Rex Ryan - Pro Football Rumors

East Rumors: Giants, Taylor, Rex, Patriots

August 15th, 2015 at 9:28am CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants‘ already-thin secondary worsened after their first preseason clash on Friday, with four defensive backs lost to injuries.

While Landon Collins‘ leg injury is considered minor, fellow rookie safety Mykkele Thompson‘s is not. The 2015 fifth-rounder is expected to miss the rest of the season after what is believed to be an Achilles’ tendon tear, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

“Big concern” is the phrase Tom Coughlin used in describing Thompson’s outlook. Thompson represented much-needed depth for Big Blue’s back line, making his way onto the Giants’ second team at strong safety behind converted cornerback Bennett Jackcson. Sixth-year veteran Jeromy Miles resides as the Giants’ third-string strong safety presently.

Jayron Hosley and Trumaine McBride also left the game, but their setbacks aren’t expected to be regular-season-altering.

As the first full weekend of 2015 NFL action continues, let’s look at some news coming out of the Eastern divisions, continuing in Buffalo.

Tyrod Taylor‘s push for becoming the least-likely Week 1 starting quarterback in the league received a boost after his Bills debut, with Rex Ryan announcing the former Virginia Tech product will start in Buffalo’s next preseason game — Thursday against the Browns — per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. While this comes in an attempt to give the one-time sixth-round pick a shot against a starting defense, as Taylor flashed his “excellent” speed against the Panthers’ second-stringers, it doesn’t cement a Taylor ascent. Matt Cassel started in the Bills’ first preseason tilt, with EJ Manuel doing so in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage.
Ryan saw his exit from New Jersey coming entering his sixth and final season there, according to an upcoming Real Sports segment with Andrea Kremer (per Brian Costello of the New York Post), with the current Bills coach knowing the Jets were going to “stink” after not doing much in free agency last year. “100 percent I knew I was done,” Ryan told Kremer. “… (Jets owner Woody Johnson) couldn’t [keep me]. There’s no chance that he could have brought in another GM and kept me again. It wouldn’t have worked in New York, they weren’t going to allow it. The media wouldn’t allow it; it wasn’t going to work.“
Many NFL owners will be upset if Roger Goodell loses in the Deflategate saga, offers CSNNE.com’s Gary Tanguay. “I think this is personal,” Tanguay said. “I think there are some owners, for whatever reason, want to get at Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization. I think they sent Goodell to be their whipping boy. The way the NFL has looked so far, they’ve looked so bad even though I think the Patriots are guilty, if Goodell loses this, he will take heat from the owners.”

Extra Points: J. Thomas, Chargers, Rex, Jets

August 14th, 2015 at 9:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look around the league as preseason action continues on this Friday evening…

Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas fractured a finger during tonight’s preseason game against the Steelers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It doesn’t sound like he’ll miss any regular season action, however, as Rapoport says the hope is the injury will affect Thomas — Jacksonville’s top free agent addition — “minimally.”
More injury news, this time out of San Diego, where head coach Mike McCoy confirms to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter) that guard Johnnie Troutman (broken arm) and linebacker Tourek Williams (broken foot) “will be out for some time.” However, the club doesn’t plan to place either player on injured reserve at this time.
Former Jets — and current Bills — head coach Rex Ryan blames the media for his firing, telling Andrea Kremer of HBO that he and Jets owner Woody Johnson‘s friendship couldn’t overcome pressure from the outside. “We talk like brothers. I know Woody never wanted to fire me,” Ryan said. “I could’ve been his coach for 20 years, that’s what Woody wanted. There’s no question Woody wanted that.”
On the subject of the Bills claiming linebacker IK Enemkpali (who broke Jets QB Geno Smith‘s jaw), Jets guard Willie Colon wasn’t surprised. “Rex is Rex,” Colon told Brian Costello of the New York Post. Colon played under Ryan from 2013-14.

AFC East Notes: Wilkerson, Collins, Bills

May 6th, 2015 at 9:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan told ESPN 98.7FM that he’d “like to keep” Muhammad Wilkerson in the organization and added that the drafting of Leonard Williams “doesn’t really impact Mo,” according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Maccagnan added that Wilkerson’s name “comes up periodically” in talks with other teams, but he’s not shopping him (link).
Bills coach Rex Ryan did his best to downplay his interaction with LSU tackle La’el Collins earlier this week, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. “I did have dinner with him. That’s really the extent of it,” the normally verbose coach told reporters.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter) spoke to multiple players regarding the Wells Report and found that there’s a general indifference towards it because the Patriots won the Super Bowl and that’s not going to be stripped from them.
Alex Carrington‘s one-year deal with the Bills calls for him to earn a $745K base and an $80K signing bonus, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll count for $665K against the cap thanks to the minimum salary benefit.

