FAIRHOPE, Ala. — When it comes to the Broncos practicing at the Jets’ training center next week to prepare for Super Bowl XLVIII, Jets coach Rex Ryan has one thought.
“It could be worse … it could be New England,” he joked Monday at practice for the Senior Bowl.
Joking aside, Ryan acknowledged it is going to bother him knowing the Broncos are using the Jets’ practice field to prepare for the Super Bowl while his team was out of it a month ago.
“Obviously if it’s not us, I want it to be my brother. If it’s not either one of us, you don’t even care,” Ryan said. “But it does put a little sting in you that golly, somebody is using our facilities. That bothers you and it should bother you.”
Ryan was thrilled to keep most of his coaching staff intact. The Jets lost only two assistants from the 2013 staff — special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, who took the same job with the Redskins, and linebackers coach Brian VanGorder, who left to become defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. The Jets promoted Bobby April III to replace VanGorder.
“We’re fortunate. We only lost two coaches,” Ryan said. “We lost Brian VanGorder to Notre Dame, but we already had a guy in place in Bobby April so we promoted him. It’s almost like an apprenticeship. I knew Brian wanted to get back into college. It was kind of a one-year deal. Then we had Bobby ready to move in. He did a tremendous job for us. That’s going to be an easy transition.
“With Ben Kotwica going to Washington, we know there are a lot of good coaches out there. We’re not going to be in a hurry to hire. We’ve just got to hire the right guy.”
Former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has emerged as one of the leading candidates to land the Browns head coaching job, according to multiple reports. He reportedly will have a second interview with the team this week. … Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill is working with a doctor from the Hospital for Special Surgery to rehabilitate his injured left knee. His agent, Alan Herman, said Hill won’t need surgery but they are trying to heal and strengthen the knee, on which he had surgery after last season. Hill finished the season on injured reserve because his knee kept swelling. … Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum is at the Senior Bowl in his new role as an agent for coaches.