When examining the coaching openings this offseason, one match seemed almost too perfect: Rex Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
The thought process in the dot-connecting marriage followed that Ryan had never had a franchise quarterback and the Falcons needed a major upgrade in defensive scheme.
Instead, Ryan took his playbook and headed from Jersey to Western New York to become the Buffalo Bills' new coach.
The move induced some immediate head scratches. It seemed the coach chose a team that distinctly mirrored the one he just got canned from, a "Jets West," if you will.
Ryan and the fountain of defensive talent in Buffalo will be a beautiful bond. However, the lack of a foundational quarterback is what undermined his entire tenure with Gang Green.
Why then would Ryan sign up to lead a team that benched a young quarterback, EJ Manuel, for a vagabond in Kyle Orton, who just up and retired after the season?
The Bills boast a roster that is a quarterback away from contention. But with no panacea on the open market and no first-round pick, unless Manuel improves leaps and bounds in the next year, Buffalo's status as a borderline AFC playoff team won't change.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the plan is for Ryan to bring in Greg Roman as the offensive coordinator. Roman has experience nurturing young passers in Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick, during his time with the San Francisco 49ers.
Roman, it should be pointed out, was also the focal point for mob dissatisfaction in the Bay Area this season, when he eschewed the running game during the middle portion of the season.
With the lack of a franchise quarterback, we can expect more of the "ground-and-pound" refrain from Ryan.
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