Rex Ryan Offered to Give J.J. Watt a Fake Disease So He Would Slip to the Jets in the 2011 NFL Draft

Rex Ryan really wanted to draft J.J. Watt in 2011, but the Jets had the 30th pick. Ryan wanted Watt so much, he offered to give Watt a fake disease so he would drop to the end of the first round. Unfortunately, he was all talk. Via ESPN:

"“I sat down there and he kind of real casually — the whole thing was real casual — and he just said, ‘Hey, man, you’re gonna be gone by the time we get to pick, so here’s what we’re gonna do: We’re gonna put out a fake medical report that you have some sort of disease. I don’t know what it is, whatever, we’ll make it up. And you’re gonna drop, but we’ll pay you like you’re up there [in the first round]."

Now, Watt goes on to say the whole thing was a joke, but doesn’t that sound like something Rex Ryan would try? I mean, the guy is incorrigible!

Who knows how many other high picks he offered to make up a disease for.  Of course, Rex Ryan was right to want J.J. Watt. While Watt was drafted 11th, only two of the ten guys selected ahead of him – Blaine Gabbert and Jake Locker – haven’t made a Pro Bowl. It’s highly unlikely that Rex dreamed of either of them sliding since he already had his franchise quarterback, Mark Sanchez.

[ESPN]