Archives for January 12, 2015

‘The deal had not been signed as of Sunday night, a high-ranking Bills source said, but there was every expectation that would happen on Monday. There also was no time frame for a news conference introducing Ryan as the 18th coach in franchise history, although speculation has it happening within the next day or so.’

‘”He’s a guy that you just want to run through a brick wall for,” said Damien Woody, a center for the Jets from 2008 to 2010 and now an NFL analyst for ESPN. “I think Rex is one of the most unique coaches that I’ve ever been around. As a player, he has your back unequivocally. I’m a Rex Ryan supporter, through and through.”‘

‘Hiring Ryan restores a sense of credibility to a franchise that was staggered by its dysfunctional past, and the double body blows of their quarterback (Kyle Orton) and head coach walking out the door two days apart.’

‘God bless his soul, but Wilson’s one ongoing weakness during his nearly 5 1/2 decades of owning the Bills was his refusal to pay top dollar for the best coaches. Ralph usually paid his star players what they were worth, and if you look at the Bills’ salary cap through the years, the evidence is there. But coaches were a different story, and it never made sense.’

‘Looking ahead to 2015, there’s a good chance Hughes is going to sign elsewhere in free agency, unless the Bills decide to use the franchise tag. But even if Hughes moves on, the other three starters return, and it won’t be hard to find a replacement for Hughes because the other three automatically make that player better.’

‘Joe Vetere, an owner of Matthews East End Grill in Rochester, is a Jets fan. He thought Ryan’s “message” in New York City “got a little stale,” but he thinks the Bills would be making a good hire.’

‘The offer was made a day after the Bills identified Ryan as a finalist and met with him for a second time in South Florida, where new owners Terry and Kim Pegula live. Ryan was one of 12 candidates to interview for the job since last weekend.’

‘Roman has been San Francisco’s offensive coordinator since 2011 but his status has been in limbo with the 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh parting ways this offseason. Roman was also one of the 14 candidates that the Bills interviewed for the head coaching job. Despite reports that Ryan wanted former Bears head coach Marc Trestman as his offensive coordinator, Roman is one of the top offensive coordinator candidates on the market.’

‘One thing that was obvious during Ryan’s time in New York was that Jets players loved playing for him. Despite the fact that Ryan spent most of the season knowing he would be fired, the Jets played one of their best games of the season in their finale against the Miami Dolphins. At the very least, he’ll get players to play hard.’

‘Still, the logic doesn’t quite add up. If his six years with the Jets showed anything it was that Ryan needed to take a job with an established quarterback in place. The more he could focus on the defense and not have to worry about the offense, the better off he would be. That’s why the Atlanta Falcons job seemed so perfect. He could be closer to Clemson, where his son plays college football. Atlanta has Matt Ryan at quarterback and all the pieces for a successful offense, but they could use Rex’s defensive prowess.’

‘Excited about the hire of Rex!! Great coach to come in and keep us moving in the right direction!’

‘It’s not secret that the Buffalo Bills have a bit of a quarterback problem. With Kyle Orton retiring, EJ Manuel and Jeff Tuel are the only two quarterbacks on the Bills’ roster. Ryan never had much success finding or developing quarterbacks in New York and it ultimately did him in. His success or failure in Buffalo will likely be determined by whether he’s able to find the right guy under center.’

‘He has charisma – the guy could fit in at any local watering hole. He’s optimistic, and he seems to genuinely care about his players. The Jets drenched him with Gatorade after their finale this year, a win that gave them a 4-12 record. Twitter was littered with former players wishing him well after the news broke Sunday.’

‘”It’s a good feeling to know that Rex wanted to come to Buffalo,” Dunkirk’s Mike Green said. “Buffalo has been shunned by big-name coaches in past searches. Ryan had interest from other teams, but chose to come to a team that had uncertainty at the quarterback position and lacked a first-round pick in this year’s draft. It wasn’t for the money either. He would have been paid well to sign with a television network.”‘

‘With his trademark unrepentant swagger off the field as well as on, and a lunch-bucket mentality, Ryan should be a great fit in Buffalo.’