Rex Ryan

With Tim Tebow signing in New England, Jets coach Rex Ryan knew what to expect when he met the media for a Tuesday morning press conference in advance of the team’s minicamp.

“I have a funny feeling there’s going to be more questions about former players than there are current players,” Ryan said, via the New York Daily News.

Tebow struggled to get on the field last year in New York after the Jets acquired him from the Broncos, but Ryan had nothing negative to say about him.

“It’s not a surprise to me that Tim would be picked up,” Ryan said. “Obviously, as I’ve said before, [he's] a tremendous young man. Very competitive. I’m happy for him and look forward to competing against him.”

Added Ryan: “I’m happy for the young man to get another opportunity in the league. … It’s didn’t work out here. Obviously Tim had more success in Denver than he did here. So, it is what it is.”

Ryan said he’s “not worried” about how it would be perceived if Tebow contributed to the Patriots’ success following his brief stint in New York, nor did he have any desire to speculate how Bill Belichick might use him.

“Not really,” Ryan said. “If they want to replace [Tom] Brady with him, that’s fine.”

Tim Tebow

The Tim Tebow era is over in New York, as the Jets announced Monday that the quarterback has been waived.

“We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a statement issued by the team Monday morning. “Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped. Tim is an extremely hard worker, evident by the shape he came back in this offseason. We wish him the best moving forward.”

The 6-foot-3, 236-pound Tebow, who spent one season in New York (and cost the Jets a fourth- and sixth-round pick as part of a trade with the Broncos), never saw serious playing time as a signal-caller, mixing in occasionally on special teams and other areas on the offensive side of the ball. In 2012, he played in 12 games (starting two) and was 6-for-8 for 39 yards. He also had 32 carries for 102 yards.

The 2013 NFL draft generally is considered to lack the talent of the past few years, and that could lead to more teams offering up their picks for future selections. It also could lead to teams looking to find talent that already is in the league and might be available in a trade.

Ryan Mallett

Enter Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett. The former Arkansas star has had two years learning under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and with the lack of elite quarterbacks in this year’s draft, he is an appealing option (as WEEI.com’s Chris Price covered here last month).

According to multiple reports Thursday, the Patriots have received numerous calls about Mallet’s availability. New England picked up Mallett in the third round in 2011 and reportedly wouldn’t take less than a second-rounder for him.

According to Greg Bedard of The Boston Globe, one team that might have interest is the Browns. New general manager Mike Lombardi raved about Mallett when Lombardi worked for NFL Network, and Lombardi’s son, Mick, was a coaching/scouting assistant with the Patriots and got a first-hand look at Mallett in practices.

(The Browns also reportedly are considering trading up from No. 6 in an effort to land West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith.)

The other quarterback on the Patriots roster is Mike Kafka, although the team reportedly has been heavily scouting QBs in this year’s draft.

In 2012, Mallet completed 1-of-4 passes for 17 yards and was intercepted once.

• The 22nd overall pick that the Rams received from the Redskins last year is said to be for sale. ESPN’s Adam Schefter made the Rams’ intentions clear on Twitter.

The team also has the 16th overall pick and likely would attempt to trade down to obtain more picks. Last season, coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead had a good draft, picking up Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, among others.

• ESPN’s John Clayton reports that the Vikings “would like to find a way to take Manti Te’o” in the first round. The Notre Dame linebacker’s future is uncertain following his fake-girlfriend issue and his disappointing in the national championship game.

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Rex Ryan

Jets coach Rex Ryan, speaking to the media from the league meetings in Phoenix, said he’s pleased he won’t have to face Wes Welker in New England anymore.

“I’m just glad Wes Welker isn’t there. I hated Wes Welker. I’m kidding … kind of,” Ryan said, via NFL.com. “Actually, I’m a huge fan of Wes Welker. He had historical success. That’s some big shoes for [Danny Amendola] to fill.”

Ryan also touched on his team’s situation regarding cornerback Darrelle Revis. The Jets reportedly have been entertaining offers for Revis, who can become a free agent after the 2013 season and is asking for far more money than the Jets want to pay.

“I know for a fact that we’re not actively trying to trade Darrelle Revis,” Ryan said, via the Newark Star-Ledger. “But if somebody calls, you listen.”

Ryan is overseeing a team that has had major changes to its roster this offseason as it strives to get under the salary cap and find the right combination to get the Jets back into contention.

“I’ll coach who’s here,” Ryan said. “On opening day we’ll see who that is.”

