Rex Ryan - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Links: Ryan, Idzik, Decker, Casserly

December 27th, 2014 at 3:18pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jets head coach Rex Ryan has cleaned out his office at One Jets Drive, reports Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. With the team set to finish the season no better than 4-12, most fans and pundits believe that it will be Ryan’s last game with New York.

Team owner Woody Johnson has hired Charlie Casserly to serve as a consultant, likely in an effort to help him to hire replacements for both Ryan and general manager John Idzik.

Here are some other notes from around Jets camp:

While Ryan has already cleaned out his office, many of his players are still giving their full support and effort to their head coach, reports Kimberly Martin of Newsday. One of his newest additions, Percy Harvin, was adamant about how much he likes playing for Ryan. “I love him. I loved him before I got here and I’m that much more in love with him now that I’m here,’‘ said Harvin. “I don’t think anybody in this locker room has anything negative to say about Coach. That’s why you see guys still playing hard these last few games, still giving their all for Coach. He’s a players’ coach and definitely a guy you want to play for.”
Idzik could very well be joining Ryan in packing up his stuff, and if he does get fired, he will have his 8-8 2013 to blame, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Fitzgerald surmises that the surprise 8-8 season is more damaging than a three-win 2014 campaign because it elevated and highlighted Ryan’s gifts at a coach to take a bad roster to the brink of playoff contention, and it blurred the line between whether Ryan or Idzik was more to blame for the lack of success, and cost Idzik a chance at a high draft pick and a new coach this past offseason.
If Casserly has been contacting potential coach and general manager candidates, he may have committed tampering, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. He notes that the league has made no comment about the situation or the conflict of interest, as Casserly sits on the Career Development Advisory Panel. Florio’s source tells him that Casserly is calling about candidates, not contacting them directly. The influence Casserly has from sitting on that panel could be invaluable, and is considered a rare genius move by Florio.
This Sunday’s game against the Dolphins could be the last in green for a few of the Jets’ veteran player, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Some players who may not be back include Michael Vick, Willie Colon, Dawan Landry, Bilal Powell, and David Harris. Cimini also writes that Harvin, Chris Johnson, and Calvin Pace could be cap casualties this offseason.
Although Eric Decker will be missing the playoffs for only the second time in his NFL career after signing with the Jets this past offseason, he has no regrets about the decision, according to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “I don’t have any regrets. When I made my decision to come to New York I wholeheartedly felt it was the best decision,’’ Decker said. “Even though the record is not the same and the stats aren’t the same [as they were in Denver], I still believe that my purpose is to be here. I believe there is a greater plan for me. I realize that is probably hard to see that in the moment.’’

Jets Reaching Out To GM, Head Coach Candidates

December 27th, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Ben Levine

10:25am: Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News disputes the report (all via Twitter), saying Casserly’s work has not been on behalf of the Jets. The writer notes that Casserly has been researching head coaching candidates as a member of the league’s “career development advisory panel,” which includes “exploring contract language” for at least one college coach.

8:11am: It seemed inevitable that change was coming in the Jets organization, and it appears like those moves will happen very soon. NJ.com’s Dom Cosentino reports that Charley Casserly, a newly-hired consultant to Jets owner Woody Johnson, has been reaching out to potential head coach and general manager candidates. Cosentino notes that both Rex Ryan and John Idzik are expected to be fired this weekend, and he adds that the current head coach has already cleaned out his office.

This matches up with the quotes from the New York Posts’ Bart Hubbuch, who claimed Ryan was addressing his job in the past tense during yesterday’s press conference.

“You do this to win it all, and there is no doubt about that,” Ryan said. “So obviously, I have come up short there that way. As far as all of the other stuff is concerned, I came in and I wanted to give a different identity to this team and I think we did accomplish that.”

As Cosentino observes, the situation is similar to 2013, when Ryan had discovered that Idzik was exploring potential head coach candidates. Ryan and the Jets ultimately finished the season with two straight wins, and the head coach kept his job. It doesn’t seem like we’re heading for any repeats this time around, considering the Jets can’t finish any better than 4-12 (the 2013 Jets finished 8-8).

