Red

He was the assistant GM in San Diego with AJ Smith. He is widely viewed as the person largely responsible for drafting all of those Pro Bowl players San Diego has had this decade. Sounds pretty good to me.

You're right. All too often, the BIG name is nothing more than a better publicist. Great hire/ promotion by Ralph.

Thanks for the post. I'm actually very surprised over the reaction of alot of posters. Nix is no lazy hire. He's a proven GM that I was hoping for. And just like he said, we may possibly have a real strength coach. We will have a coaching staff that teaches, and develops those draft picks. We will build through the draft, and reward those players who were "home grown", so to speak. Makes excellent business sense, and football sense. Thurman was right. This is definitely a breath of fresh air that the organization needed. Someone who knows what they are doing. I trust things now. I trust the right coach will be found and hired. I don't care about names (as long as they are NOT Billick or Martz). I'm excited to be a Bills fan again! Bring on the coach!

Prior to a hire like this, I would have agreed. With a competent GM now in place, I feel better overall about the judgements that will be made with the football operations of the Bills. If that means firing both of them, then great. Get rid of them. If it means keeping Modrak and firing Guy, then I'm ok with that too.

Well, look at San Diego. How did they build when Nix, Butler, and Smith went out there? Didn't they find serviceable journeymen with experience to run the show for a couple of seasons until a replacement was found? QB is probably the hardest position not only to play in professional sports, but also the hardest to draft. I don't see any other position in professional team sports where so much talent can equate to nothing once drafted. That being said, both Pittsburgh and San Diego (and the NY Giants) became relevant again once they drafted Big Ben, Rivers, and Manning. Take away any of those guys, and those teams are nice but not good enough. My thinking is that we will find a scrappy veteran capable of carrying the load for a couple of seasons while we either develop a QB or draft one.

Word is that most of the staff (Fewell, etc) and front office did NOT want Maybin. Apparently, Maybin was a Jauron wet-dream.

I love the Nix hire. I think our fortunes change now. Jim Kelly has many times stated that he wants nothing to do with coaching, and is the rumored heir apparent if anything should happen to Ralph and an ownership vacuum occurs. April is probably one of the most respected coaches in the league, and certainly a qualified special teams guy. The problem is, we need a completely fresh start. As good as our special teams have been this decade (the ONLY thing good about this decade of Bills futility), this past season our Special Teams have really fallen apart. If April is selected by the new coach, then I will be ok with it. If not, then I say let's be done with him and move on. But as far as Nix is concerned- I'm finally excited again! Thank you Thurman!

Though Marty has always fallen short in the playoffs, atleast he coached teams and GOT IN to the playoffs. We have 2 excellent backs in Lynch and Jackson. We obviously need a mauling O Line. I think that it would be a great deal! I did take Marty at his word though, when it came to not being interested in returning to the sideline. But I'd love to see it. I'd love to have a pounding offense and punch all of those "big name" coaches and those damn Patriots in the mouth every year.

He HAS the proven track record. He was a key architect in our Super Bowl teams. He helped build San Diego with AJ Smith and the late John Butler. We're now in good hands. I like the question pertaining to the futures of Guy and Modrak. And I like his response. I trust he will do the right thing. Now we can get a coach!

I'm surprised of the ignorance of all you supposedly "well versed" football fans. Nix was a part of the Super Bowl Bills front office. He, along with fellow cronies Polian, Smith, and Butler built the Bills into one of the best teams of the 90's. When he exited along with those guys, this decade of futility began. He helped build San Diego into a powerhouse. A San Diego team that may even make it to the Super Bowl. We have indeed suffered this decade, my friends. I am speaking as someone who has paid hundreds of dollars every year on Sunday Ticket, Bills gear, and national ridicule wherever I have lived the past 10 years (CA, FL, DC) as I represented my team. But this hire is different. Nix knows what he is doing.

Nix is an excellent hire. Don't let the hiring from within moniker fool you. At first glance, it can appear to be a lazy hire. But Nix was a key architect (along with Polian, Butler, and Smith) of the Super Bowl Bills. He again proved himself in San Diego. This is the football GM I was waiting for. LETS GET A COACH!

This is the GM hire I am happy about. I heard John Guy was also interviewed, and thank God he did NOT get it. I think they interviewed Guy to fulfill the Rooney Rule. Thurman was right. Sullivan can suck tailpipe. I'm giddy. NOW....let's get a coach!!!!

I want to agree, but organizational change in how the Bills are managed and by whom (Overdorf) needs to be changed. The scouting staff needs a major retooling and upgrade (bye bye, Modrak). The Pro Personnel department just plain sucks (See ya later, Guy...don't let the door hit ya on the way out). Cowher was good in Pittsburgh, don't get me wrong, but as others have correctly observed on this blog, it was not until Big Ben got to the Steelers that things really changed. Cowher has had his share of losing seasons. There are only 2 one shot wonders in the league that have constantly proven themselves as far as I am concerned: Bill Polian and Bill Parcells. Otherwise, to put all of your stock in Cowher- despite our shared desire to see the Bills start to be on the winning side of games- is foolhardy at best. We need a remade front office. One question to ponder: if Cowher were to come to Buffalo, and since Cowher worked in Pittsburgh with both Modrak and Guy, does this mean that Modrak and Guy are now safe? I don't think coaching is the sole reason our draft picks have sucked since 2001 (the year Modrak took over). Player development is more a reflection of the coaching staff. The actual draft picks are more indicative of the information provided by the scouting staff. But if bringing in Cowher means keeping Modrak and Guy, I'd rather NOT have Cowher.

What a waste of time. No news on this site.

Both you guys hit the nail on the head. Imagine....Orakpo, Ngata, and Cameron Wake...our D line would be fixed for years to come...

Great. Now smell your fingers...

You know? It makes one wonder...

I still think Floyd Reese deserves a look-see....

Has to be a Canadian post. Only a canadian would spell 'favorite' the wrong way, and 'their' instead of 'there'.

Overdorf holds the purse strings, no? And isn't Overdorf the one who has the say on letting free agents go? Isn't he the one who was put in charge of the financial and business side of the Bills, to mirror the role Brandon currently has on the football side? Wasn't it Overdorf who always fought with Polian when he was here? I don't see how Overdorf could have influenced the drafts for the past decade- which still tells me that good 'ol Tommy Mo down in FL can stay down there permanently. He has had 9 drafts and has sucked at every one of them. Guy has also brought in nothing but losers in free agency. He should be thrown out the door as well. But I wonder, after Donahoe left, how much power exactly does the man responsible for the Bills salary structure (Overdorf) have, exactly?

Absolutely. And John Guy can be right behind him carrying their boxes.

Yeah, that would be a MAJOR letdown IMO. No offense Thurman, but hopefully we have more in store than just a coaching change; and that is meant as no disrespect towards Weis.

2 words: TOM MODRAK

I, for the life of me, can't see why you or anyone is hung up over a coach when we need a GM first. I also can't see why the Bills are contacting coaches when Brandon is supposedly in charge of finding someone to be his replacement. Shouldn't the news revolve around GM candidates at this point?

Something about the whole 'SB run' thing seems to indicate that the Bills would NOT be one of those teams that he would be interested in. Besides, I don't remember Troy Smith ever mentioned as a name of 'Hopeful Franchise QB's'.