New York Giants NFL Schedule, Roster & News: Should Team Sign New York Jets' Rex Ryan as Next Defensive Coordinator?
The 2014 NFL season hasn't played out very well for New York Metropolitan NFL teams.
The New York Jets and New York Giants have a combined record of 5-15 this season, and neither appear to have any chance at making the postseason this year.
The Jets have been a complete train wreck this year at 2-8, and nearly everyone assumes that head coach Rex Ryan will eventually be fired by owner Woody Johnson at the end of the season. Even though Ryan and Johnson have had great moments, which include two AFC Championship game appearances, this bridge has been burned.
So what does the future hold for Ryan?
An intriguing option for Ryan could be the Giants. This Giants squad has seriously underachieved with talented defensive players such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Robert Ayers, Antrel Rolle and Prince Amukamara. It appears as if it's time for Giants defensive coordinator, Perry Fewell, to move on. Ryan would make a much better defensive coordinator for the Giants than Fewell would with these defensive players paired up with head coach Tom Coughlin.
Despite coaching a team that doesn't have many talented or high-profile players, Ryan has done a lot of impressive things on the defensive side of the ball. This season, the Jets rank seventh overall in defense. That's extremely impressive considering general manager John Idzik hasn't invested much in improving the roster. The Giants rank 31st overall in defense and last in the league against the run.
Since Ryan became the head coach of the Jets in 2009, the Jets have had a top 10-ranked defense in five of the last six seasons. In 2009, the Jets had the No. 1 ranked defense.
Ryan isn't the greatest head coach in the league, but he is a defensive mastermind. His father, Buddy Ryan, was most famous for coaching the famous 1985 Chicago Bears defense to a Super Bowl victory. That '85 Bears squad was arguably the greatest defensive team of all-time. Coaching defense must run in the Ryan family.
As for Ryan, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. He obviously wouldn't have to relocate to a different NFL city, and he can continue to coach right at MetLife Stadium. Ryan knows that the head coach gets all the criticism and blame, and what better way to contribute to a team without nearly as much criticism than to be the defensive coordinator? In 2000, Ryan helped the Baltimore Ravens win a Super Bowl as a defensive line coach. Sure, he didn't get nearly as much praise as coach Brian Billick, but nothing is better than winning a Super Bowl ring.
It's unlikely another team will offer Ryan a position to become a head coach for next season, but he can certainly make his legacy on defense, like Pittsburgh Steelers great Dick LeBeau. The only question now is: Does Ryan prefer blue over green?
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