Casserly was the former general manager in Washington and Houston, and he’s spent the last couple of years on the NFL Network. The team was rumored to be seeking Casserly’s guidance earlier this week.

AFC East Notes: Spikes, Ryan, Tannehill

December 25th, 2014 at 1:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Brandon Spikes‘ four-year tenure with the Patriots came to an end this past offseason, and the linebacker ended up joining the division-rival Bills. Besides his production (Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics rank him as the 12-best inside linebacker), coach Doug Marrone has also been happy with Spikes’ “positive influence.”

“He’s really done a great job for us,” Marrone said (via Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com). “In the locker room, on the field. Helped some of our younger linebackers with Preston Brown and Nigel Bradham playing with Kiko (Alonso) being out. Just helping them, learning how to be a pro, watching film doing those things. He had an outstanding offseason, he was here throughout the whole offseason I think that was important. He was everything we expected him to be.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC East…

Rex Ryan’s tenure with the Jets is likely coming to a close, and Kevin Kernan of the New York Post says the next organization to sign the coach will not be making a mistake. Ryan talked to the media yesterday, revealing the lessons he learned from this season. “That I pretty much can handle anything,’’ he said. “I’m proud of the fact that our guys stayed the course. But it’s been a little humbling to say the least, only winning three games. That’s never happened to me before.”
We learned yesterday that Jets quarterback Geno Smith intended to be his team’s leader for “a long time.” Of course, the second-year pro wasn’t done there. “I see myself helping this team turn things around,” Smith said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). “Obviously, I’m part of the reason why we’re in this position, so I’d love to be part of the solution.”
While we’ve heard plenty of quotes to suggest Smith is confident, Brian Costello of the New York Post had a quote that suggested the Jets quarterback is also accountable. “I underachieved this year,” Smith told the reporter.
The Dolphins will soon need to make a decision on quarterback Ryan Tannehill‘s 2016 option, and the decision will likely show whether the Dolphins believe in the former first-rounder as their future signal-caller. For what it’s worth, Tannehill thought he had one of his best seasons in 2014. “I feel like I’m better all-around,” Tannehill said (via ESPN.com’s James Walker). “I think I’ve grown throughout the season and gotten better each week. The guys around me have been playing well at the same time. When the whole offense elevates its play, it’s easy to get better.”

Coaching Rumors: Raiders, Harbaugh, Jets

December 24th, 2014 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NFL will celebrate Christmas tomorrow, but a more noteworthy “holiday” looms for a number of coaches and club executives, with Black Monday right around the corner. Here’s the latest on a handful of coaches and coaching situations across the league:

Having recently spoken to Raiders owner Mark Davis, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says the team has yet to conduct any interviews for potential head coaches yet, adding that the process will likely get underway next Monday and Tuesday (Twitter links).
Jim Harbaugh figures to draw interest from the Raiders, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report hears from several team officials that there’s still “great interest” in the 49ers’ head coach. However, Freeman cautions that interest has decreased slightly, as teams have done their homework on Harbaugh. While his coaching talent isn’t being questioned, clubs may be wary of Harbaugh’s “tendency to burn out people around him quickly,” writes Freeman. The Bleacher Report scribe adds that sources view Harbaugh’s odds of landing with an NFL team vs. coaching at the University of Michigan as a 50/50 proposition.
Clarifying a report from last night, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets haven’t actually reached out to Ron Wolf about a consulting role yet, but Charley Casserly has. Mehta adds that there’s a “growing sense” that general manager John Idzik and head coach Rex Ryan will both be let go at season’s end.
Speaking of Ryan, the current Jets coach may be out of work a week from now, but he still believes he’ll eventually win a Super Bowl as a head coach, as Dan Martin of the New York Post details.

AFC Notes: Jets, Philbin, Tannehill, Sparano

December 22nd, 2014 at 1:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Jets have hired NFL Network analyst and former general manager Charlie Casserly as a consultant, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Owner Woody Johnson brought in Casserly as a football mind as an offseason approaches that could see the team potentially firing head coach Rex Ryan as well as general manager John Idzik.

