respk

What's wrong with the UB stadium? I've been there 3 times for games and didn't think it was all that bad. A good start for a new program that could be expanded on when the time comes. There was no crowd even though school was in session. I don't think it is the stadium that is keeping the students away though. I just don't think they are interested yet. I think it is partly that most of the students are from out of town and secondly the sports programs have no history. They're not "big time" programs yet. The administration may be more worried about making it New York University instead of actually marketing it to the students and making the program better.

If Lee can teach EJ to be accurate, have a pocket presence and read the whole field, he has a chance. At this point next season hinges on who they find for the QB.

I missed any questions from harrington today. Was he there? I can't wait for the back and forth between Harrington/Sully and Ryan. They should be good. I'm betting on Ryan coming out ahead on those. Even though Harrington/Sully can spend all day every day thinking up questions for Ryan, I still think Ryan is way ahead of the two of them. It will be much more difficult for Harrington/Sully that it was with Marrone.

May have been the best $4 million the Pegulas have ever spent.

EJ probably will get another shot. I'm guessing the Bills don't cut him before training camp. I'm just hoping they bring in someone, anyone, that has as much or more potential than EJ does to compete for the job next season. If they don't and EJ doesn't play well enough to get to the playoffs, Whaley should be concerned about his job. It will be the second season that he has put his trust in EJ and it hasn't worked out.

Manning might be able to get the Bills to the playoffs next season, but I'm not sure bringing him in would be a good idea. At most your getting 1-2 years out of him and I think that just postpones the inevitable. Pick a couple of FAs and a draft choice, add in Manuel and pick the best one after training camp. Yes the Bills need to win now but they really need to find a long term solution at QB. Bringing in Manning just takes resources away from finding that long term solution.

The Bills didn't fire Marrone, he quit!

The more I think about it, the more I like the Ryan hiring, bringing in Roman and keeping Schwartz. It may not work out, but it's a great start for the Pegulas. I also can't wait for the press conferences between Harrington, Sully and Ryan. Given the past history of Harrington and Sully the press conferences could be very entertaining.

If Ryan, Schwartz, Roman/Trestman happens for the Bills, I'm excited. Playoff experience, Super Bowl experience. Ryan vs Marrone = upgrade, Roman/Trestman vs Hackett = upgrade, Schwartz vs. anybody else = at least as good based on last years results. I'd say the Pegulas may have put together one of the best HC/OC/DC groups they could There is no way to know if any coaching hire will work out, but I think hiring Ryan & Roman/Trestman and keeping Schwartz is one of the better groups they could put together.

Whaley and the new HC are paid to find players and put them in positions to win. They need to find a QB that they believe they can design an offense for that won't keep them from getting to the playoffs. To go into next season with EJ and Tuel and a draft choice as the QB group and have them fail, should be considered career suicide for Whaley. He will have done it twice with the same QB. <Insert the name of your favorite FA, draftee, trade acquisition QB here> may not be better in the long run, but they have to try. Agreed improving the OLine is priority 1a, right after QB.

I didn't think the Bills could deny an interview if it was for a position that would be a promotion.

As we all know the pickings are slim, but that's why Whaley and the next HC make the big bucks. Maybe we try to pry Bradford out of StL. Sanchez is a FA maybe he'd like a chance at starting. Pick another FA and sign both. Draft the best available in the 2nd or 3rd and take a flyer on someone in the 7th. The Bills just can't go into another season with the only option EJ. He already failed once, not entirely his fault most likely, and the players don't appear to have any faith in him. The players lack of faith in him may be the biggest reason that the Bills have to find someone else. The Bills have a defense that is ready for the playoffs now. 2014 was a wasted year for that defense. The belief going into the season that EJ would be ready was a huge miscalculation by Whaley. If he ties the 2015 season to EJ again and EJ fails, Whaley should be gone. You can't make the same mistake twice in two years.