Bills, Dolphins Meeting With La’el Collins

May 4th, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Zachary Links

9:34pm: The Dolphins also have a meeting scheduled with Collins, according to Ben Wallace of The Advocate. Collins is represented by Priority Sports, which is the firm that current Dolphins football operations czar Mike Tannenbaum previously worked for.

8:59pm: Bills coach Rex Ryan met with former LSU tackle La’el Collins Monday night in Baton Rouge, Chad Sabadie of WVUE-Fox 8 tweets. The meeting was not cleared through Collins’ reps, as Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com write.

Collins, of course, is facing a very uncertain future after his situation caused him to slide out of the first round and the draft altogether. Just days ago, Bills GM Doug Whaley said his club wouldn’t consider Collins as a UDFA, calling the entire situation “too cloudy” right now. Now, it appears that there has been a change in thinking in the Bills’ front office. Or, it’s possible that Ryan is thinking about signing Collins and hoping to convince the rest of Buffalo’s braintrust.

Prior to his murky predicament coming to light, Collins was widely viewed as a player who would come off the board within the top 15 picks. The fact that Collins proceeded to go undrafted on day two is an indicator that teams are wary of taking on character or potential legal risks in the new NFL. Collins might have been taken as a flier on day three, but Collins’ agent threatened a holdout if a team were to do that.

Collins’ camp was hoping to either enter the tackle in this year’ supplemental draft or next year’s NFL draft, but the former request was denied and the latter will not be permitted either.

AFC Notes: Jennings, Smith, Texans

March 31st, 2015 at 10:27pm CST by Zachary Links

As the coach of the Bills, Rex Ryan finds himself interacting with the team’s decision-makers in ways that he rarely did with the Jets over the last couple of years, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. There’s no hidden agendas or anything else,” Ryan said. “This is who we are, this is what we want, and there isn’t anybody in this organization that doesn’t want anything other than building a championship team.” Here’s more from the AFC..

Greg Jennings has been connected to the Raiders thanks to his relationship with GM Reggie McKenzie and the team’s need for a wide receiver, but there has been no word of any interest on that front, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweets. On Twitter earlier tonight, Jennings indicated that he’ll disclose his next team at midnight CT. The Panthers, Jaguars, and Dolphins have all been linked to the former Viking.
The Texans are now in discussions with versatile defensive lineman Antonio Smith, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle previously reported that Houston had interest in a reunion. Smith, 33, was released by the Raiders on Tuesday afternoon. Things could move quickly between Smith and Houston, Rapoport adds.
Smith wouldn’t be returning to the role he previously played for the Texans, which was being a starting defensive end, opposite J.J. Watt. A year later, however, he could be more amenable to that sub-package role in which Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel would like to use him, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com writes. She adds that Smith has an affinity for Houston, which could help pave the way for him to return as a third-down pass-rusher.
While the Chiefs could create $5.2MM in cap savings by releasing linebacker Derrick Johnson, team chairman Clark Hunt doesn’t expect the veteran to go anywhere, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. “There will be a point in time where we address [his contract],” Hunt said. “But it just hasn’t been germane to this point.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Links: Browns, Phillips, Williams, Jets

January 23rd, 2015 at 10:37pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo did not study quarterback Johnny Manziel before accepting the position in Cleveland, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

“I’ll be honest with you. I’m going to be flat out honest with you because it’s the only way I know how to be. I have not. I’ve not watched the games from last year with Johnny. Obviously, I studied Johnny coming out of college and spent some time with Johnny,” said DeFilippo. “I wouldn’t say it was a lot of time, but I spent some time with Johnny. He flew out to Oakland and spent a day with him. Can you get an overview on a guy in one day? No, but you can get a grasp of what he thinks and how he’s feeling and those things. I got along with Johnny when we met with him, but I can’t tell you that I’ve watched the games yet. No, I have not.”

This could mean DeFilippo is not convinced that Manziel will be the quarterback of the future in Cleveland. That point is only further confirmed when he admitted during his pressure that the quarterback situation is still in flux. “We’re not sure if our starting quarterback is in the building right now or not,” said DeFilippo. “If he is that’s great. If he’s not, that’s great too.”

