Ex-New York Jets HC Rex Ryan in Buffalo, Would Denver Had Been Better?
By Joe Pietaro
The NFL coaching carousel has been quite active since the end of the regular season. A number of teams decided to part ways with their field bosses, the New York Jets included. Rex Ryan actually ended up being the top name on the open market (how ironic is that?) and had several suitors. But perhaps he should have stayed patient at least for one more day before committing to the Buffalo Bills, especially since the Denver Broncos job became available.
Ryan was said to be favoring the Atlanta Falcons, a franchise that he interviewed with that has a decent offense but needed a kick in the ass defensively. Ryan seemed to be a perfect fit with his knowledge on the defensive side of the ball, but owner Arthur Blank apparently had other ideas.
Even when Ryan was being wooed by the Bills and returned for a second interview up in western New York, Blank held fast. So the former Jets head coach agreed to a three-year contract worth somewhere in the area of $16 million on Monday.
New Bills owner Terry Pegula commented on the hiring:
"Following an extensive search, we are pleased today to announce that Rex Ryan is our new head coach. Rex brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position that we feel will be a tremendous benefit to our players and the entire Bills organization. He was very impressive during the interview process, as were many of the candidates to which we spoke, and we feel Rex is the best fit for our team."
But when the Indianapolis Colts ousted the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round on Sunday, many questions were being asked about the future of quarterback Peyton Manning and head coach John Fox. Would either or both return in 2015? One of those questions was answered when the front office and Fox mutually agreed to part ways.
So when you take it on face value, the Broncos may have one more title run in them if Manning plays next year. The Bills? They have a quarterback situation worse than the one Ryan just left behind with the Jets. EJ Manuel – like his fellow second-year player Geno Smith – has been disappointing and it is anyone’s guess it he will be able to bounce back after being relegated to the bench while journeyman Kyle Orton (who has since retired) led the Bills to a surprising 9-7 record and a second place finish in the AFC East
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But on the bright side, they have skill players in the backfield and the wide receiving corps and can settle for a stopgap quarterback if Manuel doesn’t show the promise he did to deserve being drafted in the first round. Defensively, the Bills are already extremely strong and can be a powerhouse under Ryan’s tutelage.
As a matter of fact, the Bills are much better off with Ryan at the helm than they were with Doug Marrone, whose decision to opt out of his contract appears to be blowing up in his face.
But is Ryan better off with the Bills as opposed to a possible job with the Broncos? We will never know the answer to that question.