hondo in seattle

That's why we all want to understand Rob's role. His track record as a DC isn't good. But will he simply be an adviser or role-player with the Bills? Will he have the job, for example, of breaking down opponents' offenses? Will he just be an extra pair of eyes - and extra voice - on the practice field? Will he work mostly the LBs (his job before becoming a DC)? Or - as the "Assistant Head Coach" - will he have real authority to make significant decisions and/or run the D? He's got enough NFL experience, he could probably be an asset in the right role. But his record says de facto DC is probably not the right role for him.

Rob Ryan has been hired four times as a DC. Obviously, he enjoys a decent reputation in the NFL. The NFL is very competitive - to stay employed as a DC for 11 straight years says something about how he's viewed by the league's HCs. His results, however, have been mixed and often just plain bad. Hired four times, fired four times. I think it's safe to say he knows a lot about NFL defenses. But is he a good teacher? A good tactician? I have no idea. I'm curious what role he'll play. I'd be happier if he was hired as a position coach instead of given a vague title. Vague chains of command can be problematic. And the nepotism thing bugs me. How is this perceived by the players? The coaching staff? Will Rex be able to hold his brother accountable? I'll grant there's a possibility that this could all work out. But I voted no, no, no.

Worst football ever played by a Bills QB? There were certainly a few minutes in that game where EJ was pathetically awful. But you either must be young to assert 'worst ever' or have a very short memory. Did you never watch Kay Stephenson line up under center in a Bills uni? Or Gary Marangi? OR Bruce Mathison? Or Joe Dufek? Or Dan Manucci? Or Bryan McClure? Or Willie Totten? Or even the great Brian Brohm? Our franchise has been blessed with truly horrible quarterbacks.

This is a excellent, rational presentation of the pessimist's POV. But I'm not ready to play Chicken Little just yet. We don't know yet what contracts will be renegotiated. We don't know who the cap casualties will be. We don't which free agents we'll sign -or which FAs we'll fail to sign due to cap limitations. We don't know who we're going to draft and how much they'll contribute. It just may be that the 53 who trot out onto the field in September 2016 will be better than the 53 who trotted out in September 2015. And if that's true, you can't say the Bills are inept at managing the cap. I'm not passing judgment on OBD until I see more.

What's the best way to evaluate the Bills cap management? The last couple years, we've signed pretty much everyone we've wanted to sign. We didn't make many drastic cap management moves. So regards 2014 and 2015, I'd have to give the Bills good grades. But have we mortgaged the future with some of the big contracts we've handed out? Let's see how the 2016 offseason plays out. How do you grade an unfinished product?

Yeah, this is very discouraging.

Interesting to read Tyler contradicting Vic. This is funny.

This is a little harsh on baseball but dead-on when it comes to football. It's hard to quantify individual performance when football is such a team sport. Especially when you're a lineman, the play of the guy next to you effects your decision-making and performance. And good coaches make average players look good while bad coaches often make good players look bad. There are probably things football can learn from Moneyball but it can never import the whole package. But that's probably not DePodesta's intent. Curiously, his title is "Chief Strategy Officer." I guess that implies others will be making the more tactical decisions.

I'm more in this camp. Well said, 26CB

I never believed the ultimatum story in the first place for the same reasons. And now Whaley's being extended? As todd says, it doesn't add up. Vic, like a lot of guys in the media, relies on unreliable sources in order to have something to write about. NFL reporting is going the way of the National Enquirer.

Lots of cool, smart guys fail. This is an interesting experiment.

Why do we trust the media? To give one of the more recent examples of media fallibility, PFT recently reported "Chuck Pagano undoubtedly will be fired" if Indy fails to make the playoffs. If fact, his contract was extended. (http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/12/20/whats-next-for-chuck-pagano/) This is the trend in the media covering the NFL. Reporters run wild with speculation and unsubstantiated reports from poorly placed sources. DW is going to be fired, EJ's going to be cut, the Pegulas issue an ultimatum.... why do we listen to this crap?

I'm okay with EJ as a backup. But if there was an opportunity to sign a veteran - a former starter - I'd be in for that. It would be good to have a wily old vet in the QB room and on the sideline, mentoring TT.

I don't believe the conversation happened as portrayed. I know a lot of wealthy business leaders/owners and they rarely talk to their employees like this. It's just not healthy and it's completely unnecessary. If the key people in your company aren't already committed/motivated, why would you employ them in the first place? If people don't perform, you fire them. There's just no need to threaten them ahead of time.

O better than expected. TT a positive surprise. D worse than expected. Rex a negative surprise.

I agree! I'm wishing him well where ever he plays next year.

While I think Rex screwed up this year, he does have a tremendous record building strong defenses. He's had an entire year to reassess the roster and his strategy. Even without Mario, I think the D gets better next season.

I think you're right... and right.

Mostly agree.

I'm bugged that Rex wasn't a good enough leader to get the most out of Mario. But I'm also bugged by Mario's crappy attitude. Men should be men, not puppets. A man acts with integrity and takes care of his business regardless of what's going on around him. A puppet lets other people pull the strings and determine his mood, attitude, effort, and everything else. Mario doesn't like the new scheme so he's become a different person & player. He gives less effort and has become a worse teammate. That's being a puppet - he's letting the coaches determine his attitude instead of owning it. A man would have motored on, despite disagreement over his new role.

No coaches - or players - would want to work for an organization that blows things up every year. I haven't been happy with Rex's coaching this year. And I'm still on the fence with DW. Yet, if I owned the Bills - for the sake of stability - I wouldn't change the HC or GM either. I do hope we see some upgrades in the coaching staff and roster, though.

Actually, I don't mind most of the article. I don't necessarily agree with his recommendations but I'm okay with differing opinions. There's really only remark that's bothersome: 'the Pegulas are in over their heads' as owners of a NFL franchise. I think he's wrong. I think he fails to back the statement up. I think it's absurd even to suggest it after one season of ownership. And I think it's an unnecessarily offensive statement.

Thanks Gary. When you don't have a franchise QB, you need a franchise RB. DW made the deal he had to make at that time.

Most owners come into the NFL without any NFL experience. And then they hire football people to run their football business. The Pegulas have hired/retained this triumvirate: * Russ Brandon. He's doing well managing the business side. * Doug Whaley. Some knowledgeable football people believe he's off to a credible start as a GM. Peter King - among others - praised his promotion. * Rex Ryan. The Bills weren't the only team interested in making him a HC. This season aside, he has a very strong record running defenses. We can argue about Rex and DW. But the decision to retain their services is not in the Matt Millen category. They're reasonable decisions even if some of us can imagine better options. The Pegulas are in the first season of NFL ownership and their team will finish somewhere in the middle of the pack of the highly competitive NFL. There's no need for panic. Saying the Pegulas are "in over their heads" smacks of Jerry Sullivan.

Huh?