Never say never but that has to be one of the craziest things i've ever read on this board. $4million is a nit when you're worth 4 billion. The players would never forgive Marrone, neither would Whaley or Brandon. The Pegulas appear to be very loyal people. Look how long they kept Regier and Ruff around after he bought the Sabres. I can't see them forgiving Marrone and bringing him back.

The Bills cannot rely on EJ becoming a serviceable QB. The defense is ready now. They need to find a QB that has shown they are on the cusp of being ready now or can be the starter day 1. Then they need to find another QB that has the talent to be the backup. Then they can let EJ compete with the 2 new QBs for the starting spot. Whoever wins, the Bills go forward. To go into another season believing EJ will be an adequate starter without having an adequate starter on the roster would be extreme negligence on the part of the GM.

2nd to last now. Hopefully with a little luck will be dead last at the end of the season. The Bills personnel isn't like the Sabres and football in general isn't like hockey. The Bills personnel is good enough on the defensive side to make a run at the playoffs. Just need to fix the offense, a couple of lineman and a QB (a big deal and not easy), and they should be in the playoffs and competitive doing it. The Sabres were no where near that and therefore were torn apart to be rebuilt again.

As to the bolded, Are you saying that the Bills should have co-GMs and co-scouting staffs? One for the Offense and one for the Defense?

I'm warming to the idea of Reich as the next HC as long as he can retain Schwartz. Reich doesn't have much coaching experience but from what I have read he is a leader, organizer and motivator. 3 very big assets that any HC needs to have. Schwartz runs the D and keep the defensive staff. Find a good OC and staff let Reich manage it. When needed some of the most honest and brutal people I have ever encountered are highly religious people.

If the next coach is worse? Pretty simple - Fire him and hire somebody else. This isn't life or death. As someone said above, Marrone ran Marrone out of town. Sports reporters shouldn't be taken too seriously, they should be read for entertainment purposes only because what they report on doesn't really mean anything no matter what happens. It all is just for fun!

I would be far more worried if the search was short and a coach was hired already. There is no immediate hurry yet. By the beginning of next week that may change with coaches from the NFL as hires may start to occur. For college coaches it may go on a little longer. Someone said in another thread, college coach movement is somewhat frowned upon until after national signing day, don't know if that is accurate or not because that would push college coach hires to February I think. I would find it somewhat hard to believe that they would keep Hackett. With the woes of the offense last year he is somewhat tarnished. I would think that they would want to start with someone new now and avoid the "I told you so" Because of the extensive number of candidates that they have interviewed and want to interview, I won't be upset with whomever they pick. In 2 years we'll know if the choice was correct or not.

It's possible that EJ will be a good QB some day, that day isn't today. The Bills have the defense to get to the playoffs now and for maybe the next year or two. They can't waste another year thinking that EJ is ready. They must find a QB that is ready now to take them to the playoffs. EJ can be the developmental 3rd stringer or maybe the backup if he gets better. The Bills have to find a playoff caliber QB for the next season. I don't think they can wait to see if EJ is that guy and have him fail again.

Has there been any speculation on if the interviews actually did occur or how well they went?

I think Petty would be a good pick up in the 2nd. Add in 2 FAs/trades and the Bills would be good to go for this year at least.

While tanking for the Sabres was the only logical way to rebuild, their situation was completely different than the Bills. The Bills have already built one of the best defenses in the league. It should be that way for another year to maybe three. The Bills need to find a QB and 1 or 2 lineman and they should be able to make the playoffs, but the time is now. The Bills are close with just a piece or two missing. The Sabres were many players away from truly competing when the rebuild was started in earnest and two "generational" players were available in this years draft. A "generational" type QB doesn't appear to be on the horizon in the next 2 drafts.

Given that the HC reports to the owner and that the owners are involved in the interviews, I'm thinking the owners are picking the next coach. Whaley is there to play a role and put in his two cents but I don't think he is picking the coach. It looks like the Pegula's are.

If during the course of the interview a coach says EJ is the guy and he can make him into a serviceable QB, the interview is over and move on to the next candidate. The question should be where will you find a QB for next season and how do you develop him.