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If ever there was a year...this is it. There are just too many storylines to ignore. Beyond the compelling stories on the field, you can bring Jim Kelly in, showcase the Pegula family and their commitment to the region (cross promotion with the NHL Sabres), and even kick it off with a tribute to Ralph Wilson. Start filming at the Rex press conference.

It seems like a perfect opportunity for the Bills to reshape their brand and open their doors to Hard Knocks. The show is always compelling but the Rex Jets version was a step above. This seems like an annual discussion but I think 2015 could be the Bills year. There will be plenty of storylines for sure: new owner, new coach, QB competition, etc... If HBO has not contacted the team yet I would be shocked!

Just a hunch but I think one of the things that makes Rex an attractive hire is that he is all about football. Personally, I think it says a lot about Whaley's reputation that Ryan is coming to Buffalo. After two pretty disastrous GMs in NY, I am sure it was an important element to his next job. I am sure Ryan is/was satisfied with the reporting structure and football operations department. He will have very little reason to deal directly with football administration or media relations types. I could see him influencing the training department and the strength and conditioning "coaches". It is more up to the Pegulas to evaluate the non-football operation. I think, all in all, introducing a defined hierarchy with strong leadership, a lot of the nonsense that has been going on will take care of itself. I still think the Pegulas will bring in people they have a history with and trust but it remains to be seen if they will be full-time employees or server like a board of directors.

Everyone is reportedly interviewing for the Browns OC job. Maybe Marrone ends up there...? It really would not be a stretch. I really think how the Kyle Shanahan thing went down has made that job toxic. Add the Johnny Foolball (yes Foolball) factor and Iam not sure how anyone with other options would go there.

Someone who I really like at QB is BJ Daniels. He was drafted in the 7th round by SF (they usually draft a project QB late). He had some moments in pre-season, was waived, and claimed by the Seahawks. Very mobile, read option type QB with a strong arm and touch as needed. It was hard for him to crack the 53 man roster behind Kap in SF and Wilson in SEA. The fact that both teams liked him enough to try to develop him is a pretty strong endorsement. Roman used him in SF as a scout team version of Russell Wilson. They are very similar. I am not saying he would win the job but I think he would be a quality prospect to bring in as he knows Roman's system. At the very least he can help push EJ.

I like Kubiak as well. But living in Houston and seeing him collapse on the field with a stroke like episode I hope he stays a coordinator and takes care of his health.

We are only a year removed from Mike Pettine...and where did Mike Pettine come from? If you don't know, stop reading now. Also, the Bills organization made a very large investment in defense over the past several years both in free agency and the draft. We are LOADED at LB. Flexing in and out of base 4-3 or base 3-4 is not that big of a deal...especially since personnel wise there are a lot of the same guys that played under Pettine. Relax...as most people have pointed out, most teams play a hybrid anyway these days. Hughes (if he stays) is really a LB with his hand down in 4-3. Mario Williams had 13 sacks once he figured out how to play rush LB under 3-4. 3-4 actually allows the Bills to get more of their best players on the field.

I am sure there is a philosophy the new owners have established. That philosophy was broken down into elements and criteria that were desirable in the HC search. Continuity and stability were probably pretty high on the list along with installing a football first attitude and culture. I think Rex Ryan meets the criteria of having HC experience with limited desire for "full control". We can make a reasonable assumption that Doug Whaley now has the two key components that have been lacking for years...(1) ownership that is willing to spend money and (2) a coach he can work with and that actually makes Buffalo an attractive destination. Ryan has had a transformed agent and salary cap guy as his two GMs in New York. All indications were that he tried to make the best of it, regardless. He is entering an organization in transition...to put it kindly. I think he was the best option as much for his personality as his football acumen. Players want to be well compensated (owners with $$$), treated like men (players' coach), win, and play in a good city. Most people who actually spend time in Western New York realize what a great place it is. I believe this team is pretty close...gambling on a "hot" OC/DC or enduring a massive re-org would do more to set them back than not having a 1st round pick next year.

In all seriousness, if Wilson would have stayed at NC State (in the Southeast - Nix's territory) there is a better chance he would have been on the Bills' board. It would have been impossible to ignore who was throwing the ball to Graham among other things. Wilson's decision to commit to baseball and Tom O'Brien (NC State HC) subsequently releasing him from his scholarship created some smoke that scared some NFL scouts. "Is this guy Drew Henson or John Elway?" Even with his success at Wisconsin. I am sure scouts asked O'Brien about Wilson and he probably changed the subject to talk about Mike Glennon...Wilson's replacement at NC State. The best thing that happened for Wilson is that he tried baseball, got it out of his system, and came back to football. Who better than Pete Carroll to ignore the smoke and pick Russell Wilson? Better "what could have been"? Keeping Pete Carroll past 1984 after the Bills gave him his first job in pro football (Def. Backs Cach).

