Word was the Jets wanted Rob Ryan as their defensive coordinator. If he wasn’t available, they were leaning toward his brother Rex Ryan. Now they’re not getting either one. Which could mean Bob Sutton will retain the job. Rob Ryan, the Oakland defensive coordinator, had a falling out with head coach Lane Kiffin and was rumored to be gone. Then Al Davis stepped in and refused to fire him. So much did he side with Ryan that Kiffin may end up losing his job. Reports said Davis had a resignation letter drafted. All it needed was Kiffin’s signature. Kiffin refused to sign, and now the whole situation is turmoil. Just another day in Raider Nation. Whatever happens, you can bet Ryan isn’t going anywhere if he’s got Davis’s loyalty.As for brother Rex, he was just rehired as D-coordinator by the Ravens a month after getting fired along with Brian Billick. He also becomes assistant head coach under new head man John Harbaugh. I’m not sure what that means, other than getting to take the headset if Harbaugh gets ejected from a game. He’s been with Baltimore for 10 years and worked with Harbaugh at the University of Cincinnati, so it makes sense why he’d want to stay rather than make a lateral move to the Jets.With replacement options running thin, Sutton stands a good chance of returning next year. 

I know you guys are probably thinking that I’m a day late and a dollar short with this one; but now that I’ve done a little bit of research on the guy, I can make a comment.The guy was the coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2002 when they ousted the Jets after the 41-0 game against Indy and he didn’t do that much for Nebraska something needed to be done on Gang Green’s offensive line/running game and the front office believed that they needed a different approach.We all know how running game did nothing and that was a tribute to poor play on that O-line. My question is, is it really about the coaching or is it the personnel? I believe that Tony Wise and Mike Devlin were the same coaches who were in charge of that line in 2006 and the team made the playoffs. I think that maybe that they Jets front office should be looking personnel changes. Brandon Moore, Anthony Clement, and Adrian Clarke all had horrendous years.I’m all for a new approach but we need new personnel on that line.

The draft picture, while still muddled, was clarified somewhat by the college underclassmen announcing on Jan. 15 whether they were entering or staying in school. One kid whose decision affects the Jets is James Laurinaitis, Ohio State’s All-America linebacker. He was one of the names to pop up most often on mock drafts in the Jets No. 6 draft spot. With an great blend of size (6-3, 240) and speed he would have been the first linebacker chosen and could have allowed Jonathan Vilma to be traded for more picks. You may remember him from the national championship game, where his 18 tackles were one of the few Buckeye bright spots. Now that he’s returning to school for his senior season the Jets will probably shy away from taking a linebacker.

Defensive end is becoming a more likely scenario. If Chris Long isn’t taken by St. Louis at No. 2 he could fall to No. 6, where you better believe the Jets will take a long look. Laurinaitis teammate Vernon Gholston is also a possibility. He’s got good speed as an edge rusher but is considered a bit of a reach at No. 6.

Of course everything depends on what the top five teams do. About the only things the experts agree on is Glenn Dorsey going No. 1 to Miami and Matt Ryan going to Atlanta. Offensive tackle Jake Long is expected to go early, but if he’s there when the Jets pick they could scrap the defensive plan altogether.

Any of you who get the emails from the Jets website already know this but for those of you who don’t; the defensive captain Jonathan Vilma has begun his off-season rehabilitation to make his comeback.

If any of you have read the story by Eric Allen on the Jets website; I’m not totally sure if both Mangini and Tannenbaum really sound to keen on getting rid of the guy. And I’m not too sure that they should unless it’s for more draft picks.

I love Vilma… but putting him on the inside in the 3-4 really doesn’t allow him to take advantage of his speed to the outside. I’m thinking that you let David Harris; who was named to the NFL All Rookie team; stay on the inside and let Vilma roam free as an outside linebacker – with the help of Brad Kassell and Eric Barton. That could be a formidable linebacker core.

I don’t know; I could be looking at this in the wrong perspective but I think it would be a good move for the Jets unless they could get some real value for Vilma.

