If former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is offered the Atlanta Falcons? head coaching position, the Ravens are confident they will have a chance to make a counteroffer, a source close to the situation told The Examiner.
“We know Rex well,” the source said. “If, say, the Falcons wanted to pull the trigger on Rex right away, we?d get our shot to talk with him, or make an offer.”
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The source did not confirm if Ryan, who is expected to interview for the Falcons? job this week, is the front-runner to replace Brian Billick. Billick and his staff, which included Ryan, was fired on Monday. Ryan is expected to be among several candidates who interview for Ravens? head coaching job. The team finished 5-11 after ending a franchise-record nine-game losing streak with a 27-21 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday.
“Is Rex someone that we will interview to be our head coach? Yes,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “But we?re going to be very thorough. We want to select the best guy, and if Rex is the best guy, then he will be the third coach in the history of the Baltimore Ravens. But we?re going to be calling and talking to a lot of people so that we can get the best coach.”
Bisciotti has allowed Billick?s assistants to remain in the team?s Owings Mills complex as they search for jobs, but Ryan did not return repeated phone calls the past two days. Ryan guided the Ravens? top-ranked defense last year, but the unit, ravaged by injuries this season, slipped to sixth this fall.
“I said to my wife last night that there is a Hall of Fame coach out there, and it?s our job to find him,” Bisciotti said Monday in a news conference after firing Billick. “Ozzie is going to? play the lead role in that search process.”
The Ravens? source said the team does not have a schedule set for interviewing, but several candidates include former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
During the news conference to announce Billick?s firing Monday, Bisciotti said, despite rumors, he had not interviewed Cowher. Cowherspent this season as a football analyst for CBS.
“It was all over the place,” Bisciotti said. “I have never met Bill Cowher. If I shook his hand one time five years ago at an NFL meeting, I don?t remember it. But I did not talk with him, and I did not look for candidates. I have not spent one minute thinking about Brian?s replacement. That?s not something that I?m qualified to do without Ozzie?s lead.”
Garrett has created a buzz by leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 regular season that included an NFC East title. A report in The Dallas Morning News stated the Cowboys anticipate being contacted by several teams this week.
If Bill Parcells, the Dolphins? vice president of football operations, fires coach Cam Cameron, he is expected to offer the job to Garrett.
Ravens players hope Ryan gets the opportunity to coach the team.
“Rex is an amazing coach, and the coaches on that side of the ball are amazing coaches,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “I think he?s just as big of a candidate as anybody out there.”