Casserly has previous experience as the general manager in Washington and for the Houston Texans.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Dolphins‘ head coach Joe Philbin got the vote of confidence from owner Stephen Ross yesterday, and will be returning to the team in 2015. At the same time, Philbin has declined to offer the same guarantee to his coaching staff, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Philbin did not say whether or not he planned on bringing back his coordinators for another season. It does appear that general manager Dennis Hickey will be back with the team though, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
At one point early this season, Ryan Tannehill‘s future with the Dolphins was uncertain. Things have changed since then, and Tannehill has solidified himself as the franchise quarterback in Miami, write James Walker of ESPN.com. The team will now likely exercise his fifth-year option, which was not a given before the season.
Raiders‘ interim head coach Tony Sparano would like the word “interim” removed from his title, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Many of his players agree that he has earned a chance at the job for real. Defensive end Antonio Smith, quarterback Derek Carr, and safety Charles Woodson all came out in support of their current leader. The Raiders are rumored to be interested in Jim Harbaugh for their head coaching job next season.

AFC East Notes: Ryan, Philbin, Patriots

December 19th, 2014 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

As one of the AFC East’s most explosive offensive playmakers returns to active duty, let’s take a look at what else is happening around the division….

Sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter links) that current Jets coach Rex Ryan is viewed as a natural fit for the Falcons’ head coaching job, if the team decides to part ways with Mike Smith. Atlanta needs to upgrade its defense, and Ryan interviewed with the club in 2008.
Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin is on the hot seat in Miami, but Cole (Twitter link) points to one potential roadblock to the team making a change — owner Stephen Ross likes and respects Philbin a lot, and would like to establish continuity for the franchise. If the Dolphins take care of business in their final two home games against the Vikings and Jets, it seems possible that Philbin will get another year in Miami, though that’s just my speculation.
By playing in his 15th game for the Patriots this Sunday, cornerback Darrelle Revis will earn the remained of his $500K roster bonus, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com also has a Patriots-related contract note, tweeting that tight end Steve Maneri‘s deal with the club is just a one-year contract through 2014. Reiss views the signing as insurance for the postseason at an important position.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Revis, Bills

December 11th, 2014 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

Jets owner Woody Johnson says he has yet to make up his mind about the respective futures of head coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik in New York, and a source confirms to Gary Myers of the New York Daily News that indeed seems to be the case. However, in Myers’ view, it sounds as if the disappointed owner is set to make some major changes at season’s end.

“This is a results-oriented business,” Johnson said. “You try to put a package together to help you right the ship. We evaluate everybody. Everybody in football is evaluated. It’s going to happen at the end of the year, that’s the way we normally do it. That’s the way most teams do it.”

Ryan has long been considered a good bet to be fired, but it’s not clear yet whether Idzik will receive another year to try to right the ship in New York. As we wait to see what Johnson decides, let’s check in on a few other items out of the AFC East….

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has some suggestions for how Johnson can fix the Jets, suggesting the owner install a personnel man at GM and hire an offensive-minded head coach.
Darrelle Revis is getting rave reviews during his first season with the Patriots, but if the team hopes to keep him beyond 2015, he won’t come cheaply. Christopher Price of WEEI.com tries to get a handle on what an extension for Revis might look like, estimating that the standout cornerback could be worth $12-14MM annually, with a big chunk of guaranteed money.
Jets running back Chris Johnson has had this weekend’s game against the Titans circled on his calendar for months, and says he wants to “go out there and tear it up and show ’em what they missed out on” when they cut him in the offseason (link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
Examining potential suitors for Robert Griffin III, Matt Williamson of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) suggests the Bills and Jets would both be logical fits as trade partners for Washington.
Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon auditioned for the Bills this week, per Wilson (via Twitter).

Best Fits For Rex Ryan

December 6th, 2014 at 8:28pm CST by Rob DiRe

Rex Ryan is as good as doomed as Jets‘ head coach as far as the New York media is concerned, and reports of his tenure ending have been numerous during the team’s 2-10 start to the season.

The Jets might already have their focus elsewhere in their coaching search, but Ryan will not have a hard time finding new employment himself. If the Falcons head coaching position becomes available, Ryan could find a perfect landing spot in Atlanta, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

First of all, this would be contingent on Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank deciding to fire head coach Mike Smith at the end of the season. The team has been tremendously disappointing at 5-7, but could still win the NFC South. It is uncertain of whether that would save his job, and Mehta writes that it wouldn’t, but the general mood surrounding Smith is that the team and fan base is unhappy with the job he has done this season.

