Rob Ryan

Bills Hire Rob Ryan As Defensive Assistant

January 10th, 2016 at 9:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:34pm: The Bills announced the hiring that will put Rex and Rob Ryan on the same staff. Rob Ryan’s official title is assistant head coach/defense, per a team press release (via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW, on Twitter).

This move will give Rob Ryan a fair amount of power and not officially come as a career step backward for the veteran coordinator.

“I’m excited to have Rob join our staff, and I think he will be a great asset for our defense,” Rex Ryan said in the release. “He has a tremendous working knowledge of our schemes, and I look forward to his input. On a personal note, it’s been a number of years since we worked together, so we are both really excited about this opportunity.”

8:11pm: Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan will reportedly be reunited on the sidelines next season, according to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (on Twitter).

The former Saints defensive coordinator will work under his brother with the Bills in 2016 as a defensive assistant, per Marvez, who doesn’t note in what capacity.

Dennis Thurman is currently the Bills’ DC, being hired on last January.

Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News confirms Marvez’s report (Twitter link).

The gregarious 53-year-old twin brothers haven’t worked as full-time coaches alongside one another since doing so under their father, Buddy Ryan, with the Cardinals in 1994-95. Rob Ryan coached the defensive backs on those teams, with Rex Ryan having front-seven responsibilities. Those jobs represented the Ryan twins’ first NFL positions.

Fired from the Saints this season, Rob Ryan’s served as defensive coordinator for the Browns, Raiders, Cowboys and Saints since 2004. Rob Ryan’s defense was giving up 424.7 yards per game when the Saints fired Ryan and replaced him with Dennis Allen in mid-November, and that total would rank second-worst all-time in terms of per-game yardage.

The Saints ranked 31st in DVOA in 2014 and ranked last in Football Outsiders’ top metric prior to Rob Ryan’s dismissal this season.

Under Rex Ryan and Thurman, the Bills boasted the 14th-ranked defense in 2015.

Rob Ryan hasn’t been a position coach since serving as the 2003 Patriots’ linebackers coach.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

NFC Notes: Saints, Romo, Panthers, Kelly, Lane

November 26th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton addressed the Saints‘ firing of Rob Ryan and handing over the defensive coordinator reins to Dennis Allen, noting New Orleans’ No. 32-ranked defense’s lack of preparation played a key role in the vocal DC’s exit.

“There were a few things that you looked at from a year ago when you said look, we can’t have X number of snaps with not the right number of guys on the field,” Payton told media, including NOLA.com’s Larry Holder. “You can’t burn timeouts every other week because we cannot get the right personnel on the field. We can’t have guys looking left and right at the snap of the ball.”

The Saints’ defensive coordinator since 2013 after stints with the Raiders, Browns and Cowboys, the 52-year-old Ryan has only coordinated one defense to the playoffs — the Saints in his initial season in New Orleans. He’s reportedly a candidate for the Tulane head-coaching job, however.

Ryan’s lack of proper adjustments posed an issue for Payton as well.

“We had to look at, hey, as teams have changed offensively, we’ve got to have some flexibility and find a way to reduce the variation on defense,” Payton said. “We’ve got to find a way to get a call in and play a defense without it being a panic where guys are late getting lined up.”

Let’s look at some more news from the NFC as Thanksgiving night commences.

Prior to Tony Romo‘s return from short-term IR last week in Miami, Jerry Jones disclosed the 13th-year quarterback suffered six fractures from the initial collarbone injury, per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Romo re-injuring his clavicle Thursday provided another chapter in this season-defining saga for the Cowboys, one that the aforementioned revelation of six fractures may have been worse than the team initially let on, Werder writes.
After acting condescending and arrogantly in the wake of the Eagles‘ three-game losing streak, Chip Kelly‘s Philadelphia tenure should end despite the promise of his breakthrough methods, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com writes. Frank notes Kelly’s behavior’s turned a city against him and flies in the face of Jeffrey Lurie‘s concern for public perception and a likable coach.
Former Panthers GM Marty Hurney‘s imprint remains large on the 11-0 squad’s roster, with the since-fired GM bringing in the core of the team — Luke Kuechly, Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, etc. — and Ron Rivera. Pro Football Talk’s Darin Gantt writes that while Hurney’s salary cap decisions disrupted future Carolina financial decisions, owner Jerry Richardson refused to allow him to sign players prior to the 2011 lockout as he was helping Roger Goodell negotiate a new CBA.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes Mike Shula should receive the kind of consideration Adam Gase and Josh McDaniels will this offseason for head-coaching positions after overhauling Newton from a one-read college quarterback to a Pro Bowler in the NFL. The former Alabama coach has been with the Panthers since 2011, as the quarterback coach before becoming the OC in 2013.
The man who helped hire Dave Gettleman to succeed Hurney in North Carolina, former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, will provide a big boost by aiding the Lions‘ GM search, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Accorsi also helped the Falcons and Bears hire their current GMs, Thomas Dimitroff and Ryan Pace, respectively.
Jeremy Lane looks to make his season debut this week, with the Seahawks set to activate the cornerback who’s been sidelined since Super Bowl XLIX, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk reports. “Jeremy’s going to be active,” Pete Carroll told media. “And if he makes it through the week okay, he’s going to be dressing and playing.” Lane tore his ACL after intercepting Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. After the Seahawks benched recently signed Cary Williams in favor of DeShawn Snead on Sunday, Lane will compete with those performers to for Seattle’s right cornerback job across from Richard Sherman, Crabtree reports.

