News & Info/Headlines

As NFL.com framed it, "Rex Ryan is sticking in the AFC East. ..." This with the Buffalo Bills closing in on hiring Ryan as their coach.

The team has offered the job to the former New York Jets coach, and the sides are negotiating final contract details, according to multiple reports. The offer was made a day after the Bills identified Ryan as a finalist and met with him for a second time. He was one of 12 candidates to interview for the job since last weekend.

From a fantasy football perspective, the fact that the Bills are also negotiating to hire Greg Roman as their offensive coordinator is of interest. Roman, a finalist for the Bills' coaching job, spent the past four years as the San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator. Roman's future is uncertain in San Francisco after coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach Michigan.

As Associated Press sports writer John Wawrow notes, this is the Bills' sixth coaching search since Wade Phillips was fired after the 2000 season and the first since Terry and Kim Pegula bought the team from the estate of Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in October. The Pegulas were involved in all the interviews, many of them done at their South Florida home.

The Bills went 9-7 to match their best record in a decade, but missed the playoffs to extend the NFL's longest active drought to 15 seasons. Former coach Doug Marrone opted out of his contract days after the season ended.

NFL Network's Kimberly Jones reports that Ryan's proposed deal is for five years. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added that the yearly value is worth just north of $5 million per year.

Ryan is very familiar with the Bills after spending the past six seasons coaching their AFC East rival. He had a 50-52 record, including 4-2 in the playoffs, with the Jets before being fired along with general manager John Idzik following a 4-12 finish.

Ryan's strength is defense, as it is with the Bills. Buffalo's defense finished fourth in the NFL in yards allowed last season and produced three Pro Bowl linemen.

As one of the best minds in football, Ryan will mesh well with the personnel in Buffalo. The defensive line of Marcell Dareus, Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes, is among the best in the NFL. And Buffalo's secondary is better than Ryan was working with the last few years in New York.

Ryan's former confidant and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine led to the Bills defensive turnaround two years ago, so switching back from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme shouldn't be a problem in Western New York.

It's unclear how Ryan's arrival would affect the status of Buffalo's current defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who completed his first season with the Bills. Schwartz is the former Detroit Lions coach and was a candidate for the Bills job.

Jones reported that Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman is expected to join Ryan in the same position while Buffalo News staffer Vic Carucci reports the Bills have "every intention" of keeping Schwartz.

Whatever the case, Ryan's challenge in Buffalo would be similar to the one he had in New York -- providing a spark to a sputtering offense. The Jets finished 22nd in yardage last season -- four spots ahead of Buffalo.

Quarterbacks were concerns for both teams, involving two players drafted in 2013 draft.

The Jets faltered behind second-year starter Geno Smith, who was eventually benched and replaced by Michael Vick. In Buffalo, second-year starter EJ Manuel was benched after four games and replaced by 10-year journeyman Kyle Orton, who has since said he plans to retire.

Manuel has two years left on his contract and is the only experienced starter on the Bills roster.

Roman is regarded as a good fit under Ryan, because the two share a similar run-first philosophy. San Francisco had been very successful running the football under Roman's guidance. The 49ers ranked in the top 10 in total rushing yards in each season Roman was at the helm of the offense, finishing fourth in 2014 (2,176), third in 2013 (2,201), fourth in 2012 (2,491) and eighth in 2011 (2,044).

Stay tuned. I'll follow up as needed.

UPDATE: The Bills officially announced Ryan's hiring on Monday, 1/12/2015.