BJ Daniels Drafted by Jim Harbaugh, spent time in Seattle. Elusive, strong arm, quick release, tough, well coached, good character, humble, good family... Played read option at South Florida...beat FSU in first game (Ask Nigel Bradham about him) Think Russell Wilson's size with Ben Roethlisberger's ability to extend a play. Makes all the throws and create plays behind a less than stellar offensive line. If one of the Seahawks' assistants ends up in Buffalo it would not be out of the question for them to give him a shot.

Agents really run this process. Unless a coach is offered a "dream job" and overrides his agent's advice (assuming that dream is not to be the HC of the Buffalo Bills) then the agent is going to cut the best deal for their client that they can. So, if Rex Ryan gets three offers his agent will play the deals against each other until they absolutely have to commit. No agent is going to jump at the first offer. The Bills will not lose their preferred candidate based on a timeline. They will win or lose based on the package they present and how it relates to the competition. They also have a very competent and widely accepted option in Schwartz already under contract so time is really not a huge concern. They are evaluating the entire organization and figuring who does what and how well they do it. The Head Coach hire is a headache I am sure they were not planning for at this point.

Leif Larsen was a monster at the combine and Todd Collins ruined it for all future Michigan QBs in Buffalo. ;-)

Wade Phillips http://blogimages.thescore.com/nfl/files/2012/10/Wade.jpg

Historically, Senior Bowl time is when coaches start panicking. Teams like to have their coaching staffs in place to evaluate talent as representatives of an organization. Senior Bowl is January 20th this year. It will be an eventful two weeks...

I live in Katy, TX...west of Houston...hometown of Andy Dalton. I think he has regressed under Jackson. I cannot respond to your pumpkin comment because I am not sure of the point you are trying to make. Is it his hair? Ha..........ha.

Jackson=Too much ego...there is still a lot of loyalty to Schwartz on the coaching staff. If Schwartz does not get promoted what happens to Danny Crossman (Schwartz's ST guy in Detroit)? Special Teams was viewed as the other strength behind defense this year. Todd Downing, the QB coach, was Schwartz's QB coach in Detroit. If Jackson gets rid of him (right or wrong) does that create a rift day one? In a lot of ways, promoting Schwartz makes sense. At the very least the Bills will need to appease Schwartz by giving him more title/power. Not allowing him to interview elsewhere was a clear indication they want to keep him so he will most likely be "Asst. Head Coach/Def." in 2015. If Schwartz does not emerge as the HC, whomever does will have to put their ego aside and realize more than half the team is not really his. It all points to an offensive minded HC who can make the most of what the Bills have on offense and not let their ego get in the way. The new HC almost certainly will need to have been a HC to match Schwartz's resume and new title and really not care about defense. Kubiak? Shurmur? Certainly not Jackson, Ryan, Shanahan... Get the offensive line right and everything will fall into place. The Defense and ST are set and there are more than enough skill players on offense to win. EJ can play enough QB and I think he learned some lessons while on the bench.

Andy Dalton would love for Hue Jackson to become Buffalo's new HC.