Saints DC Dennis Allen On Rob Ryan, New Job

November 26th, 2015 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

Roughly two weeks ago, New Orleans opted to move on from the well-respected Rob Ryan and turn things over to ex-Raiders head coach Dennis Allen, whom many felt was the team’s DC-in-waiting all along. While the Saints’ defense was solid in Ryan’s first year with the team, the unit struggled last year, ranking 31st overall in DVOA, according to Football Outsiders, including dead last against the run. This year, the New Orleans defense was dead last in DVOA through ten weeks under Ryan and his gorgeous grey locks.

This week, Allen chatted with local media for the first time since taking over the position. Here’s a look at some of the highlights, courtesy of Christopher Dabe of The Times-Picayune.

On his overall reaction to being the new defensive coordinator in New Orleans:

Obviously, it is a difficult situation to be in, really for everybody that is involved. Obviously, I have strong feelings for Rob Ryan and the type of individual he is. I know that it is tough when you have a situation like this because families are involved. I think we all understand the business. I went through the same thing last year. It is part of this business and part of what we have to deal with, but we have to move forward. I am looking forward to the opportunity and I am excited about getting a chance to hopefully improve this defense.

On whether he expected to eventually become the Saints’ DC after joining the staff:

No, not really. It wasn’t anything that was thought about or discussed. Obviously, Sean (Payton) wanted me to come in here and I wanted to come back and be a part of it. I wanted to try to help get the defense better. All of us, players, coaches, everybody – we all have our autograph on where we are at right now as a football team, and specifically as a defense. We have gotten to work to try to change that image and that picture. I have been pleased by what the guys have done so far. We’re working hard this week and worked hard over the bye week to try to get some things corrected. Hopefully, it’ll show on Sunday.

On whether there was ever any confusion within the players of who was in charge of the defense between him and Ryan:

You’d have to ask the players that. I don’t have the answer to that question. I don’t think that was the case. I think I tried to make it as clear as possible that Rob was in charge, and Rob was in charge.

On whether he’ll be more aggressive than his predecessor:

I think we’ll play the game how we feel the game plays out. I am sure there’ll be some situations in a game that’ll call for some aggressive calls, and they’ll be some situations in a game that’ll call for a little bit more coverage or a little bit more relaxed.

Extra Points: Mexico City, O’Brien, Lions

November 17th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

After sending a contigent of league officials to Mexico City to assess the possibility of playing a 2016 regular season game at Azteca Stadium, the NFL received “overwhelmingly positive reports,” sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

According to La Canfora, the league was already intrigued about the possibility of playing a game next year in Mexico City, and that possibility looks even more likely after last week’s visit. The CBSSports.com scribe suggests it would be a surprise if a game isn’t played at Azteca Stadium in 2016, adding that the NFL could make an announcement to that end in the near future.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:

Addressing his brother’s firing today, Bills head coach Rex Ryan said the former Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will “take some time” to decide his next move, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak. The Buffalo coach added that he hadn’t thought about the possibility of his brother joining the Bills’ staff, but admitted that “it would be pretty fun.”
In the wake of a Sunday report that suggested he’d have interest in the head coaching job at Maryland, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien dismissed that idea, asserting that he’s “damn proud to be the head coach of the Houston Texans.” Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the quotes and the details.
The Lions haven’t indicated yet that veteran cornerback Josh Wilson will be placed on injured reserve, but whether or not Wilson lands on IR, the team will need to add depth at the position, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Detroit, down to three healthy cornerbacks, is auditioning free agent corners today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ravens make some roster moves this week, specifically addressing the team’s return game.

Saints Fire DC Rob Ryan, Promote Allen

November 16th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Luke Adams

6:30pm: The Saints have fired Ryan, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints are promoting Dennis Allen to defensive coordinator, sources tell Rapoport (link). Allen had been calling the coverages anyway, he adds.

