The Jets Made A Huge Mistake Letting Mike Vrabel Leave The Building

If you are the Jets, you don't just let Mike Vrabel "complete" an interview. You sit him down, put a blank contract in front of him and tell him to put whatever he wants to get paid and sign it. I am a Jets fan, so I say this with love but if you have any competent human being walk into Florham Park, you can not let them leave.

This is a Jets team that is also considering Rex Ryan and Ron Rivera as their head coaches. Today on Picks Central, Rico compared them to when you are so bored as a kid you resort to playing with old, dusty board games you find in the closet. The Jets need a total re-start (yet again). Retreads (and yes, I spelt the word I intended to use correctly) are not the answer.

Wesley Hitt. Getty Images.

There is no excuse not to overpay for a good head coach. It doesn't go against the salary cap and there are so few of them. Say Vrabel goes to the Pats or anyone else. Who else do the Jets turn to? If you're Ben Johnson, why go to the Jets when you have better suitors out there? You can make a real case that the Jets are in worse shape than any other organization in all of the NFL. You have a hodgepodge of underachievers on this roster mixed with yet another disaster QB. The Jets also have Woody Johnson calling the shots.

I understand Mike Vrabel is not Vince Lombardi. He's won two career playoff games as a head coach. But he's a winning coach (54-45) and someone who can provide actual leadership to a franchise that's really been in some from of disarray since Bill Parcells stepped down in the 90's. The team has had some success during the Herm Edwards and Rex Ryan years but those were not well-led NFL teams.

The Jets also need a lot more than just Vrabel. They also need a GM, quarterback and a total roster overhaul. But Vrabel would have been a step in the right direction. 

Instead, we let that first step just walk out the door.