Bill Callahan won’t be getting a head coaching job anytime soon, unless it’s at Port Chester High School. Not after he ran the Raiders and Nebraska Cornhuskers into the ground. Which means he’s free to focus on his specialty, offensive lines. That is if he still remembers the details after six years away from being a position coach.

Callahan interviewed with the Jets on Wednesday. Though his potential role was unspecified, you have to think it has something to do with the O-line. Which means Mike Devlin and Tony Wise, the two coaches currently in charge of that unit, should be worried.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to either that they might be replaced. The O-line quality fell off this season and the entire offense suffered as a result. Kellen Clemens’s growth was really stunted by being so rushed in the pocket. Step Nos. 1, 2, and 3 to get better next year should be improving the line.

But I’m not sure if you do that by hiring Callahan. I have no problem with Callahan specifically, and if he still knows his stuff there’s no harm in bringing him aboard. But don’t let a coaching change obscure the fact that there’s a severe talent deficiency here. Devlin and Wise shouldn’t be scapegoated for Mike Tanenbaum’s failure to maintain a stable line in the offseason. Adrien Clarke and Anthony Clement ain’t getting it done, folks. There’s no coach out there that could have turned this crew into the Great Wall. So while bringing in Callahan is fine, Tanenbaum can’t stop there.

Sign Alan Faneca, the free agent Pro Bowl guard, and you can hire Bugs Bunny to coach the offensive line.

Well thank you Jake, welcome to the light side… Now it’s nice to hear GM Mike Tannenbaum say that they want to keep Chad Pennington. He’s a better backup then many of the journeyman QBs that will be out on the free agent market. Now it remains to be seen what Pennington will do and that will hinge around Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed since Tannenbaum’s exact words were “expect” and “should”.

Now, in that same press conference, Tannenbaum did say that he wants to see Laveranues Coles in Jets uniform for time to come. LC and his agent are reportedly going to renegotiate with the deal that he has which still has about two-years remaining on the deal. I love Coles; he’s a tough speed receiver and has been a huge asset to Chad’s career. If you look at the numbers, Coles really started to come on when Pennington took over for Vinny.

When it comes to negotiations, Kerry Rhodes better see some job security; I mean seriously, the last two seasons, he’s been a stud on defense. I know I shouldn’t put a lot of stock in this but he’s been robbed of a February trip to Hawaii twice. Make sure he’s around to anchor that secondary.

But to go back to something Jake said in his post, to a lot of people, I could come off soft with Pennington because I make no bones about saying that I’m a Pennington supporter but in all honesty… he’s a better leader for many of these players and you give him the weapons, he’ll get the job done.

The one piece he doesn’t have –– something my collegue Justin Jones brought to my attention on Saturday –– is there’s no tall deep threat receiver that you can throw one of those high balls that you know that only your guy will get on a deep middle-seam route; or an out route; not to get more tomatoes at me but someone like Keyshawn. Something to ponder Jets fans.

When I first read Debbie’s pro-Pennington post I really disagreed. I thought she was being way too sunny about his abilities. Even with a better O-line, even with better play calling, I just think Chad is too physically limited at this point to ever be a great quarterback.

But, as my finger hovered over the “Reply” button, I had a moment of inspired patience. Think about this before you argue, I told myself. So I waited, and I considered the Jets QB situation. And I’m glad I did, because now I basically agree with Debbie.

Everything I’ve said about Chad in the past I still believe. After the surgeries, his arm strength is just too poor. It’ll always handicap him. No amount of smarts, confidence, and decision-making can overcome the inability to throw an eight-yard sideline pattern. I don’t think he will ever lead the Jets deep into the playoffs. Barring an injury to Clemens he should never regain his starting job. There’s no future in him.

