The New York Jets introduced new General Manager John Idzik on Thursday. Here are some quotes from the day.

Opening Statement:

Jets Chairman & CEO Woody Johnson:

“This is a very important day for the New York Jets. We’ve just finished an exhaustive process. Maybe exhaustive is not the right word, but we finished the process where we interviewed a number of very qualified people to assume the job of general manager of the New York Jets. (With) that process, we wanted to be very thorough and careful because of the importance of this decision, so we hired Korn/Ferry. They led it and I think Jed Hughes was very helpful in establishing a process that really gave everyone a fair look and set out the criteria that we were looking for. We went through the process and after interviewing John Idzik, it became apparent to us that he was head and shoulders the best fit for the New York Jets. It’s not only his demeanor and the way he speaks, it’s also his experience. He’s a second-generation football guy. His father was here as an offensive coordinator in the 1970s, a successful one. His 20 years in every facet of the football business, from personnel to the (salary) cap to the weight room, he’s done it all. He’s been around some great coaches and great people and general managers. I think if you go back to Tampa, the Arizona Cardinals or anyone at the Seahawks, they will confirm the kind of person John is and that fact that he is the right person to do this job for the New York Jets in 2013. I think (he) will add so much to what we’re collectively trying to do, and that’s put a championship football team on the field. I think he’ll do a great job. I know I am very excited and I think the fans, as they get to know John, will be excited as well. With that, I would like to introduce the new general manager for the New York Jets, John Idzik.”

John Idzik:

“I’m happy to be here. It’s a very special day for me, my family and the New York Jets. I owe all of that to Woody Johnson. I’m very appreciative of the time we’ve spent together. We’ve had several talks over the last couple of weeks and you’ve made me feel right at home. I’m also very appreciative of Neil Glat, Ira Akselrad (and) Rex Ryan. Again, we’ve had several in-depth conversations and every step of the way I gravitated more towards the New York Jets, I felt like a member of the New York Jets. I’m very appreciative of that. The last three days I took a little hiatus down to Mobile and spent a little time with our personnel staff down there, Terry Bradway, Scott Cohen and company, and our pro and college guys and it was a great introduction. It’s challenging enough to go through the Senior Bowl dual day practices, so for them to make time in a very jam-packed schedule to let us get to know each other was very valuable to me, so we can hit the ground running when they come back. Once you start looking at players and start talking about players in that environment, it’s like riding a bike. We felt very comfortable together. It hasn’t taken me long to feel like a New York Jet.”

More from Idzik:

On his level confidence in making the final personnel decisions:

“When making the final personnel decisions, when I say a collaborative effort, that’s genuine. I think my role as a general manager is to provide some direction and develop a consensus in the building, so that when we make decisions, they’re Jet decisions. I may be that person that hands in the card, but what’s on that card is a Jet decision. That’s going to be genuine here in New York. As far as my background, I’ve been around NFL players since I was “young,” since I was six years old, in various capacities. As I started my professional career, I’ve had a myriad of different perspectives. So I think that’s something that I can lend to the New York Jets, various perspectives, and that’s inclusive of personnel. It’s inclusive of management, administration (and) operations. It’s inclusive of, obviously, contract and (salary) cap, so I think that will be a help for the New York Jets.”

On there will be any initial changes in the personnel staff:

“No, I can say that in my initial days I’ve realized this, I’ve only been on the job for three days, this is my fourth, (and) three of them have been out of state, I’ve been very impressed with my initial impressions. I had the opportunity to spend some time with (Head Coach) Rex (Ryan) down in Mobile, (AL). I had a chance to talk with and meet with all of our personnel staff down there: Scott (Cohen), (Senior Personnel Executive) Terry (Bradway), (Assistant Director, Player Personnel) JoJo (Wooden), (Director, College Scouting) Jeff (Bauer), (Assistant Director, College Scouting) Mike (Davis), (Director, Football Administration) Ari (Nissim), all those people. My initial expressions are we have a really strong group here and I look forward to working with them in these days and nights to come.”

On Coach Ryan:

“I look at Rex Ryan as a very accomplished coach. He’s very energetic. He’s optimistic. He’s engaging as we all know. He engages our players and he gets them to play hard. I can speak to that from the opponents’ side. I look forward to our time together. I really do. I’m excited about it, so that, to me, was a plus.”

On the challenge of getting back to the playoffs:

“Every year is a challenge. Whether you’re in the playoffs or not, and we’ve experienced it here in New York. You can go as far as the conference championship game (or) you can go to the Super Bowl. We did it in Tampa (Bay). We went to the Super Bowl one year and the next year we weren’t as fortunate. So every year is a challenge and you really wipe the slate clean and see what you have as a base going in, and you build off that and try to improve daily. In that vein, it’s not different than years that will go by when we are a perennial playoff team. We’ll look at it the same way. How can we improve? It’s a challenge, yes, but it’s a challenge that we’re all up to.”