11:37am: Speaking to reporters today, head coach Sean Payton said that the Saints have not made any changes to their coaching staff at this time and that Ryan is “absolutely” still a member of the staff, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Of course, that doesn’t mean Ryan will continue to hold the defensive coordinator job by the time the team’s next game rolls around. Ryan hasn’t been officially let go yet, but at least one New Orleans scribe – Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune – suggests Payton may be just “playing semantics,” adding that the head coach definitely left the door open for a change (Twitter links).

9:27am: Following the Saints’ latest defensive meltdown on Sunday in Washington, the team has decided to part ways with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, multiple sources tell Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The move doesn’t come as a real shock, coming off a blowout loss, with a Week 11 bye looming.

Ryan, the brother of outspoken Bills head coach Rex Ryan, had been the Saints’ defensive coordinator since the 2013 season, having previously served as the defensive coordinator in Dallas. Between those two jobs, he agreed to become the Rams’ defensive coordinator in January 2013, but resigned a few days later.

While the Saints’ defense was solid in Ryan’s first year with the team, the unit struggled last year, ranking 31st overall in DVOA, according to Football Outsiders, including dead last against the run. This year, the New Orleans defense was 32nd in DVOA through nine weeks, and after the unit allowed Kirk Cousins to put up 47 points and a perfect passer rating in Week 10, that ranking surely isn’t improving.

While there’s no indication yet who will take over Ryan’s position for the rest of the season, defensive assistant Dennis Allen looks like a strong candidate. Allen, who has previous experience as a head coach and defensive coordinator, was hired by New Orleans in January to work with the defense, after having been linked to the Bears’ defensive coordinator opening.

NFC Notes: Packers, Saints, Eagles

November 15th, 2015 at 9:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look around the NFC. . .

Although the Packers’ offense is slumping, head coach Mike McCarthy said after Sunday’s 18-16 loss to Detroit that he won’t take play-calling duties away from coordinator Tom Clements. “I like the way our staff works, and I like the way they work with our players,” McCarthy stated, per ESPN’s Jason Wilde. McCarthy called Green Bay’s offensive plays from 2006-14 before deciding to give the role to Clements this year.
The 4-6 Saints are entering their bye week, and Larry Holder of NOLA.com writes that it’s the perfect time for head coach Sean Payton to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and give Ryan’s job to defensive assistant Dennis Allen. Payton brought in Allen after Ryan’s defense finished 31st in the league last season. Led by Ryan, the Saints have allowed 130 points over the last three weeks – including 47 in an embarrassing defeat in Washington on Sunday. Afterward, Payton said that “we’re not going to discuss any of those types of changes, certainly not right now.”
While Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford hasn’t been particularly good this year, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer submits that Sunday’s output by backup Mark Sanchez was a prime example of why nobody should call for Sanchez to take over the starting job. After an injured Bradford left the Eagles’ game against Miami with Philadelphia leading 16-13, Sanchez came in and failed to help the team to victory – even throwing a costly interception – in a 20-19 defeat. The season’s on the brink for the 4-5 Eagles, and Sielski doesn’t expect their playoff chances to stay alive for long if Bradford misses time and Sanchez has to be the No. 1 signal caller.
Jeff McLane of the Inquirer believes that Eagles head coach and football czar Chip Kelly‘s decision to trade for Bradford in the offseason was a worthy gamble. However, Kelly could be done in by his failure to surround Bradford with a sturdier offensive line and better receivers, McLane opines.

NFC Mailbags: Cardinals, Bucs, Vikings, Saints

June 27th, 2015 at 12:44pm CST by Ben Levine

We checked out ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…

Josh Weinfuss believes Cardinals offensive lineman Ted Larsen, Earl Watford, Bradley Sowell and Bobby Massie could be moved because of the depth at their positions.
The Buccaneers have been active in their spot atop the waiver wire, claiming Tim Wright and D.J. Swearinger. Pat Yasinskas says the team could make five or six more claims before the start of the season.
If running back Doug Martin has a big season, Yasinskas thinks there’s a good chance he’d re-sign with the Buccaneers.
2018 is the earliest the Vikings would have to invest a longterm contract into a quarterback, writes Ben Goessling. That means that team shouldn’t have an issue signing their younger core players, including Harrison Smith, Matt Kalil and Xavier Rhodes. The one player that the writer could see the organization move on from is wideout Cordarrelle Patterson.
Mike Triplett says it’s “safe to assume” that Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan can’t survive another bad season. If the defense continues to struggle, defensive assistant Dennis Allen could also receive part of the blame.

