The Buffalo Bills are set to hire Rex Ryan as head coach on a five year deal according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and he will replace Doug Marrone into the 2015 season and now it will be up to Ryan to decide whether EJ Manuel is the future or if the team should trade for Jay Cutler or sign a free agent like Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer or Michael Vick.
The Bills cast a wide net in their coaching search and had over 10 names, but they felt Ryan was a strong fit and that is why they brought him in for a second interview. According to ESPN.com, that second interview clearly went well, as Adam Schefter reports that Ryan is signing a five year deal worth over five million per season to take over as head coach of the Bills. Doug Marrone opted out of his contract in December and the Bills had interviewed numerous candidates to take over for him.
The Bills interviewed Ryan for the second time over the weekend and it came after he previously also interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons. Ryan reportedly said that he picked the Bills because he felt "wanted" and it's likely that their top defensive unit was also an attraction. Ryan is a defensive specialist and many expected the Bills to go with an offensive option after struggling on that side of the ball. One could argue though that Marrone was also an offensive option, which obviously did not work out.
Schefter also reports that the Bills are bringing in Greg Roman to serve as offensive coordinator after holding the same job with the San Francisco 49ers. Ryan and Roman worked together previously with the Baltimore Ravens and that means Nathaniel Hackett will won't be returning for the Bills. Jim Schwartz may stay on as defensive coordinator, but he runs a different scheme than Ryan like to use, so that could be a change that is made if he remains. The Bills have one of the top defensive units in the league and they return a rush defense that has been stout over the past few years.
Ryan likes to focus on defense and the Bills come in with a top four ranked unit and they were first in the NFL in sacks with 54. The offense has been an issue and what the Bills do at quarterback may dictate how well this team ends up doing under Ryan's leadership. Mark Sanchez has a history with Ryan and could be a short term option on the free agent market, while names like Brian Hoyer, Michael Vick and Christian Ponder also could be available. The Bears have not yet made it clear whether they will trade Jay Cutler or not after he was benched this past season, but they are still in the process of finding a head coach after hiring Ryan Pace.
The Bills are likely too far out of reach for Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston and that leaves Manuel or one of the free agents as options for Ryan without making a trade. That isn't the worst thing to do for year one, as Ryan has experience working with a stout defense and a so-so offense, something he lived with while coaching in NY. Ryan took two teams with Sanchez to the AFC championship game and he could try that formula again in Buffalo.