Rex Ryan will stay in the AFC East division. It is being widely reported that Ryan is currently finalizing a move to the Buffalo Bills that pay him $27.5 million over five years. And so the first domino falls in the NFL coaching carousel. The next could be his successor in New York. The Jets are rumored to be close to finalizing a deal with Seattle Seahawks Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn.
Rex had been strongly linked with a move to the Atlanta Falcons (he finished runner-up for the position last time). There was also plenty of talk that Ryan would take a coaching sabbatical and head into broadcasting instead. ESPN was the front-runner for his services in this arena.
Ryan apparently impressed during his second interview with the Bills in Florida last night.
Said NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport this morning:
“Rex Ryan, the former Jets head coach, is expected to be the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills. This is expected to happen shortly. The Buffalo Bills offered Rex Ryan their head coaching job. I am told he is planning to accept, so Rex Ryan is going to be the first coach off the board”
“while the Falcons continued their search, meeting with Todd Bowles late last night, the Bills stepped in, offered Rex Ryan the head coaching job and I am told he is going to accept,” Rapoport continued.
So how will Rex Ryan fill out his staff in Buffalo? Will he be paired up with his polar opposite, former Chicago Bears Coach (and no doubt the inspiration for “Painfully Awkward Rob Lowe”) Marc Trestman? As had been previously reported
More from Rapoport:
“thought was that the Atlanta Falcons would jump in once it became clear that Rex Ryan was going to Florida to talk to Bills brass for a second interview. In the end, they did not so the Bills closed on their guy, got the head coach they wanted that they weren’t even sure they could actually hire…Pay attention to two offensive coordinator candidates: Marc Trestman is one, Greg Roman is another. As far as defensive coordinator, our Kim Jones says that Dennis Thurman is going to join Rex Ryan in Buffalo.”
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports, Yardbarker Network, eBay and CBS Interactive Inc.
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