Falcons’ general manager Thomas Dimitroff actually interviewed Ryan for the job back in 2008 before eventually hiring Smith. Mehta writes that sources say Ryan was the leading candidate prior to Dimitroff being hired as general manager.

“Arthur wants a tougher team,” according to one of Mehta’s sources. “He wants guys that have an edge to them.”

Ryan could have a myriad of options, and Mehta believes that Dolphins‘ owner Stephen Ross loves Ryan, and could consider making a change should the Dolphins miss the playoffs again this year (via Twitter).

Mehta writes that Ryan would consider any head coaching vacancies, but would elect to take a big money TV deal over becoming a defensive coordinator (via Twitter).

A poll here on Pro Football Rumors from October 18th asked our readers where Ryan would be employed in 2015. The Falcons and Dolphins head coaching jobs received about 9% and 4%. Of course, the readers gave Ryan a 13% chance of staying with the Jets, which would be an unlikely number if the vote was taken again today. Still, almost 39% of the votes went to Ryan being on television in 2015, and according to Mehta, that seems like a real possibility.

Coach Notes: Jets, Trestman, Coughlin

December 6th, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Ben Levine

Jets coach Rex Ryan intended to talk to the media on Friday about this team’s matchup with the Vikings. Instead, he addressed rumors that he had considered firing offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

“I would deny that, 100 percent I’ll deny that, that I’m looking to fire Marty or anybody,” Ryan said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “You know we challenge each other all the time. … I don’t know where it’s coming from. So to me I think it’s a complete bogus deal. So, I’m not saying it wasn’t said by somebody, but it certainly wasn’t said by me or thought by me.”

Let’s take a look at some more rumblings out of the NFL front offices, including whispers about coaches potentially on the hot seat…

There has been plenty of finger-pointing in New York regarding the issues surrounding the Jets, and Ryan, Mornhinweg and general manager John Idzik have faced their fair share of criticism. Bart Hubbach of the New York Post believes one member of the organization has unfairly gone unscathed: owner Woody Johnson.
While the Bears‘ season certainly hasn’t gone as planned, it doesn’t look like the team will endure any drastic changes. John Mullin of CSNChicago.com appeared on ProFootballTalk Live and stated his belief that head coach Marc Trestman is safe (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com), noting that firing the coach would be an admission of failure by general manager Phil Emery.
Meanwhile, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times believes the Bears need to make major changes. However, based on the team’s moves in previous years, the team will be apprehensive about making any drastic moves.
Dan Graziano is unsure what the Giants will do with head coach Tom Coughlin, but he believes there’s a chance that the team could be grooming offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo for the role.

East Notes: Bennett, Kelly, Giants, Jets

December 2nd, 2014 at 8:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Bears tight end Martellus Bennett looks back on his time with the Cowboys and is very glad about how things have turned out since then, writes Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News. “It just came down to opportunities and being in the right situation and being around people who accept me for who I am and allowed me to be myself and not try to change me as a person and just understand that is just who I am and I love playing football,” he said. “I am at a stage of my life where I feel I don’t have to play football to be successful. But I just love playing football.” More from the East divisions..

There has been talk of the University of Florida going after Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) sees his price tag as prohibitive. Kelly would probably require upwards of $6MM per year, and he already has that in his current deal with Philly.
The Giants‘ addition of running back Chris Ogbonnaya likely indicates that the team has doubts about Rashad Jennings‘ availability this week, tweets Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants have placed a jaw-dropping 20 players on IR this year.
Jets coach Rex Ryan will probably be fired in a matter of weeks, but it sounds like he’ll be just fine. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that a multi-million dollar TV offer was being readied for the outspoken coach around this time last year, before Jets owner Woody Johnson decided to keep him for another following year. Industry sources recently told Richard Deitsch of SI.com that Ryan would make $3MM-$5MM if he decided to go to TV.
The Jets auditioned kicker Andrew Furney, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The audition for Furney, who was in camp with the Jets, could be in response to Nick Folk‘s injury.