jeffismagic

Sure. But I decide in the end. Someone has to have final call in the draft room. Why is it so hard for Terry to answer? It's not like this came out of the blue.

You posted a link yet Terry Pegula couldn't say Doug had final say in the draft or that would break the tie when asked directly.

Yes, it was a draft question. Who is in charge of the draft? Who breaks a tie? Pegula wouldn't say Whaley is safe but said that Whaley and McDermott worked well together. He didn't answer the question directly and then revealed that "whoever felt strongest" could sway a draft decision. Implied was that Terry would be the decider as he made a business reference.

I like Trubisky a lot too. But Mahomes upside is way higher so that's why I am on this train.

So if Whaley is in charge of the draft why did Terry not acknowledge that when asked? Why did he imply that "whoever felt strongest' would be the way the team went?

I am not an insider. I am sure you know way more about specific Bills details according to some on this board. But when the owner of a billion dollar football team can't answer WHO makes the final call or who breaks the tie then it's time to look deeper.

I'm with you. Playing it safe leads nowhere when you compete against 31 other teams. If you strike gold with Mahomes then you put yourself in a position to compete for a Superbowl and win the WHOLE THING!

Of course. Carroll seems to stay out of the way of his scouts while holding ultimate power. Not all coaches can resist that temptation.

This interview has nothing to do with Whaley's fate. Maybe he stays, maybe he goes. But as of right now the Bills do not have an official trigger man. It's whoever is in the Pegulas ear. Right now that appears to be McDermott. But even Russ Brandon will have sway in this business model.

Hey, I sent the interview without comment to a friend then called him and asked him in a neutral voice what he thought. He started mentioning, "Wow, this confirms my worst fears. We're in a mess."

Pegula was asked who had final say multiple times. Then he was asked would Whaley break a tie? He never said he would. Instead, Pegula implied HE would listen to whoever made the best case in the room and break the tie. You really have to see the interview.

Why did Roethlisberger, Brady, Brees, Derek Carr, Russell Wilson, or Dak Prescott last so long? Teams use methods to draft QB's and they are far from perfect. Many of the scouts are going off stuff from 2 decades ago.

Actually, I prefer Whaley to Terry Pegula or McDermott. But Pegula couldn't say Whaley has final say. Very revealing look into our team. I suspect the Bills will hope that peek behind the curtain will go down the memory hole.

The Pegulas are following the Redskin and Cowboy model. It can work but it could take more than a decade to get this right.

Nope. Watch the interview. They ask Pegula repeatedly if Whaley has final call and Pegula denies over and over.

Watch the interview. I transcribed the critical parts earlier in the thread. Pegula denies repeatedly Whaley has final say even when reporter tries to help Pegula by reminding him that Whaley is the GM. http://www.buffalobills.com/video/videos/Terry-Pegula-Going-to-Work-Harder-Day-by-Day/0a23734d-723f-42c9-a819-296e50fcb575

You are wrong. Pegula himself denied Whaley has final call when given multiple opportunities.

So all these Superbowl winning teams above tell the world and their fans how they operate but the Buffalo Bills are too good to do the same? Wow.

Baltimore Ravens: General manager Ozzie Newsome calls the shots and it's why the organization's mantra is "In Ozzie we trust." But the Ravens' draft room is far from a one-man operation. One of Newsome's strengths is assessing the collective opinion of the room and then making the final call. He takes input from the scouts, coaching staff and his right-hand man in assistant GM Eric DeCosta. Owner Steve Bisciotti has made it known he defers to Newsome (like the time Bisciotti wanted to take cornerback Lito Sheppard over safety Ed Reed in 2002). This marks the 21st draft in which Newsome is the top decision-maker. -- Jamison Hensley New England Patriots: The Patriots have a smaller-than-the-norm draft room compared to their NFL peers, with coach Bill Belichick relying on director of player personnel Nick Caserio, director of football research Ernie Adams, assistant to the coaching staff Michael Lombardi and director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort, among others. But when it comes time to make the final call, it's Belichick whose opinion trumps all. -- Pittsburgh Steelers: General manager Kevin Colbert gets the call. He has helped direct traffic in the Steelers' war room during the Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin regimes. But Tomlin and Colbert really do make these calls together. Colbert's not going to undercut Tomlin on a pick. Tomlin describes the working relationship as an "old married couple." Since Colbert runs the draft operation, he gets the spotlight. For example, Tomlin handles media duties during the season, and Colbert assumes that role from January to April. Either way, there will be no surprises between these two on Green Bay Packers: General manager Ted Thompson makes the call. Former Packers president Bob Harlan gave then-GM Ron Wolf full authority over all football decisions when he hired him in 1991 and promised no interference, and current president Mark Murphy has continued that with Thompson. However, as coach Mike McCarthy tells it, Thompson "told me in the beginning he would never force a player on me." So there's input from McCarthy and the scouts, but it's ultimately Thompson's decision. Denver Broncos: When it comes to personnel decisions, executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway likes discussion, he likes strong opinions and he wants to hear all of the issues involved with any decision. But in the end, Elway is THE team's decision-maker. Mike Sullivan (who handles the team's salary cap and contracts), Matt Russell and Tom Heckert all have strong voices in the process -- and Elway trusts them all -- but Elway breaks the ties and gives the final nod. - Seattle Seahawks: Having final say was important for Pete Carroll when he decided to give head coaching in the NFL a third try. And he was involved in the hiring of GM John Schneider. Though Carroll is the ultimate authority, the Seahawks appear to be a truly collaborative operation. Schneider and his staff work on the draft year-round, and he has significant influence. Carroll recently called Schneider the best GM in football and says he is the driving force behind acquiring talent. Their partnership has led to 46 regular-season wins over the past four years, the most in the NFC. New York Giants: Giants GM Jerry Reese leans hard on his scouts, and his coach and owner have lots of input in the draft. But in the end, it's Reese who makes the pick. The Giants have long adhered to a strict separation of powers between the coaching staff and the front office, and as GM, the draft is Reese's purview. If the room is split between two picks, it's Reese who makes the final call, and it has been since he became GM in 2007. -- http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2016/story/_/page/32for32x160417/nfl-draft-2016-ultimate-decision-maker-all-32-teams-general-manager-coach-both The best drafting teams disagree with Buffalo's strategy. You like Superbowls? These guys get them.

Yes, I don't think the Washington Redskins is a model I want to follow.

Watch the Pegula interview on the Bills website. He couldn't name the football person with final call. When pressed he wants it where "whoever feels strongest" we might lean that way. Reading between the lines it's Terry and Kim! They want to hold court and then decide.

I want a group effort with a football person in charge of the final call.

Do they battle to convince the Seahawks owner who is right?! I missed that part.

Who wants to be like New England, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, or Denver. You're right, I prefer the Bills model perfected under Levy-Jauron.

5-11. No young QB is drafted and developed. Rex Ryan is blamed at the end of the year for switching the scheme two years ago and Bills fans are told we need another draft to supply linebackers, safeties, corners, pass rushers, and wide receivers to help Tyrod.