That being said, as long as he’s a backup, they might as well hold onto him. Whoever the Jets replaced him with probably wouldn’t be better. Backups are backups for a reason. The name I’ve heard bandied about most as a replacement is Sage Rosenfels. Safe to say there’s no future in him either. The Jets are going to take a cap hit if they cut Chad, only to replace him with someone comparable or worse. Now if they can trade him for a draft pick, that’s a different story. That might be worth it. But to release him just because he wants to start somewhere isn’t worth it. Tanenbaum and Mangini may want the best for him but the team comes first.

Unless they want to start over with Matt Ryan or Brian Brohm or a trade for Derek Anderson, 2008 should belong to Kellen Clemens. Let the kid succeed or fail without the threat of Chad taking his job after two bad games. As long as they reassure him that it’s his job, Chad should stick around as the backup. If Clemens snaps a collarbone with the Jets at 7-5, it wouldn’t kill me to see Chad take over the reins.

Looks like defensive coordinator Rob Ryan isn’t leaving the Raiders after all. After much speculation, Raiders spokesman Mike Taylor said the second-year coordinator will stick around for another year. The San Francisco Chronicle painted the situation as a power struggle between owner Al Davis and head coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin wanted Ryan, who he inherited when he was hired before the year, fired. Davis wanted to keep him. And Davis, old and out of it as he may be, still calls the shots. Great idea to overrule and undermine your head coach. And people wonder why the Raiders don’t win anymore.

The Jets still haven’t announced anything on Bob Sutton’s status. This development, though, makes him more likely to stick around. Mangini was close to Ryan. Of course his brother Rex, the Ravens defensive coordinator, is still available if he doesn’t get a head coaching job.

The Jets have undergone some sudden coaching changes, which isn’t unusual for a 4-12 team. Yet only one of those changes is because of a firing.

First defensive backs coach Mike MacIntyre was hired away by new Duke coach David Cutcliffe to be the defensive coordinator. MacIntyre did a commendable job nursing along Darrelle Revis, who was flourishing by the end of the year.

Then special teams coach Mike Westhoff announced he definitely couldn’t coach next year because of a deteriorating leg condition. He’s not retiring officially, probably because he still wants to coach if he leg improves. What a huge loss. From everything I’ve heard he was considered one of the best in the game. For all the highs and lows the Jets have been through, their special teams has always been reliable since he got here in 2001. I never got frustrated at failing kick returns. The kicking game was solid except for Doug Brien. Look no further than this year, when Leon Washington emerged as the best kick returner in the NFL not named Devin Hester. I mean, Washington was named team MVP for god’s sake. No way he has as good a year next year without Westhoff.

The third move hasn’t officially happened yet. It’s expected that defensive coordinator Bob Sutton will be let go and replaced with Rob Ryan, who was fired from the same position by the Raiders. Ryan and Mangini worked together for four years with New England. Can’t say I’m crying over Sutton. The Jets were ranked 18th and 20th in total defense in his two seasons in charge. His schemes weren’t terrible, but a lot of defensive guys had disappointing years in 2007.

Now don’t start throwing the tomatoes just yet; I have a real reason for this and it’s not just because I’m a huge Chad Pennington supporter.

It’s a rarity that I actually agree with Mark Cannizzario of the New York Post but you really should read his piece in today’s Post. The biggest thing about this piece is the same question I’ll throw at you guys; do you really want a journeyman QB as Clemens’s safety valve? I sure as heck don’t.

Out of every veteran QB that will probably be on the market or out there; Chad is the best backup out there. You bring in someone new, they’ll have to learn the system pretty quickly and say something happens to Clemens… we will be looking at another clunker of a season in 08. Pennington knows the system and is probably the smartest backup out there. I know that he’d probably wants to start and he still can start somewhere in this league (i.e. Kansas City, Miami, Minnesota) but if the Jets higher ups get rid of him; it won’t be a pretty scene next year.

In regards to Pennington, I actually have a problem with a lot of the offensive calls this year so I have a problem with Brian Schottenheimer.

I’ll leave all of you with this question to ponder: When you have a quarterback who can sell the play-action pass with the best quarterbacks in the business, why isn’t the offensive coordinator taking any flack for this season?