Archives for January 2015

‘He was like a stand-up comedian who had his own long-running show on Broadway and then was relegated to performing the same worn-out act in the Catskills. Ryan talked the other day as if he was a three-time Super Bowl winner. The man has an ego.’

‘Ryan, however, has a comfort level in the AFC. He’s familiar with the division and has some unfinished business left with Belichick. That trumped all.’

‘Kromer spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator in Chicago. The Bears ranked 15th in passing yards (237.0) and 27th in rushing yards (90.1) last season.’

‘”He’ll yell. He’ll cuss. He’ll crack jokes. You just don’t know what you’re going to get, but everything you do get is fascinating. You’re going to be entertained and inspired.”‘

‘The Broncos will also be interviewing current Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak over the weekend and have four other candidates for the opening. Marrone has already interviewed with the Jets, Bears and Falcons. The Jets have filled their head coaching opening, while the Bears are reportedly close to a deal with Fox.’

‘From a culture standpoint, Hackett may be a perfect fit for the Jaguars, who are coached by Gus Bradley, one of the more energetic personalities in the NFL. Despite constant criticism and a struggling offense, Hackett never lost his energy or positive outlook, two traits the Jaguars seem to stress. Hackett and Bradley also coached together in Tampa Bay in 2007.’

‘”He’s not going to embarrass you,” Spiller said. “He’s going to treat you like an NFL player. He’s not going to baby you. He’s not going to treat you like you’re in college. He’s going to treat you like you’re a grown man. He’s going to give you respect.”‘

‘Easley battled back from a major knee procedure following the 2013 season to play the first three games of the 2014 season. He suffered a different knee injury in the team’s week three game against San Diego. Six weeks later, Easley returned in Week 11 against Miami and made a tackle on special teams in his first play back. Regarded as one of the top special teams gunners in the NFL, Easley played in 10 games on the season and finished with 11 tackles on special teams. In 2013, Easley recorded a career-high 23 tackles on special teams. His 34 special teams tackles since 2013 are the second-highest total in the NFL.’

‘Ryan didn’t pay enough attention to his offense in New York, and it came back to bite him. Hopefully, he’s learned his lesson and realizes he must be the CEO of this team and not devote too much of his time to the defense. Thanks to his Tyrannosaurus rex-sized personality, the Bills have become one of the more entertaining stories in the NFL. They’ve become relevant, but will they become better?’

‘A plurality-27 percent-graded the hiring a B, while another 23 percent gave it top marks of an A. By contrast, 10 percent are wildly unimpressed-they marked F.’

‘”We just felt that he was our guy and trust me, we had some pretty impressive people that we felt could be the Bills coach. But we said, ‘Hey, let’s go after Rex.’ And Russ told me, ‘Don’t let him out of the building.'”‘

‘All are carry-overs from his New York Jets staff.’

‘But Ryan hasn’t blown a timeout or mismanaged the clock or lost a single game, either. He talked about improving the Bills’ defense from fourth to first, a tall order for anyone. He intends to establish a running game. We’ll see if he does. I’ve been burned enough times to know it’s too early to form an opinion.’