Ryan refuted a suggestion that he’s coaching for his job, insisting his team offers great appeal to him and might be underrated.

“If anything, people should be worried about us,” Ryan said, via the New York Post. “I’m not afraid of my situation. I’m looking forward to my situation. You’re making the assumption that I’m just a short-term guy. I don’t see it that way.”

Added Ryan: “The league knows I can coach. I never said [this season] was going to be easy, but I’m excited about the challenges. You’re going to have a lot of turnover, but rebuilding? Each year in the NFL, you feel your team has a shot.”

Although he insisted he’s “not afraid of any position I’m put in,” the normally brash coach admitted he crossed the line when he predicted a championship for his team before the 2010 season.

“Guaranteeing that Super Bowl is always going to haunt me,” he said. “If I could ever have  a do-over, that would be it.”

Rex Ryan

INDIANAPOLIS — A slightly chastened Rex Ryan addressed the media at the NFL scouting combine on Thursday, and the Jets coach — who has never been shy about making predictions in the past — was asked about the gap between the Patriots and the rest of the AFC East.

“Each year is different, [but] I can honestly say that we’re going to get our shots. We’re going to get our swings,” Ryan said Thursday afternoon. “We’re stepping up to plate with a bat in our hand and we’re not going to let any strikes go by without swinging. We are going to take our cuts. We may take a cut at a ball in the ground as well, but we are definitely going to take our cuts.

“To me, I have that vision,” he added. “Some may say, ‘Well, you’re aggressive on defense.’ I don’t think we’re close to being as aggressive as we’re going to be this year in all three phases of the game, and I’m looking forward to it. How many wins? Nobody can tell you that. But I know one thing — we’re going to take our shots.”

For more Patriots news, check out weei.com/patriots.

For the second straight week, the No. 1 team has been dethroned in the WEEI NFL Power Rankings. After falling to the Niners at home, the Patriots drop to No. 3 while San Francisco leaps to the top of the class. Nine straight wins has propelled the Broncos all the way to the No. 2 spot, and the red-hot Seahawks fly jump to No. 7.

The Giants (8), Ravens (9) and Steelers (15) all plummet as those three teams are a combined 2-7 in the month of December. With just two games to go, many teams are fighting for their playoff lives. The NFC race will be fascinating as six teams — Giants, Redskins (10), Bears (11) Cowboys (12), Seahawks and Vikings (16) — fight for three remaining spots.

As usual, the Jaguars (32), Chiefs (31), Raiders (30) and Eagles (29) remain the bottom feeders of the NFL.

1. (2) 49ers (10-3-1) — Yes, the Niners blew a 28-point lead, but they also went into Gillette Stadium and beat the red-hot Patriots in December. It was very impressive that they were able to keep their composure after losing the lead. In the end, the best defense in the league beat the best offense. 

2. (3) Broncos (11-3) — With games against two of the worst teams in the league remaining, the Broncos should wrap up the regular season and go into the playoffs with a first-round bye and 11 consecutive wins. 

3. (1) Patriots (10-4) — The road to the Super Bowl got a little tougher, but the Patriots have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. No team in the AFC will want to play New England once the playoffs begin. Putting up 31 points in a half against the best defense in the league without Rob Gronkowski is pretty impressive.

4. (4) Texans (12-2) — The number of big plays the Houston defense has allowed over the past few weeks has to be concerning to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The Texans have given up a 30-plus, an 80-plus, and three 60-plus-yard touchdown passes in their last five games.

5. (5) Falcons (12-2) —  As the playoffs draw near, the Falcons made their best case on Sunday for why teams should be afraid to play them this postseason. This is a mentally tough, resilient and well-rounded football team.

6. (6) Packers (10-4) — Packers fans are optimistic their team will make another deep postseason run. Green Bay has won eight of its last nine, has wrapped up the NFC North, and is getting healthy at the right time.

7. (9) Seahawks (9-5) — Since November, the Seahawks have scored 210 points and are averaging 35 points per game. Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch have developed into one of the best quarterback-running back tandems in the league.

8. (7) Giants (8-6) — The inconsistent play at the end of the regular season has to catch up to them eventually, right? It’s hard to count the Giants out after what they did in ’07 and ’11, but they have put themselves in a very dangerous position with just two games to go.

9. (8) Ravens (9-5) — The Ravens need to find a way to stop the negative momentum that has built up in December. The best way to do that is for Joe Flacco to focus on protecting the football. Flacco has turned the ball over six times this month with three interceptions and three fumbles.

