Could Rex Ryan Be The Washington Redskins Next Defensive Coordinator?
Dec 18, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan reacts to his team scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at New Era Field. Buffalo beats Cleveland 33 to 13. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Rex Ryan was fired today by the Buffalo Bills. Ryan may end up getting a defensive coordinator job, and the Washington Redskins could be interested.
Over the course of his eight years as a head coach, Rex Ryan has been mediocre. With a 61-66 record, Ryan has not led a team to the postseason since 2010. He just has not been able to put together a quality squad, and his teams have lacked discipline during his tenure. Too often, locker room issues and penalties have derailed Ryan coached teams. For that reason, the Bills parted ways with him.
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Now, Ryan will be looking for work for the second time in three offseasons. He still is an excellent defensive coach that knows how to build a strong 3-4 defense. There should be a lot of interest in him across the league, but the Washington Redskins could end up targeting him.
As of right now, the Redskins are having a very poor season defensively. They ranked 29th in the league in total defense, and the middle of their unit has been terrible. Some have blamed the issues on personnel, while others have blamed current defensive coordinator Joe Barry. While Barry definitely has not had a lot of quality players, there are a lot of black marks on his record that could result in him getting the ax at the end of the season.
Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Case Against Joe Barry’s Defense
Frankly, Barry’s defensive scheme has left a lot to be desired. Early in the season, he refused to have Josh Norman shadow the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver. Instead, they isolated him on one side of the field and allowed teams to line up their best receivers away from him. At the time, Barry claimed that it would confuse the other defensive backs to have Norman move around so much. He changed his tune in Week 2, after Bashaud Breeland was torched by Dez Bryant, and since then he has always put Norman on the top receiving option.
Still, that was an adjustment that Barry should have made at the halfway point of Week 1. It could be argued that Barry’s incompetence cost the Redskins those games, and his overly simplistic scheme was detrimental to them at the start of the season.
Elsewhere, Barry’s defense has lacked basic fundamentals of solid defense. The team’s tackling has been utterly atrocious. Too many times, the Redskins have lacked discipline and have tried to make lazy arm tackles in the run game. That has caused a great deal of stress for the team, as they have allowed too many chunk plays on the ground that set up the play action.
In the secondary, no corner aside from Norman has been good in coverage. Barry has been unable to develop any of their young talent, and most notably, the regression of Breeland has been shocking. Whether that is on Barry or Breeland is unclear, but Barry has not given the young corner enough help during the season to compensate for his decline.
Essentially, Barry has just come up short in key areas. Granted, he has weak personnel, but he did not do enough to compensate for the issues they had. His inflexible nature also has hurt the team, and that could be one of the biggest marks against him.
Nov 20, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan reacts from the sidelines in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bills won 16-12. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The Case For Rex Ryan
While Ryan has failed as a head coach, he is still one of the top defensive minds in the league. Though the Bills defense regressed terribly in his first year, it was more because his scheme was much different than Jim Schwartz’s was. In the past year, Ryan has really rebuilt the Buffalo defense.
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Though they ranked 19th in the league in total yardage allowed, they have been very good in terms of pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Ryan has used several journeymen players and turned them into key role players. Notably, Zach Brown and Lorenzo Alexander have been among the best players at their positions after being relative unknowns prior to the season.
With that type of development track record, Ryan would be an excellent fit with the Skins. He could work with young talent like Breeland, Kendall Fuller, and Su’a Cravens to improve their defense. At the same time, Ryan could bring in some veterans to fill roles while working with the team’s strong pass rusher to create an excellent, attacking defense. He simply would be able to work his magic with the Redskins like he did with the Baltimore Ravens and in his first two years with the New York Jets.
The only concern that Ryan would have, similar to Barry, is the lack of discipline his defenses have had. The Bills have had major tackling issues in recent weeks, but that could be due to the fact that Rex was sort of a lame duck. Still, the Redskins would have to be wary of causing too many penalties and having a personality like Ryan in the locker room. However, I think he would tone down the trash talk in a subordinate role like the defensive coordinator.
Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Still, Barry Could Stay For Status Quo
While Barry has had a tough year as the defensive coordinator, the Redskins could choose to stick with him. With upgraded personnel, Barry could find some more success. He would have to change his approach, but if they make the playoffs again, the team may be reluctant to change.
Also, there is a good chance that Ryan would not want to be a defensive coordinator. He has been a head coach since 2010, so why would he want to work under someone? If the Redskins were to make a move, I would imagine Jay Gruden would reach out to Rex to see if he would have interest. I think he would like the players the Redskins already have, but he may not be able to take the role as a subordinate to Gruden. After all, he is Buddy’s son, and Buddy Ryan hated being a coordinator when Mike Ditka took over the head coaching role for the 1985 Chicago Bears.
If Rex thinks he should be a head coach, he may look to find work elsewhere. He could opt to work as a TV analyst or take a year off and wait for opportunities at the NFL or college level. Rex will find something to do regardless, but he may not be willing to come to the Redskins.
At the end of the day, having Rex Ryan as the defensive coordinator would probably be an upgrade for the Redskins. It seems likely that Barry could be a scapegoat if the team misses the postseason, and Ryan is probably the best defensive mind on the market. Over the course of the next few weeks, keep an eye on the defensive coordinator position for the Skins. It could be something to watch in the offseason.