Here are some more links from around the AFC:

The Browns are pursuing former journeyman quarterback Steve Walsh to be their new quarterbacks coach, writes Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1. Walsh has been coaching high school football for the past six years, but has turned down a number of opportunities to coach at a higher level.
The Broncos are still looking for a defensive coordinator, and one possibility could be former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, writes Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Phillips served as the Texans defensive coordinator for three years under new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, and the two could reunite in Denver.
The Broncos have not hired a defensive coordinator, but they have hired Bill Kollar as their defensive line coach, according to USA Today. Kollar spent the last six years coaching the defensive line for the Texans.
The Jets have a pressing need a cornerback, and new GM Mike Maccagnan will have a number of options to improve the position, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He writes they could go after Antonio Cromartie or Byron Maxwell in free agency, but an intriguing prospect in the draft could be Quinten Rollins of the University of Miami (Ohio).
Bills star pass rusher Mario Williams will be playing for a new defensive coordinator for the sixth straight year, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. With head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, the defense will switching back to a 3-4 base. Williams is excited to play outside linebacker. “I look forward to it,” he said. “So hopefully if (Ryan) hears this, this is my call-in: Will Linebacker. So hopefully it works out.”
Colts pass rusher Robert Mathis is still recovering from a torn Achilles that forced him to miss all of 2014, but there is no guarantee he will be back in time for next season’s training camp, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. “He’s still in recovery,” said general manager Ryan Grigson. “He’s a freak and you hope that he has an athletic genetic freak type of recovery so that he’s ready day one of training camp. But that information is not clear yet or a timeline is not there because it’s a tough injury. Hopefully in a couple months from now, we’ll be able to have some information on that.”

AFC Links: Bills, Jets, Titans, Chung

January 14th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Rex Ryan was introduced earlier today as the Bills head coach, and the 52-year-old addressed some of the leftover whispers surrounding his signing. Ryan disputed claims that the Bills were his “third choice” behind the Falcons and 49ers (via John Kryk of the Toronto Sun)…

“No, that’s definitely false. Did I interview with the Falcons? Did I interview with the 49ers? Absolutely. There were plenty of opportunities.”

The coach also discussed the team’s search for a quarterback, including former Jets play-caller Mark Sanchez…

“Certainly, he’ll be a guy under consideration. We’ll explore every avenue. If we think there’s a free agent like Mark or somebody else out there that we think can help us, then we’ll absolutely explore it.”

Finally, the coach acknowledged that his opportunity in Buffalo may be his last shot as an NFL head coach…

“I (have) one more shot to be a head coach and I have to get it done. And I understand I won’t have another opportunity, and don’t want another opportunity. This is the shot I want.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…

Like it or not, Steve Serby of the New York Post says Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will forever be connected to Jets head coach Todd Bowles. The writer opines that one day, the organization may regret rushing to sign Bowles instead of waiting for Quinn to finish his playoff run.
The Titans have a big quarterback decision on their hands as they’ll have to choose between Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, and incumbent Zach Mettenberger, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Wyatt runs down the pros and cons of each.
After inking a three-year extension with the Patriots, Patrick Chung is determined to show New England that he’s worth the money, writes Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “I’m happy,” he said. “I’m happy. But it’s over now, and I can’t keep talking about it. I’m happy I’m back. I just gotta hopefully show them why they kept me.“

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Links: Gase, Broncos, Jags, Browns, Jets

January 14th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With one team (the Bills) having introduced their new head coach today, and two more clubs (Jets, Raiders) closing in on their targets, there are four head coaching jobs still available, and it appeared coming into today that the 49ers were moving toward locking up Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, nothing’s done between Gase and the Niners yet, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who tweets that the Broncos OC met with John Elway to discuss Denver’s head coaching vacancy today. Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), it wasn’t a formal interview, but if there’s mutual interest between the two sides, that formal interview could still happen.

As we wait to see whether or not Gase sticks with the Broncos, let’s round up a few other notes from around the AFC….

