REX RYAN HAD just been fired as the New York Jets' head coach in December 2014 when he pulled Geno Smith aside for one final meeting.
The Jets had just stumbled to a 4-12 finish that cost Ryan and general manager John Idzik their jobs. Smith had thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns -- 13 -- over his 14 starts, a continuation of the turnover binge that marred his rookie season the year before.
Ryan would later realize he shouldn't have thrown Smith into the starting lineup right away as a raw prospect from West Virginia.