Jets (for now) corner Darrelle Revis is still in town after the team’s failure to move him before offseason training began (Photo: Bill Kostroun/Associated Press)

With today’s report that Tim Tebow has been at the New York Jets complex since ‘before the sunrise‘ we’re reminded that beyond the Darrelle Revis trade situation the team heads into 2013 just about as dysfunctional as they left 2012. John Idzik is in the unenviable position of having to right the ship in his first year on the job. I suppose the slow methodical nature of his handling of the Tebow/Revis situations makes sense, given the exhaustive process undertaken when bringing him to town (you’ll recall that the Jets interviewed just about anyone who would take their calls before settling on the former Seahawks exec). Still; the speed at which the team is dealing with two significant distractions is now becoming an issue as the players are reporting for the start of the offseason.

Let’s be real about the sitaution: neither Revis or Tebow make sense on the roster this year. The quarterback won’t see the field – that much is evident after his use in 2012 – and the corner is all but assured to depart after the 2013 campaign.  The Jets don’t strike any of us as a squad poised to make the leap back into playoff contention after a disappointing season a year ago so why keep him this year and lose him (to a team he’s free to choose; New England for example) for compensation equivalent to a third round pick while he still has some value? Both players have to go, and yet, both remain. Inviting a media circus to Jets camp as players check in.

There could be a number of variables at play here – most notably the potential involvement of want-to-be-hands-on owner Woody Johnson – but taken at face value the handling of these situations makes Idzik look a little lost in his first year on the job. He comes to New York with an extensive background as a ‘cap guy‘, so, we can assume he can handle that part of the job but what about his talents as a people person? Is he able to see past the numbers on the spreadsheet to realize the true nature of the situation he’s in?

Tim Tebow seems poised to kill the team with kindness – as it is either his natural state or a passive aggressive play – and there isn’t much way for the team to come out looking good. At this juncture it sould be clear that there are few teams out there who see trade value left for Tebow and while finding a trade partner would save them a few bucks (in terms of money paid up front by the Broncos that New York would have to return) it just isn’t likely to happen at this point and it really doesn’t seem to be worth the trouble that comes with keeping America’s favourite backup in town.

Beyond that, though, the Tebow situation isn’t really New York’s biggest problem. They’ve had a trade percolating for Revis with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for some time now but haven’t been able to pull the trigger. Tampa represents the perfect trade partner for New York (out of the conference, willing to give picks, have the cap space to give a long term deal) and more importantly they seem to be the only partner, so why Idzik is drawing things out is unclear. Yes, he wants multiple picks for the star corner but given that he’s only going to receive a 3rd round compensatory pick if the Jets sit on his contract this season and he signs elsewhere for 2014 the fact that Tampa appears willing to give some form of a first rounder and additional selections should make this trade executable. It isn’t as if he has multiple suitors for the asset who he can leverage against one another.

The longer this situation goes on, the more of a distraction it becomes, with Revis also reporting to camp (instead of nursing his ACL injury elsewhere) and rumours circulating about the various moving parts that could be involved in the trade. Most recently, incumbent starter Mark Sanchez. This element of the situation is another that the Jets seem to have handled poorly. Not orchestrating the trade expeditiously in the first place has allowed the rumours to come to light and while there have been numerous denials of his impending departure they’ve all been from a Tampa doesn’t want him perspective, rather than a we’re committed to Mark Sanchez perspective. This can’t feel good hanging over the head of an already underconfident starter on his first day of work.

At any rate, all three players remain on New York’s roster on a day when the team doesn’t need to be focusing their time training dead weight/players that won’t have an impact in the season to come and while there may be a number of reason’s for it GM John Idzik is starting to look like a guy who can’t get things done.