New York Jets: Mike Tannenbaum to Stay in Reduced Role?

The rumor mill season has begun, and Jason LaCanfora has one on the general manager situation.

The Jets are trying to beef up their front office, particularly in personnel, given their failing in the draft and free agency in recent years. But owner Woody Johnson is looking for a way to keep Tannenbaum in a different capacity, primarily as a negotiator/cap guy, sources said. The team has quietly reached out to potential candidates to gauge interest in the bizarre arrangement, including approaching Mike Maccagnan, Houston's director of college scouting.

I'm trying to think of word less harsh than idiocy to describe this possibility, but nothing else is coming to mind. Can I say I would be surprised if this happened? Of course not. Nothing would surprise me at this point.

Why can't you can fired if you do your job poorly? All keeping Tannenbaum would do is prevent qualified people from wanting the job? Who in his right mind would take the general manager job if the man who previously held that job is still in the building? Any new guy would be totally undermined by Tannenbaum's relationship with Woody Johnson. The new general manager needs to be able to bring in his own people.

There is another question also. Why would the Jets want Tannenbaum running their salary cap? He's been one of the worst salary cap people in the league. The Jets are in terrible cap shape because of Tannenbaum. How is he part of the solution.

I'm really hoping this one ends up being false. Because it's the Jets, I can only imagine it will happen.