Tannenbaum is prepared, but handcuffed
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mike Tannenbaum's offseason hasn't been filled with an abundance of moves, the usual wheeling and dealing for which he's become known.
He's in the same boat as every other personnel executive in the NFL, unable to reconstruct his roster because of the ongoing lockout. But Tannenbaum insists there's one thing that hasn't changed as he readies for next week's three-day NFL draft, his sixth as the Jets' general manager: his preparedness.
"Really this time of year for us, in the building it really feels the same," Tannenbaum said Thursday at the team's training complex. "The flow of the day, just the meetings and the schedule, really that's kind of been the same for us. Obviously, if it's free agency, there's phones and visits, stuff like that. For the most part, the preparation, it's really for the draft for us, all hands on deck."
That, however, doesn't mean everything is completely status quo given the unusual circumstances that are in place because of the lockout. With free agency frozen, it could put Tannenbaum in a quandary.
The Jets have 17 free agents, including big names like wideouts Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards and cornerback Antonio Cromartie, whom they've said they'd like to re-sign. In a typical offseason, they'd have most of their targeted free agents already sealed and delivered, allowing them to fill some other needs through the draft.
But that's not the case now, which adds another layer to the draft process.
"There's no magical answer," Tannenbaum said. "It's the judgment of the best player on the board versus what's going to happen in free agency. Even if you don't get your first or second choice in free agency or the draft, there's going to be other opportunities.
"Those are great tiebreakers for us. If we feel like down the road we're going to have trouble getting a player back, that may break a tie in the draft room. But those are really hard judgment calls to make that you do when you're on the clock or formulating a strategy to go up a couple spots or move back."
After the draft is officially over, Tannenbaum will be handcuffed in another fashion: No one may sign undrafted free agents, another staple of his. He's found a few major contributors like guard Brandon Moore and defensive end Mike DeVito that way, something he won't be able to do until player transactions are allowed.
"The longer I'm in this, the more you realize the only part you can control is the preparation," Tannenbaum said. "They're telling us we're going to draft now, so we're prepared for that. When there's veteran free agency, we'll be prepared. When we can trade players, we'll be prepared.
"This is the next step of what I would say is an opportunity to improve the team. Whatever the next step is after that, we'll go for that."
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