So Rex Ryan Wanted to Make Up a Disease to Get J.J. Watt to Fall in 2011 Draft

So here's the thing: Rex Ryan really wanted him some J.J. Watt back in 2011.

This comes to us from Watt himself, who phoned in for a conference call with a group of Buffalo-based reporters Wednesday to talk about his past with the Buffalo Bills head coach.

The Houston Texans defensive end spoke about his first encounter with Ryan during team meetings at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine.

ESPN's Mike Rodak reported Watt spoke about how Ryan, then head coach of the New York Jets, joked about making up a fictitious disease and leaking the diagnosis in the hopes of Watt sliding to the Jets, who sat way back with the 30th overall pick in the draft.

Seriously:

"

I sat down [at the meeting] and [Ryan] 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].

"

Ginning up with a fake disease in order to steal a player in the draft is about as Rex Ryan-y of a plan as there can be. I picture him naming it "Butt pox" or "Weenus flu" and sharing the news with a grim face to other coaches in the combine food court.

"His weenus...it's covered in flu...[shakes head]. Just a sad thing to happen to a great kid."

This did not come to pass, unfortunately. Because as Watt maintains, it was just Rex being Rex: "So it was a funny little thing with Rex but something I'll always remember about the combine," Watt said. "It was never at any point serious."

I don't know about that, J.J. Fictional disease can strike any of us at any time when Rex is calling the shots.

Dan is on Twitter. He's glad that vaccines have all but wiped butt pox off the planet.