With Rex Ryan back on the job market, here are five NFL teams who should hire him.
The Rex Ryan era in Buffalo has come to an abrupt end. It started with a lot of hope that the Ryan brothers could potentially turn the team into a competitive one. However, Buffalo got tired of his antics and his lack of results, so he’s once again on the job market.
It’s hard to imagine anyone giving Ryan a head coaching job at this point in the NFL. His reputation as a head coach has been stomped on and temporarily destroyed. In order to rebuild it, Ryan will likely have to go back to his roots and be a defensive coordinator. Say what you want about him, but Rex has the innate ability to coach the heck out of a defense.
Several teams will likely come calling, so Ryan will be able to pick and choose where he goes. Here are five potential teams for the former Bills coach in 2017.
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5. New England Patriots
This is by far the longest shot. However, the New England Patriots might have a need for Ryan. New England has gotten lucky, being able to keep Matt Patricia as their defensive coordinator since 2012. Typically, the Patriots value stability and familiarity, often hiring either from within or, in the case of Josh McDaniels, people who Bill Belchick is familiar with. He’s sure familiar with Ryan, though their relationship is awkward, to say the least.
Ryan would certainly find the Patriots job intriguing, assuming Patricia gets a head coaching job. If he wants to rebuild his reputation, there’s perhaps no better place to do it than New England. Of course, this would involve Ryan tossing his ego aside. It would go against everything he stands for, but maybe he’d be willing to play nice for a season or two if he wants another head coaching job.
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4. San Diego Chargers
Rex Ryan would definitely make sense for the San Diego Chargers. After another disappointing season, including having one of the worst scoring defenses in the NFL (26.9 points allowed per game), changes are probably coming. John Pagano, the current Chargers defensive coordinator, has been around since 2012. Maybe he’s the next guy to go. San Diego’s defense has talent, but someone has to deploy them correctly. Ryan has proven he’s efficient as a defensive coordinator.
He doesn’t do a lot of things well, but throughout his career, Ryan has done an at worst above average job of utilizing his defensive players correctly. With the Baltimore Ravens, Ryan turned Adalius Thomas into a multi-million dollar man. He did it with countless others as well.
Ryan can also get after the quarterback well. Having Joey Bosa at his disposal could be quite tempting for the former Bills head coach. In the AFC West, you have to be able to attack the quarterback. Ryan would strengthen a pass rush that, as of Dec. 27, is 12th in the NFL with 34 sacks.
San Diego makes sense for him because he could be one and done there. Gary Kubiak was able to do it with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. It’s not outside the realm of possibility to see Rex Ryan do so with the Chargers in 2017.
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3. Oakland Raiders
After over a decade of mediocrity, the Oakland Raiders have their swagger back. There’s just one issue. Their pass rush is a significant weakness, as their 25 sacks are the third fewest in the NFL. It’s even worse once you realize Khalil Mack has 11 of them, representing nearly half of the team’s total sacks.
Ken Norton hasn’t done a terrible job with the Raiders, but if Oakland’s going all in, they have to move on. It’s not just their pass rush struggling, either. Oakland ranks in the bottom half of the league in points allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game, rushing yards allowed per game and total yards allowed per game. Granted, their defense is a work in progress, but Norton simply isn’t getting the job done. With a stronger defense, the Raiders could easily be Super Bowl favorites entering 2017.
Rex Ryan’s personality fits in perfectly with Oakland. Just imagine Marquette King and him together. That’s enough ego to take on any team. The Raiders defense lacks confidence and experience. Ryan would at least help them with the confidence part. It remains to be seen if his brother Rob will be a part of the deal, but he probably won’t be. If the Raiders want to win, they should hire Rex Ryan for a year and let him rebuild his reputation.
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2. Detroit Lions
Much like the New England Patriots, the Detroit Lions could be losing their defensive coordinator to another team. Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin interviewed with several teams last season for their respective head coaching vacancies. Usually that’s a sign they aren’t too far away from getting a job as head coach. Depending on how the offseason plays out, Rex Ryan might be a great fit in Detroit.
Assuming Austin does go elsewhere, he will leave the Lions in pretty good shape defensively. However, they struggle mightily on the pass rush, as their 25 sacks through Week 16 have them tied for the third-fewest in the NFL with the Raiders. Enter the mad genius of the blitz Rex Ryan. He would whip them into shape and help them craft some schemes to get after Aaron Rodgers and company.
The only question is would the typically reserved Jim Caldwell want to bring an undeniably polarizing figure onto his coaching staff. Loud and brash didn’t work for Detroit with Jim Schwartz, so the Lions might understandably be a bit reserved to hire Ryan. However, the former Bills head coach presents a lot of reward with not too much risk. He’d be a great fit with the Lions and he could help make them a great team instead of just a good one.
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1. Baltimore Ravens
Sometimes it’s best to go back to your roots. Rex Ryan got his start with the Baltimore Ravens. He served as defensive coordinator for one year under head coach John Harbaugh. The two had a bit of an interesting relationship, especially since Ryan felt Harbaugh took his job. But it worked very well for both parties before Rex departed for the New York Jets. So why not go back to what works?
This would require Ryan to become quite humble, which might not be possible right now. But if he’s willing to behave himself, the Ravens would probably like to have him back. Baltimore’s defense has been very good this season, but their pass rush has been stagnant. The Ravens’ 30 sacks put them tied for the ninth-fewest sacks in the NFL.
Dean Pees has been around for a while. So if Baltimore isn’t going to fire Harbaugh, Pees could be a guy who gets replaced. Whether it’s fair or not, the front office is going to want to see change and they’re already going to after to find a new offensive coordinator. Why not start fresh with a new defensive coordinator as well?
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