospect heading into the 2007 draft. Expected to go somewhere in the third round, Harris impressed scouts at the combine, upping his draft value a bit.

The Jets and Mike Tannenbaum noted his talent and traded up to select him in the second round. Just two years later, Harris is a marquee linebacker known for punishing opposing running backs. He was voted to the second-team All Pro this past season.

Vernon Gholston

You see that picture? That about sums up Gholston's career to date, watching the Jets play football from the sideline. Expected to be a premier pass-rusher, Gholston wasn't able to record a sack in two years of NFL play.

He was Tannebaum's first-round selection in the 2008 draft, yet he looked like an undrafted free agent to me. He has already been labeled a bust by some and probably only has one more season to try and prove himself.

Dustin Keller

I am not going to label Dustin Keller a bad pick, because he wasn't. He has been fairly productive for the Jets, but his numbers don't match up with that of a typical first-round tight end.

He has shown improvement and is absolutely becoming a much better blocking tight end than he was (he was previously known as more of a receiver).

Brett Favre

The veteran quarterback was flying all over the rumor mill before the 2008 season, but nobody thought he would end up a New York Jet. The Packers shipped Favre to New York, and soon enough he was on the field in green and white.

After carrying the Jets to an 8-3 record, poor play late in the season from Favre lost the Jets four of the last five games, finishing with a 9-7 record and falling short of the playoffs. Mike Tannenbaum's experiment had failed.