Dec 29, 2014; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery addresses the media after his services with the team were terminated at Halas Hall. The Bears also dismissed head coach Marc Trestman (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears
The Bears would be a solid fit for Ryan because their offense right now is a strength. They had more talent this season at the skill positions than Ryan had during his whole tenure with the Jets. Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett make up a talented group that any head coach would love to get their hands on. Ryan would just have to find someone capable of getting the most out of them and whoever the quarterback may be.
The problem with the Bears is their defense, which has become a sieve in recent seasons. A once daunting unit has become a laughing stock of sorts, as they ranked 30th in the NFL in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed in 2014. Those are numbers that would assuredly be improved upon with Ryan at the helm, as he is widely regarded as one of the best defensive minds in the game. For a team looking to turn around what used to be a top defense, there aren’t many better options.
The only question mark with the Bears right now is the quarterback position. Jay Cutler was a disaster in 2014 after signing a massive contract prior to the season beginning. Ryan is not known for his work with quarterbacks, so taking a job with such a big question mark there may not be something he wants. But with Forte in the backfield, Ryan would probably be able to use the same game plan he did when he took the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship games; use the quarterback as more of a game-manager while relying heavily on the ground game and defense..