ESPN did a listing of the most disappointing NFL teams of the past 25 years. The 1996 Jets were among the top ten.
Ninth were the 1996 New York Jets. They'd gone an unpromising 3-13 the year before, but McCormick rattles off a list of expensive veteran acquisitions that were supposed to turn around Rick Kotite's squad: quarterback Neil O'Donnell, left tackle Jumbo Elliott and right tackle David Williams. The Jets also drafted receiver Keyshawn Johnson first overall. They went 1-15.
The really incredible thing about that team is that Bill Parcells won 9 games one year later with essentially the same squad. Consider that the next time you wonder how much coaching matters in the NFL.
This was also the Jets team that finished in position to take Peyton Manning first overall in the NFL Draft. Then Manning decided to return to the University of Tennessee for his senior season and ended up going to the Colts a year later.