Few coaches have suffered from poor front office management more than Rex Ryan during his time in charge of the New York Jets. Ryan had to work under several general managers and a group of front office staff members who always seemed to make the wrong decisions in free agency and in the draft, which led to things like the Jets having a depth chart at quarterback that consisted of underwhelming draft picks and career backups.
Ryan discussed some of the issues in the Jets’ front office and his relationship with team owner Woody Johnson in a sit down interview with HBO’s Real Sports. According to Ryan, he knew that 2014 was going to be his final year in New York because the front office’s passive approach to free agency meant that the Jets were going to be bad. Ryan also claims that he knows Johnson – who he talks to every day – wanted to keep him around, but between the ultra-critical New York media and another general manager in the Jets’ front office who had no loyalty to Ryan, Johnson’s hand was forced and he needed to part ways.
Fortunately things seem to have worked out well for both sides. Ryan landed in Buffalo, where he is taking control over a young and talented roster with a nasty defense, while the Jets got one of the more highly sought after coaches in the NFL to fill Ryan’s shoes in Todd Bowles. Still, another year or 20 of Rex in New York would have been interesting.
The full Real Sports segment on Ryan will air on HBO on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.
(Via HBO)