Extra Points: Hardy, Winston, Eagles, Saints

April 10th, 2015 at 10:38pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some tidbits from around the NFL as Friday evening comes to a close…

The Cowboys and newly signed defensive end Greg Hardy continue to await the NFL’s decision regarding the star pass rusher’s forthcoming suspension for domestic violence issues. Hardy will likely sit four to six games with the possibility of the amount being cut in half after appeal, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw.
Despite his overwhelming success on the field, Florida State quarterback and potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston had some concerning moments away from the gridiron during his time with the Seminoles. Because of that, David Cornwell – one of Winston’s advisors – cautions that Winston doesn’t yet have everything it takes to be an NFL player. “Jameis is ready to be an NFL player on the field. He’s not ready to be an NFL player off the field,” Cornwell said Friday, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “The idea that, standing alone, he’s ready to get into this shark-invested pool, it’s crazy.”
Although the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford earlier this offseason, they continue to be linked to one of the draft’s top two QBs, Marcus Mariota, largely because of his time at Oregon with Chip Kelly. The Eagles won’t be able to land Mariota with the 20th overall pick, and ESPN’s Ron Jaworski believes Mariota is a prospect for whom moving up in the draft is justifiable. “You have to mortage your future,” Jaworski said on Philly Sports Talk, according to CSNPhilly.com. “I know [Kelly] says he’s not going to, but what mortgage means is you get something now and you pay later.” If Kelly ultimately does trade up for Mariota, it would likely mean moving into the top five – which would carry a steep cost for the Eagles.
Larry Holder of NOLA.com took a look at some under-the-radar Saints issues heading into the 2015 season, with the status of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan being one area of interest. After overseeing the second-worst defense in the league in 2014, Ryan’s job is far from secure going forward, according to Holder – who believes newly hired assistant Dennis Allen could take over if head coach Sean Payton elects to make an in-season change.

Saints To Retain DC Rob Ryan

January 7th, 2015 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

Following a disappointing 2014 season in which they finished below .500 and missed the playoffs in the NFL’s weakest division, the Saints were expected to think long and hard about Rob Ryan‘s future as defensive coordinator. It appears now that the team has made its decision — Ryan will return to New Orleans in the DC role for the 2015 season, according to Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.

While Ryan’s job is safe, there are expected to be a number of changes on the defensive side of the ball for next season, to both the coaching staff and the player personnel, a source tells Holder. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), head coach Sean Payton will attempt to provide Ryan with “better pieces for success” to support him for the 2015 season.

The Saints’ defense ranked fourth overall in Ryan’s first season with the team in 2013, but plummeted to 31st in 2014, both in terms of yards allowed and DVOA (per Football Outsiders). Nonetheless, many Saints defenders voiced their support for Ryan in recent days and took the blame for the unit’s poor performance, with veteran linebacker Curtis Lofton suggesting he didn’t want to play for any other defensive coordinator.

Heading into the 2015 season, the Saints should get notable free agent signee Jairus Byrd back to full health — Byrd’s first year in New Orleans after signing a huge six-year, $54MM deal started slow, then ended fast, when the safety tore his lateral meniscus about a month into the regular season.

Additionally, Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints made enough personnel changes to revert back to a 3-4 scheme, which the club got away from in 2014. Still, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap points out (via Twitter), the Saints are already among the league’s leaders in cap space invested on defense for 2015, so the team’s flexibility may be limited when it comes to roster additions.

Coach Notes: Saints, Kelly, 49ers, Jets

January 2nd, 2015 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are making some changes to the coaching staff underneath head coach Sean Payton, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets (via these links). New Orleans is parting ways with wide receivers coach Henry Ellard, tight end coach Terry Malone, and defensive backs coach Andre Curtis.

The question now is whether the team will retain defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who is highly respected around the league and in the Saints’ locker room despite the team’s recent struggles. Rapoport personally wouldn’t be surprised to see the Saints keep him and build around his scheme.

Let’s check in on a few more coaching situations around the league….

Despite speculation that Eagles head coach Chip Kelly may be unhappy in Philadelphia following Tom Gamble’s dismissal, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link) hears that Kelly isn’t going anywhere. Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com tweets that a move is likely forthcoming, but it won’t involve the departure of Kelly or GM Howie Roseman.
The 49ers will interview Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels tomorrow, a source tells Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Jets‘ contingent of Woody Johnson and consultants Ron Wolf and Charley Casserly will meet with Tom Cable today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). The former Raiders head coach currently serves as the Seahawks’ offensive line and assistant head coach.
A source familiar with the Bears’ coaching search told Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times the team remains steadfast in its desire to find a GM before their next coach, but the Bears couldn’t miss their permitted opportunities to meet with Adam Gase and Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn this week.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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