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links) have updates on a pair of offensive coordinator searches. Per Rapoport, Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson will interview for the same role with the Jaguars, while Cabot reports that the Browns will speak to their tight ends coach Brian Angelichio about their offensive coordinator opening.
Steve Smith had a nice bounceback season in his first year in Baltimore in 2014, and remains under team control for 2015, but the Ravens want him to take a little time to decide whether or not he wants to continue his playing career, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. John Harbaugh said yesterday that the team would like Smith, who turns 36 this year, to take three weeks to see how he feels.
Texans GM Rick Smith praised new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. “He has been a valued and trusted confidant over the years and is an outstanding talent evaluator,” the GM said. Maccagnan previously served as Houston’s college scouting director.
Maccagnan and the team’s new head coach (now known to be Todd Bowles) will each report directly to owner Woody Johnson, tweets Mehta. Maccagnan, meanwhile, will have final say over the 53-man roster. The setup in Buffalo will be similar, according to Mehta (Twitter links) — new head coach Rex Ryan will report directly to owner Terry Pegula, but GM Doug Whaley has final say on the 53-man roster.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com gave his thoughts on Maccagnan yesterday, prior to the Jets‘ hiring of Bowles as its head coach. While there are question marks about Maccagnan, Cimini is glad to see that the team didn’t hire a bean counter like predecessor John Idzik. Maccagnan is a football man with roots in player evaluation, rather than a cap guru.
In his second offseason as the Browns‘ general manager, Ray Farmer will have plenty of notable free agent situations to address, according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, who identifies six unrestricted FAs and three restricted FAs that will be priorities in Cleveland.

Coach Notes: Quinn, Bears, Cowboys, Bills

January 14th, 2015 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

Teams considering waiting for Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to become available are wary about the possibility that, despite what they’re saying, the Dolphins could hire Quinn to replace Joe Philbin, given the presence of Mike Tannenbaum, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Prior to joining the Dolphins’ front office in an official capacity, Tannenbaum was Quinn’s agent, and according to La Canfora, that connection concerned the Jets to some degree.

However, a source tells La Canfora that there’s no chance Miami will hire Quinn if he’s available next month — if another team wants to wait on him, that club should have a shot at him (Twitter link). That team isn’t likely to be the 49ers though, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, who tweets that San Francisco hasn’t talked about Quinn in several days. All signs are pointing to Adam Gase for the 49ers, per Cole.

Let’s check in on a few more coaching-related items….

John Fox‘s interview with the Bears is happening today, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Meanwhile, a source tells Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that Kyle Shanahan will be one of Fox’s top offensive coordinator choices if he lands the Bears’ job.
According to La Canfora (Twitter link), the Falcons “love” Josh McDaniels, but the Patriots offensive coordinator still seems unlikely to leave New England.
Scott Linehan‘s deal with the Cowboys hasn’t been completed yet, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’s waiting for his deal to get done before considering taking interviews and the sense is that it will be finalized soon (link). Linehan currently serves as Dallas’ passing game coordinator.
It’s not clear yet if Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan will return to the Cowboys, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, who says that eight teams have expressed interest in Callahan. With Linehan now handling the offensive playcalls in Dallas, it’s unlikely that Callahan will be back, in George’s view.
Tony Sparano won’t be staying with the Raiders now that he didn’t get the team’s head coaching job, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link) hears from sources that Jack Del Rio, who is expected to become Oakland’s coach, has been recruiting Marc Trestman for his offensive staff.
Jay Glazer of FOX Sports joined Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on PFT Live to discuss the events that led to the divorce of John Fox and the Broncos. Glazer explains that the breakup, while shocking on the outside, has actually been a long time coming. Glazer sensed back at last year’s Senior Bowl that it would be a “one and done” for Fox, unless he could win a Super Bowl this season.
Former Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is joining Rex Ryan on the Bills‘ staff, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jordan Raanan of NJ.com adds (via Twitter) that Pepper Johnson has been told there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s coaching staff if the Giants‘ defensive coordinator position doesn’t pan out for him. Speaking of Ryan, he said today at his introductory press conference that it’s not true that he preferred the Falcons and 49ers jobs to the Bills position, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bills Notes: Harris, Pace, Ryan

January 12th, 2015 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) tells Bills fans to keep an eye on free agent linebacker David Harris, a favorite of new head coach Rex Ryan. Mehta says Ryan will also want to make a play for outside linebacker Calvin Pace, if the Jets cut him loose. More on the Bills, who are suddenly one of the most intriguing teams to watch for 2015..

A league source tells Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter) that the Bills have interest in 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari. He’s been with the 49ers since the 2010 season.
Bills quarterback EJ Manuel has left his agents at Dimensional Sports, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Manuel is currently without an agent. The FSU product is under contract with the Bills through 2016.
There’s a ton of buzz about Ryan going to the Bills and amping up their rivalry with the Jets, but Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says that’s nothing for Gang Green to fear. Buffalo is already an elite defensive squad and the odds of Ryan turning Manuel into an elite quarterback are slim.