Rex Ryan learned a lot in his time with the Jets, including the important of partnering with a franchise that shares his vision, Albert Breer of NFL.com writes. “I’ve had six years of experience,” the Bills coach said. “So am I gonna be better now? Of course. You’re not gonna be worse by having experience. The other thing is understanding what’s important, because the second time, I was lucky — I got to choose where to go. The thing about that was, go to an organization where you see the direction, and it’s the same direction (you believe in).” Here’s more from around the NFL..
- NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith told Sal Paolantonio of ESPN that he believes that former Ravens running back Ray Rice is being blackballed from the game. “This, unfortunately, is a league that has a history of blackballing players. I find it hard to believe that a player of Mr. Rice’s caliber hasn’t at least gotten one offer from a team to come work out,” Smith said (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). While Smith is suggesting some kind of collusion against the troubled Rutgers product, it seems very possible that all 32 teams have independently decided that Rice is simply not worth the trouble.
- Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders doesn’t think that this will be Peyton Manning‘s last year in the NFL, Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “I think he’s got a lot left in the tank,” Sanders said Wednesday. “He’s wearing a glove and his spiral is back. He’s throwing a good ball. You can tell that the glove is helping him. He didn’t wear it this early last year. His arm is not a problem. His ball is accurate. I don’t see anything that says this is his last year.”
- Missouri lawmakers are challenging the authority of Gov. Jay Nixon and other officials to build a new stadium for the Rams, as Marie French of The Associated Press writes. “I want nothing more than for the Rams to stay,” said Rep. Rob Vescovo. “But I don’t think the governor has the authority to bury us under the additional debt without proper vetting.” The lawsuit filed by Vescovo and his associates asks the court to stop any further action by the governor and the authority immediately.
- Even after a forgettable season with the Jets, Michael Vick believes that he has more left in the tank, Ed Miller of The Virginian-Pilot writes. “I still feel like I can help a football team win a couple of games,” the soon-to-be 35-year-old said Wednesday. Vick reiterated his desire to play for three more years and pointed to last year’s performances against the Chiefs and Steelers as evidence that he’s still got it.
- Eleven teams are showing interest in West Georgia pass rusher Darrius Caldwell, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. We learned on Wednesday that Caldwell is entering his name in the supplemental draft.