10. (13) Redskins (8-6) — It’s amazing how this team has gone from out of playoff contention to first place in the NFC East. The Redskins control their destiny — two more wins and they can call themselves division champs for the first time since 1999.

11. (10) Bears (8-6) — What good is Jay Cutler if he can’t beat the Packers? The Bears QB is 1-6 against Green Bay since joining the NFC North. It’s hard to imagine that a team that started the season 7-1 could miss the playoffs. Chicago controlled the division for most of the season but lost both of its games to Green Bay this year.

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The mighty have fallen. After seven straight weeks occupying the top two spots, the Texans (4) and Falcons (5) no longer can be called the two best teams in the league. The Patriots surge all the way to the No. 1 spot for the first time this season after a dominating Monday night performance. The 49ers (2) and Broncos (3) round out the new top three.

The Seahawks (9) finally break into the top 10 after winning four of their last five games. Their impressive play of late has catapulted them in front of both the Bears (10) and Steelers (12). The Colts are another team that continues to inch closer into the league’s elite. Andrew Luck has Indy (11) poised to make a playoff appearance after the team won just two games last year.

The top two teams in the WEEI NFL Power Rankings rarely play each other, not to mention in December, but we’ll get to watch the regular-season version of the Super Bowl this Sunday night. That’s not the only top-10 matchup we’ll see in Week 15. The Broncos (3) play the Ravens (8), and the Giants (7) will take on the Falcons (5). We’re in for another interesting week of pro football.

Click here to listen to Mut, Merloni, and Zarbano discuss this edition of the WEEI NFL Power Rankings.

1. (3) Patriots (10-3) — The Patriots defense did what it had to do: improve. Bill Belichick‘s D held the Texans to just 14 points. The only other team in the league that was able to hold Houston to fewer points was the Bears. Under Tom Brady, the Pats have won a remarkable 20 straight home games in the month of December. Super Bowl-caliber teams get better in December and that’s just what New England is doing once again.

2. (4) 49ers (9-3-1) — The relentless 49ers defense is at the top of the league in pass defense, run defense and points allowed. Sunday night’s matchup pits the best defense in the league against the best offense. Football fans are in for a treat.

3. (5) Broncos (10-3) — The way Knowshon Moreno has been able to step up and fill Willis McGahee‘s shoes is very encouraging for Broncos fans. With Peyton Manning at the helm, an effective run game makes the Broncos offense extremely difficult to defend against.

4. (1) Texans (11-2) — Are the Texans good enough to rebound from a loss like this? Their pass defense has officially been exposed. On a big stage, the Texans crumbled. Stupid penalties, turnovers and an overall lack of competitiveness has many across the NFL questioning if this team is as good as its record indicates.

5. (2) Falcons (11-2) — The Falcons have a tremendous opportunity this Sunday to prove to the NFC that they are an elite team. The defending Super Bowl champion Giants will be in Atlanta and both teams have a lot on the line.

6. (7) Packers (9-4) — Green Bay has won seven of its last eight and has come storming back to take control of the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers has been terrific, though it has been production from the run game over the last two weeks that has made a huge difference on offense for Green Bay.

7. (8) Giants (8-5) — Keep an eye on the NFC East race and the Giants. New York travels to Atlanta and Baltimore the next two weeks while the Redskins and Cowboys are just one game back and hold a better divisional record.

8. (6) Ravens (9-4) — It’s never a good sign for a playoff team to fire its offensive coordinator in December. Unlike the Patriots and Broncos, the Ravens have played worse as the season has progressed. If recent play is any sign, the Ravens look to be on track for falling just short of the Super Bowl once again.

9. (11) Seahawks (8-5) — There have to be many organizations out there that are extremely jealous of the Seahawks’ recent success. This is a team that not only drafted a quarterback in the third round but started him over Matt Flynn after signing the former backup to a three-year deal. Teams struggling to find a quarterback like the Cardinals, Jets and Bills must be envious. Russell Wilson has played outstanding of late. In his last five games, he’s thrown 10 touchdowns and just one interception.

10. (9) Bears (8-5) — Jay Cutler‘s health is imperative to the Bears’ success. Everyone watched the Bears go 1-5 last year at the end of the season when Cutler was injured. The starting QB has been sacked 31 times this year and already has suffered a concussion. The offensive line has to get better if this team is going to be successful. Chicago has dropped four of its last five.

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