On this being a new beginning:

“Of course, it’s a new beginning for me because this is my first day in Florham Park, but beyond that you can always look at it like every day is a new beginning, every month is a new beginning, every season that we go through, be it (the) offseason, draft, post-draft, mini-camp, training camp, we have new beginnings throughout the entire year. Yes, I look at this year as a burst of energy. It certainly is for me. I’m excited about it and from what I’ve heard, Rex is to. I’m very enthused about it.”

On his strength in player evaluations:

“I know this is probably one of the most resourceful groups of journalists in the world, so if you want to answer perceptions, I would ask you just to go back to the numerous people that I’ve worked alongside in my NFL career. They can own up to that. As far as evaluations, football is at the root of who I am. I’ve been a football guy, so to speak. I don’t know exactly what that means, but (I’ve been in football) since I was a six-year-old. Once I got into the league, I got into the league purely as a scout. That’s always been in the background of what I do. Again, if there are any perceptions or any questions, there are plenty of resources out there to ask the people that I’ve worked with. “

More from Woody Johnson:

On what led him from interviewing general manager candidates with a personnel background to candidates with more of a contract and cap management background:

“I know that question’s been asked a lot, but that’s actually not the case. I think that if you go back and you look at what John said, I think he does have the requisite, executive experience and football experience to make the important decisions on personnel or on any of the other myriads of questions and decisions he’s going to have to make. The interview process, you have to get permission, so a lot of it, the order and so on was determined by when we got the permissions rather than our ranking. We never did that. We had candidates that we thought could do the job. That’s why we brought them in and we just did it that way. “

On if he expects the team to contend in 2013 or if he will allow Idzik time to rebuild the roster:

“I think you build, as John said, the team is different every year. You can come off of a Super Bowl year and not make the playoffs the next year and vice versa. So I think you have to be, if everybody in the building is pulling toward putting a quality team on the field, a competitive team on the field. I think John was right on when he was talking about that. That’s the best way to do better. There’s no timeline saying that because I do these three things I’m going to be a championship team. I think you have to look, you have to have a really good vision of where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. Then, you use those resources, like the draft, free agency, college free agents, etc. And you have to be smart and lucky because you’re evaluating talent, but you don’t (know), they haven’t played in the NFL yet so everything is a projection somewhat.”

On why he believes Idzik will direct the Jets toward the “we” culture:

“Based on interviews, we did an extensive (interview process), we talked to all those guys that he worked for. The organizations that have been successful that he’s worked for, and each one of them had been successful, they talked about that. So that’s just a part of who he is, his DNA.”

On when it became apparent that Idzik was his choice:

“I’m not going to tell you exactly when, but he really did stand head and shoulders above. Not saying we didn’t have great candidates, we did. But in terms of this organization and what we were looking for, John was exceptional.”

Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan:

On his initial impressions of John Idzik:

“It was outstanding. I think having three days in Mobile, (Alabama), with John, was great. You realize how similar our backgrounds are (and) even with his dad being a former Jet, my dad being a former Jet. As John mentioned, being six years old and going to the practices and all those types of things and being around football his whole life, very similar to mine. But really, it was great. The fact, in Mobile, the way it was set up – I thought Phil Savage by the way, did an outstanding job leading the Senior Bowl- we actually had interviews with players we sat side by side, and (seeing) the way he would talk to the players, all those type of things. It was great for me to sit in there. After you listen to John and being around him, it’s exciting for me because you see the direction he wants this team to go to. Everything, as a coach, what you want to hear is this man’s goals are the exact same as my goals and Mr. Johnson’s. We want to build a championship-caliber team. John mentioned it several times about having a team that can be a perennial contender basically, perennial playoff team, that’s what you want. You want sustainable success and that’s really what John’s always talked about, the days that I was with him. That’s really what he’s looking to do and obviously, as a coach, that’s what certainly I’m looking to do.”

On whether it will be different working with Idzik and evaluating talent:

“Well, I know it’s going to be a, as John mentioned, a collaborative effort I think. But he’s trying to involve really everybody, lean on everybody and I think that’s going to be great. Not just for me, but for a lot of people in this building. Obviously, he has the last say in this is who we take and all that and personnel decisions and probably many decisions. But I like the fact that he’s going to involve several people, including myself and our coaches as well, as scouts working together and building this team with those goals in mind.”

 On if it was a collaborative effort previously:

“I guess to say well, how different it’s going to be? It’s probably a little too early to say that exactly but I just sense that he’s really going to take in the information, collect information, and then make the decision (based on) what’s best for this organization. Is it different? I’m sure it’s going to be a little different, I don’t think there’s any doubt it’ll be a little different.”