National Football League

Jets GM: QB call to be 'collective'

Published Jul. 27, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

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Rex Ryan and John Idzik will get together at some point during training camp and make a final decision on the New York Jets' biggest burning question.

Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith?

It will be a move that will likely affect the entire season. And, it's one Ryan won't make alone.

"When you look at who's going to play, Rex and I are going to talk about that freely," Idzik said Saturday after the team's second practice of training camp. "And I like to believe that that has been the case so far, that if you put in that time and effort, when you make the decision, it's a `we' decision.

"It's not one individual."

Idzik, addressing the media for the first time since minicamp last month, tackled several issues surrounding training camp. But the quarterback competition is the biggest, and could go a long way into determining Ryan's fate.

"My role?" Idzik said of the QB decision. "Well, I have a pretty big role in that."

The coach has a year left on his contract beyond this season, but keeping him aboard was owner Woody Johnson's decision. It was also a prerequisite for the incoming general manager, one Idzik agreed to when he was hired in January.

All eyes will be on how Ryan and Idzik mesh, and they'll have to do just that in agreeing on whether the quarterback to take the field in Week 1 is Sanchez or Smith.

"It's a collaborative effort, guys," Idzik said. "It's not how it seems. It's not like you wake up one morning and everyone is waiting with bated breath on someone with a scroll and he says, `Here it is.' That's not it, especially with this decision because there's so much that goes into it.

"It's not going to be a surprise to anybody in the room."

Ryan, who spoke before Idzik, said Thursday when the team reported for camp that "when I make that decision, clearly I'll feel great about it. And not just me, but I'll lean on several other people."

That includes offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, quarterbacks coach David Lee and the rest of the offensive staff. But maybe none more than Idzik.

While most teams are set up where the general manager gets the players and the coach decides on who plays, Idzik appeared to indicate that Ryan might not have the ultimate final say -- at least when it comes to the quarterback. But, he insisted, it will be a decision that will be agreed upon throughout the organization.

"Again, it's a collective effort," Idzik said. "This isn't a one-time event that comes up and we have to make a quick decision. This is over a period of time, so there's a lot of talk, discussion, debate that goes over these type of decisions. So when you ultimately make that decision, it may look like, `OK, on Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, they made the decision on the starting quarterback.'

"Well, that's an accumulation of a lot of information and discussion."

The GM had no updates on running back Mike Goodson, on the reserve-did not report list, or first-round pick Dee Milliner, who is holding out.

Goodson, signed as a free agent in the offseason, was arrested on drug and weapons possession charges in May along with a friend in New Jersey. The case was sent to a grand jury last month, but Goodson's absence is not believed to be related to his legal situation.

Ryan has said that the team knew Goodson wasn't going to report to camp on time and "we understand why he's not here." The Jets have provided no further details, and Idzik called it "a private, delicate matter" -- one which the team was aware would happen and understood.

"Of course, it's our hope that Mike comes back and he can contribute to the team," Idzik said. "

He added that there's no "real timeline" on a return, and the team is approaching it "day by day."

As for Milliner, the No. 9 overall pick out of Alabama, he's on Day 3 of his holdout, and it doesn't appear a resolution is imminent.

"I'm frustrated by it," Ryan said. "I'm disappointed that he's not here. I'd like for Dee to be here, there's no question."

Ryan acknowledged that Milliner did a "great" job in the classroom during the offseason, and is optimistic about him being able to catch up despite the fact the rookie hasn't practiced at all while recovering from shoulder surgery.

"From a mental standpoint, I would expect him to be able to get in and go," Ryan said.

Ryan added that there is a difference between recent holdouts by Darrelle Revis, the man Milliner is expected to help replace, and this one.

"With Darrelle, he was under contract," Ryan said. "That was a lot of my frustration that we had a player that was under contract and wasn't there. ... This is a business and it's not the first time a player's not here because he hasn't signed a contract."

One of the possible hangups is the issue of offset language, a clause teams sometimes include to protect themselves against having to pay a player if they cut him before their four-year rookie deal expires.

"I don't think it's a frustration," Idzik said of the negotiations with Milliner. "I look at it as we're in an industry of adjustments."

NOTES: Idzik had no problem with Ryan running with the bulls in Spain earlier this month, saying it was a dream of the coach's son, Payton. "I thought it was pretty cool," Idzik said, adding that Ryan told the team ahead of time that he was doing it. ... Idzik said the signing earlier this week of WR Braylon Edwards was "independent" of Santonio Holmes' situation. Holmes is still recovering from a serious foot injury. The GM added that the Jets didn't sign Edwards earlier in the offseason because they wanted to look at a few other players first, and felt the veteran would still be available for them to sign closer to camp. ... LB David Harris is excited about Sunday's practice, the Jets' first wearing full pads: "Tomorrow, we get the pads on and that's when it gets real." ... Ryan on DB Isaiah Trufant, generously listed at 5-foot-8: "He's a tough, little hombre."

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