When talk began to surface in 2006 that Eric Mangini would be using the 3-4 defense as the new head coach of the New York Jets, I hated it. I knew the personal on the team would not fit the system. The 2004 Jets had a league rated #7 defense, however the 2005 team was plagued by injuries. 2006 onwards saw the decline of playmakers like Jonathon Vilma, Dwayne Robertson and Sean Ellis with the move to the 3-4. The team finished 10-6 under Mangini's first year, but since than have failed to make the playoffs.
With Mangini out as head coach and the 3-4 defense emplaced, you have to bring in a coach familiar with the system. This leads me to personally cast my vote for Rex Ryan. While people like Steve Spagnolo and Ron Meeks would be intriguing candidates, bringing in a coach familiar with the system and helped make it not only work, but flourish on the field is imperative. Ryan has produced top defenses in Baltimore since his work began there in 1999. It could be argued that Ryan has had enormous talents on those teams. I believe though that he has made those players exceptional while operating the 3-4 defense. While I think the Jets could still use quicker LB's in a Rex Ryan defense, it seems that bringing in a coach with a successful track record as Ryan would be paramount to the Jets for next season. Changing back the 4-3 in my eyes is taking the last 3 years and the personal that has been gathered a monumental waste. And as we can see from this years playoff picture….defense wins championships.Keywords: 3-4 defense, 4-3 defense, Eric Mangini, New York Jets, Rex Ryan
