On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills officially announced Rex Ryan as their new head coach, replacing Doug Marrone. Ryan, who spent the last six years in the same role with the New York Jets, takes over a franchise long on talent but short on results.
Buffalo finished 9-7 in 2014 under Marrone, only to see him bolt town on Dec. 31 by way of his opt-out clause, activated by the team’s sale to Terry Pegula. Marrone brought the Bills back to respectability but was never able to reach the playoffs. Buffalo has not made the postseason since 1999, the longest current drought in the NFL.
So the question becomes can Ryan make the Bills relevant after so many years of being out in the cold?
Ryan came to the Jets in 2009 to take over for Eric Mangini and immediately had success with a roster similar to Buffalo’s. New York had a terrific ground game with the duo of Shonn Greene and Thomas Jones, a young and unproven quarterback in Mark Sanchez, and a stellar defense. The Bills can certainly relate to that type of team, bolstered by C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson in the backfield, EJ Manuel under center and the league’s fourth-ranked defense.
Of course, the Bills face some challenges with Ryan’s arrival. The former defensive coordinator has always run a 3-4 defense. Buffalo is built for a 4-3, with the best portion of its defense being up front with Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams on the interior with Mario Williams and free-agent-to-be Jerry Hughes on the outside. Outstanding middle linebacker Kiko Alonso is also returning from a torn ACL, after making 159 tackles with four interceptions as a rookie in 2013. If Ryan forces a change to the 3-4, it could cause an elongated transition period.
Offensively, Ryan hired former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman for the same position. Roman loved to run the ball with authority and utilize the tight end. Throughout his four years in San Francisco, the 49ers’ offense ranked 26th, 11th, 24th and 20th with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick at the helm.
Can Roman get better results with Manuel, or will he need to acquire another signal-caller to run his offense? Following Kyle Orton’s retirement and being without a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Buffalo will likely roll with Manuel for another year. The only other realistic option is to sign a journeyman quarterback such as Jason Campbell or Brian Hoyer, but is that option more appealing then trying to develop Manuel, the team’s 2013 first-round selection?
Ultimately, Ryan has the chops to build Buffalo into a serious contender. The pieces are there at most positions, but expecting much more than another 9-7 record in 2015 is wishful thinking.
