Rex Ryan strikes again as Bills claim Jets outcast Enemkpali on waivers

What is Rex Ryan doing? It should be obvious by now: The Bills have no intention of shying away from controversial figures in their efforts to build a winner.

Pop quiz: When Rex Ryan told WGR-AM radio, “He recognizes that he has made some mistakes. He wants to prove that he is not that person now,” was he talking about ...

A) Former Jets linebacker IK Enemkpali, whom the Billsclaimed on waivers Wednesday a day after Enemkpali was released for breaking Geno Smith's jaw with a locker room punch?

B) Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who is suspended for the first six games after an assault-and-battery arrest (the charge was later dropped)?

C)Richie Incognito, one of the former Miami Dolphins accused of bullying teammate Jonathan Martin to the point that Martin left the team and Incognito found himself out of work for upwards of a year?

D)Percy Harvin, the talented but standoffish wide receiver who struggled to fit into three different NFL locker rooms before arriving in Buffalo?

You are correct if you answered C) Incognito. Ryan made that comment in February as part of an effort to walk back an earlier remark that the Bills “are going to build a bully.” Obviously, that rhetoric turned cringe-worthy upon Incognito's arrival.

Geno Smith's broken jaw leaves the Jets staggering into season

What has become obvious, though, is that Ryan and Buffalo GM Doug Whaley have no intention of shying away from controversial figures in their efforts to build a playoff team. The Bills' claim of Enemkpali was at once surprising and not all that unexpected, a contradiction promoted by the attitude Ryan desires within the walls of his locker room.

Conventional wisdom pointed toward Enemkpali slipping through waivers unclaimed Wednesday, given the circumstances surrounding his release and the looming threat of a suspension coming from the NFL. This was not Enemkpali's first off-field misstep, although he would be considered a first-time offender under the NFL's guidelines—in 2011, he was arrested and later charged with battery for striking an undercover police officer during a bar fight.

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New York Jets Embarrassing Misfortunes

The Sucker-Punch — Aug. 11, 2015

Julie Jacobson/AP; AP

Geno Smith is slated to miss 6–10 weeks with two fractures in his jaw after being sucker-punched by reserve linebacker IK Enemkpali during a locker room altercation at training camp.

Fireman Ed Quits — Nov. 25, 2012

Bill Kostroun/AP

After leading the J-E-T-S chant since 1986, Fireman Ed quits as the franchise’s unofficial mascot, citing entanglements with fans and not a string of embarrassing Jets losses.

Butt Fumble — Nov. 22, 2012

Chris Szagola/CSM/Landov

In the second quarter of a blowout loss to the Patriots on Thanksgiving night, quarterback Mark Sanchez collides with the backside of guard Brandon Moore on a scramble and loses the ball. Steve Gregory returns the fumble 32 yards for a touchdown as part of a 35-point second quarter for the Patriots in which the Jets lost three fumbles within 52 seconds of game time.

Tebow Time — March 12, 2012

David Bergman for Sports Illustrated

The Jets trade for Tim Tebow, a move that led to a whirlwind of media fascination and controversy but only 141 yards of total offense for the entire season.

Favre’s fall from grace —2010

David Bergman for Sports Illustrated; Jeffrey Geller/Icon Sportswire

Brett Favre’s 2008 season in New York leaves scandal in its wake when team employee Jenn Sterger accuses him of sending inappropriate messages and sexually explicit pictures when the two worked for the Jets. The NFL fined Favre $50,000 for failing to cooperate with its investigation as Favre played out the final games of his career with the Vikings.

Bye Bye Bill — Jan. 4, 2000

John Dunn/AP

Bill Belichick’s tenure as Jets head coach lasts less than a day, as he resigns via handwritten note moments before his introductory press conference.

Shovel Pass—Oct. 15, 1995

Chuck Burton, Ruth Fremson/AP

Quarterback Bubby Brister throws arguably the worst shovel pass in NFL history, which is intercepted by Panthers LB Sam Mills to cement the first victory in Carolina franchise history.

Fake Spike — Nov. 27, 1994

Chuck Solomon for Sports Illustrated

With 25 seconds left, down 24–21 in Jets territory, Dan Marino signals that he would spike the ball but instead fakes the spike and finds Mark Ingram for the winning touchdown, leaving the Jets stunned.

The Jets (and Ryan, presiding over his final draft as coach) were willing to overlook that event last year when they drafted Enemkpali in the sixth round. Ryan and Whaley apparently now will offer Enemkpali a chance to put his run-in with Smith behind him, too.

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​There also is the possibility that we can chalk this up to Rex being Rex. Perhaps he saw a moment to poke the bear a bit, to needle his former team and new rival by claiming the player who just threw the Jets' locker room into temporary disarray. If any coach was willing to make a roster move merely on a lark, Ryan would be among the most likely candidates.

Enemkpali's game hints that there is more to this, at least from a football sense. The 6'1", 261-pound outside linebacker does seem to fit the Ryan mold. Clearly, Ryan liked what he saw before the draft.

“He’s strong and he’s got a good pass rush,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said of Enemkpali earlier this month, per Scout.com. "He’s still learning the new scheme as far as when to drop and when not to drop, and certain things like that. But we know he can rush the passer."

Had Enemkpali been released because he could not crack the Jets' roster, this pickup would be a blip on the radar, of course.

The combination of Smith's injury and Ryan's background with the Jets increases the intrigue. It also highlights the devil-may-care mentality Ryan and Whaley are taking with the organization's makeup. Ryan must believe he is the right guy to help rehabilitate players and coaches who screwed up their previous chances. If he can stick it to his former team a few times in the process, all the better.