Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum Praises New York's 2026 Offseason Moves

Respect is hard to come by in the NFL. The New York Jets know this well. They have struggled to earn respect for the last 15 years of playoff-less football.

Part of the team's struggles has been two-pronged. First, they have had the wrong front office and coaching leaders. Having the wrong coach and person in charge filling out the roster is always a good way to prolong struggles. Second, has been the actual roster. It hasn't been good enough. From the quarterback to the offensive line to the defense, it hasn't been what Jets fans have hoped for in their team.

Despite all the struggles, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Jets. General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have worked together to rebuild the roster quickly over the offseason.

Now, there's confidence and a belief that the team might not only end their recent 10-year drought of below .500 football. But also bring pride to the city for the first time in nearly two decades.

So much so that the team's most successful front office executive since the turn of the century is openly celebrating what the Jets have done over the last few months.

Former general manager Mike Tannenbaum lauds Jets' offseason

No Jets general manager has been as successful as Mike Tannenbaum was for the team during the late 2010s. He joined the team in 2006 and built a roster that reached the playoffs three times, including back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship Game.

His time in New York may have ended poorly in 2012, but no executive had the kind of success that Tannenbaum enjoyed in Florham Park.

Which is why Jets fans shouldn't overlook what he said about the team's offseason success in a conversation with the New York Post late last month at the “Big Daddy” Celebrity Golf Classic at Huntington Country Club on Long Island.

“They’re [the Jets] building it the smart way long-term. To have three first-round picks, arguably two years in a row, that is really, really rare," Tannenbaum said. "We’ll see what happens with the process, but I thought they’ve had a very good offseason."

New York spent nearly $160 million on free agent contracts this season. That includes trades for quality starters like Minkah Fitzpatrick and T'Vondre Sweat. They also spent three first-round picks on high-impact players, like David Bailey, Omar Cooper Jr., and Kenyon Sadiq, to form a quality draft class.

Next season, the team will have even more resources with a projected $80 million-plus in cap space and three first-round picks.

Tannenbaum is correct. The Jets have done a good job this offseason in improving the talent of the roster while keeping an eye on their future. Should all go well, the team could bring a kind of respect to the franchise that hasn't been felt in years.

And catapult Mougey into a level only seen by Tannenbaum since 2000.

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