Archives for January 2015

‘”Dennis Thurman has been my right-hand man for a long time,” Ryan said. “We’ve been together I think for 12 years (going back to his days with the Baltimore Ravens). I think all through this process you’re seeing coaches get opportunities to be a head coach and Dennis Thurman will be at the top of the list in a very short time. It won’t just be talking about my defense or whatever. This has been Dennis Thurman’s defense, as well as mine, for years.”‘

‘However, he did lead the Bills to nine victories in 2014, the most since Mike Mularkey – who also quit on the Bills after his second year at the helm – did that in 2004. Buffalo was in the playoff hunt until a disastrous Week 16 loss at Oakland, and Marrone deserves credit for keeping the team on task through the ownership transition, and of course the historic snowstorm that displaced the Bills for nearly a week and cost them a home game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘”I wasn’t going to be a coordinator again,” Ryan said. “I was either going to be a head coach in the right place or I was definitely interested in doing the TV thing instead of being a coordinator. But I was very honest and up front. I wanted to be a head coach in the league again but it had to be a good situation. I wasn’t just going to take any job. And when the Bills offered me that opportunity to be the head coach I jumped on it.”‘

‘Aprill III will coach linebackers for the Bills after spending the last two years in the same position with the Jets. Dunbar will coach the defensive line after serving in the same role for Jets the last three seasons. McDonald (defensive backs) and Weeks (assistant defensive line coach) round out the Bills’ defensive coaching staff. Donnie Henderson will stay on board with the Bills as co-defensive backs coach.’

‘If you were marking a notebook with asterisks for every poignant quote from Ryan, your notebook would have looked more like the MLB record book by the time you were done. In less than an hour, Ryan churned out more interesting quotes and answers than his predecessor Doug Marrone did his entire time in Buffalo.’

‘”Let’s look at it this way: I last saw my daughter in 2014,” Whaley said Wednesday. “Dec. 31 2014. Since then I’ve spent every single day with the Pegulas and Russ until yesterday. It was an incredible bonding experience. I think we got a feel for how everybody operates, them for us and us for them. It’s something I wasn’t planning on doing, but I think we made the best out of the situation.”‘

‘True, the Bills-following community has caught some big waves before, only to see them crash down. Remember all the hoopla and dreams of the promised land surrounding the big trade for Drew Bledsoe?’

Rex Ryan takes NY Jets assistant coaches with him to Buffalo Bills (New York Daily News)

Rex Ryan needs Bills to win or he may lose it all (New York Daily News)

With Chan Gailey running offense, NY Jets could be the right fit for C.J. Spiller (New York Daily News)

Rex Ryan officially adds 7 ex-Jets assistants to Buffalo Bills’ staff (Newark Star Ledger)

Defensive coaches following their leader (Bergen Record)

‘Under Thurman, the Jets defense finished sixth in yards allowed in the NFL last season, and 11th in 2013.’

‘Bobby April III (linebackers), Karl Dunbar (defensive line), Tim McDonald (defensive backs), Jason Oszvart (strength and conditioning assistant), Eric Smith (special teams assistant), Tony Sparano Jr. (tight ends) and Jeff Weeks (assistant defensive line) were also hired by the Bills on Thursday.’

‘Thurman joins new Bills coach Rex Ryan, under whom Thurman was defensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2013-14. Thurman also coached defensive backs for the Jets from 2009 to 2012.’

‘ April spent the past two seasons working with the Jets linebackers. Under April III’s guidance, Calvin Pace recorded his first career double-digit sack season in 2013 when he tallied 10 quarterback takedowns.’

‘Along with Thurman, seven other assistant will re-join Ryan with the Bills for the 2015 NFL season.’

‘Bobby April III, Karl Dunbar, Tim McDonald, Jason Oszvart, Eric Smith, Tony Sparano, Jr. and Jeff Weeks have been hired to the coaching staff as assistants.’

‘Thurman will enter his 16th year in the NFL coaching ranks in 2015 and third as a defensive coordinator. He served in the same capacity with the New York Jets from 2013-14 after coaching the defensive backs from 2009-12. While coordinator, he oversaw a defense that finished in the top five against the run in both years.’