I really think there will be a premium placed on previous HC experience. The fact that no team has committed to currently available candidates tells me the teams still in play will produce at least two hires. The guys being talked about out there with current HC are: Tony Sparano - NO (Raiders only possibility) Marc Trestman - NO (I always liked him but he is toxic right now) Rex Ryan - YES (He will have multiple options) Mike Smith - NO (Will be out of coaching in 2014 (and maybe beyond)...good guy but he needs a rest) Gary Kubiak - YES (Not a lot being said about him but he will be a player in a secondary market (maybe in Oakland or Buffalo)) Mike Shanahan - YES (Wobbly but he will probably end up somewhere) Doug Marrone - NO (Window is closing...will anyone want to work with this guy?) So really, the only sure thing is Rex Ryan. He follows the team with the best QB right now. He will play and sell well in ATLANTA. Gary Kubiak will be a popular interview once available and I think he lands in BUFFALO, NEW YORK, or OAKLAND. He was Shanahan's long time assistant in Denver so any team that loses on Shanahan would consider Kubiak a good consolation prize. Unlike Shanahan, Kubiak will coach and not necessarily demand full control. Mike Shanahan will end up somewhere that will give him maximum control including having a big say in hiring a GM. He will demand roster control. I could see him in Oakland and Mark Davis firing Reggie McKenzie. Young QB...gobs of cap space - huge upside. I like Todd Bowles and I think this is his year. I could see him in CHICAGO as the second coming of Lovie Smith or NEW YORK, although I think New York will go offense with... Kyle Shanahan, Frank Reich, or Gary Kubiak...If Kyle Shanahan does not follow his father he could end up in NY with an offer he cannot refuse. Also, the longer the GM role goes unfilled the more attractive NY could be to both the Shanahan's. San Francisco will be the team that goes for the young coordinator happy to have his first HC job. The safe, obvious choices for them would be Adam Gase or Dan Quinn. I think Dan Quinn sneaks in and somewhat surprisingly gets this job with a ringing endorsement from Pete Carroll. Darell Bevell will wait around in his great situation until Pete Carroll decides to retire and hope to be the heir apparent. ATLANTA - REX RYAN BUFFALO - FRANK REICH CHICAGO BEARS - TODD BOWLES NEW YORK JETS - GARY KUBIAK OAKLAND - MIKE SHANAHAN (HC/GM) AND/OR KYLE SHANAHAN (ASST. HC/OC) SAN FRANCISCO - DAN QUINN I could be 100% wrong but at least it's more than a guess...or maybe it's not. As a fan, I really like Pat Shurmur in Buffalo for a lot of reasons but he would not be a sexy choice for the Pegulas. I like Frank Reich in Buffalo, too, and I really think he and Whaley could grow together if allowed. We shall see...

One benefit of casting a wide net in the interview process is it allows the new ownership to tell their story. They need the word to get out that they are committed to winning and money/resources are not an issue. "...AND if ANYONE gets in your way, just let me know because you report to me." It may not get them the candidate of their choice this time but they need to take advantage of this platform to broadcast their message. You cannot say they did not try to lock up the big names to come here. People like Cowher have too much to lose, including a friendship with a billionaire if he comes to Buffalo and fails. If the rumors were true that Polian was dissuaded by bad mouthing in the inner ranks then I am sure the Pegulas will address that in good time. Personally, I think it is a good, exciting gig for all the reasons mentioned by others. Remember, any coach has to sell his family on a 3+ year commitment to Buffalo. These guys are coaches. It's their "job". Their families see it as their "job"...a cross country move is a big deal whether you are a garbage man or a football coach. I have moved cross country twice and half way once - it's stressful. Owners in small markets will always have to overpay or over-empower to entice competitive coaching and front office candidates to join their organization. I don't think money will be an issue. They need to get the right organizational structure in place.

I don't think Marrone's immature actions were directed only at Whaley. It was clear to me that once Orton was signed and ready that Marrone was going to ride him to spite Whaley, et al. He was not in control of that decision so he was going to pout and really never seriously discussed Manuel the rest of the year. There were also inexplicable playing time moves in other areas: Robert Woods not starting, Bryce Brown not active until absolutely necessary, Mike Williams inactive, Watkins being deprived his 1000. (However, play time is tracked and Overdorf is VERY aware of incentives in contracts. It is unfortunately VERY common for players to be marginalized in a meaningless game at the end of the year.) He probably perceived his hand being slapped for commenting on injury status so he condescendingly delegated that required responsibility to Scott Berchtold. Remember he did not win the battle to replace the training staff early on in his tenure so he probably did not interface with that group very much. When you connect the dots of Marrone's ACTIONS it exposes him for who he evidently is; an immature control freak that looks out for himself. He is being identified as a cancer and his lack of humility will ultimately put him on the outside looking in. He needed to be the bigger man in Buffalo and unfortunately for him he got pulled into a turf war with professional survivors and he lost. The old guard survivors have had a good run but the reset button has been pushed and there is no one left to protect them. The Pegulas have changed the locks.

I have been saying Pat Shurmur for months. I am glad he is getting an opportunity to interview. He is a realistic option for the Bills with HC experience who never got a fair shot in CLE. Research his complete background before you declare him a typical retread. Mike Shanahan is a retread with a Napoleon complex.

Brandon cannot stay. All the personnel in the Front Office with "Chief" in their title were hired by him. Demoting him and keeping him around will create leadership confusion and undermine the creation of a new culture. Even if this organization was overwhelmingly successful for the past (let's face it) 20 years it would be difficult for new OWNERSHIP to come in and make it their own with past leadership still in place.

Well done!

Agreed...the personnel department led by Whaley is the best thing about this organization.

Hunt for Red October "This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we will be lucky to live through it." Plane crashes on the deck of an aircraft carrier.