Rex Ryan wants to keep Jim Schwartz as Bills’ defensive coordinator
By Hayden Kane
In intriguing NFL news, Rex Ryan has been named the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He would reportedly like to keep defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in place.
By almost any measure, the Buffalo Bills had a top-5 defense in the NFL this past season. They have a strong case as the best unit not called the Seattle Seahawks from 2014. As such, people are understandably intrigued by the news that defensive guru Rex Ryan is the team’s new head coach.
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There was immediately speculation that Ryan would dismiss incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in favor of a coach who knows his schemes better. Perhaps that would be an understandable tact, but Schwartz would have to be one of the most successful coordinators to lose his job.
Thankfully for Schwartz, it appears that Rex Ryan knows a good thing when he sees it. While Ryan and Schwartz run different schemes, it appears that Ryan would like to try and make things work anyway. If both men have the defensive acumen that we have come to expect, they ought to be able to adapt and make things work.
Adam Caplan reports that Rex Ryan wants to keep Schwartz at defensive coordinator.
Rex Ryan has told Jim Schwartz he would like him to stay as his DC, a source said. Schwartz has coached 3-4 before, but it has been a while.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) January 11, 2015
Schwartz has a few years left on his contract.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) January 11, 2015
A quick scan of Twitter shows a world in which many people fancy themselves knowledgeable on defensive schemes. And while some see a misfit between Schwartz and Ryan because of their respective 4-3 and 3-4 systems, others seem to think it will work because they are both good coaches.
The 3-4 vs 4-3 discussions around Rex in Buffalo = overstated. Everybody is hybrid. It's not like he has to learn to speak Armenian.
— Chris Sprow (@Sprow) January 11, 2015
At the end of the day, you now have Rex Ryan coaching an uber-talented defense with a good coordinator already in place if Schwartz decides to stay. That means…
Just saw the Rex Ryan to Buffalo news. That sound you're hearing is the rattling bones of quarterbacks everywhere.
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) January 11, 2015
The Bills’ defense was fourth in the NFL in points per game (18.1) and fourth in points allowed (289) for the season. According to Football Outsiders, they were the second best defense in the NFL, per DVOA and weighted DVOA.
One can hardly blame Ryan for wanting to keep the coordinator who was at the head of that elite unit. Now he just has to convince Schwartz to stay.
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