BillsVet

RW said at Nix' PC that luck was necessary. How about a real GM, a non-retread HC, and perhaps new people in the front office. But that'd be asking too much. They'd better have a lot of luck, as in winning the lotto three times in a row.

So we go from mediocrity in the pros (DJ Mr. 7-9) to mediocrity in the NCAA (CG Mr 7-5). I'd rather we'd have kept DJ. And I think he was one of the worst football coaches in the past 30 NFL seasons.

DOOOOMED And I'm not being sarcastic.

Based on what? Their stellar track record since 2000? Rookies aren't a difference maker typically their first season. They'll try to sign McNabb or Vick to a one year deal to be TO 2.0. And yet fans are twisting this to be "okay." Unfreakingbelieveable.

The idiocy abounds on TBD. Forgive a columnist who is paid to author opinion pieces, from complaining about a team that's 0 their last 10 in playoff appearances. Hate on the media, local and national, because they dare to criticize the Buffalo Bills. Their beef isn't with the fans, it's with an ownership/front office that can't build a winner.

Why then did they interview Fewell, who simply received a token interview. He was never a candidate. As for the franchise, they have lost the benefit of the doubt in national football experts eyes. There is a reason for this, and it's the result of bad and short-term feel good decisions since Donahoe was rightly fired.

So how do the Packers succeed year after year? They're the definition of small market, do not have the operating income most big teams have, yet still continue to make the playoffs. How does Indianapolis do it either? The difference between winning and losing is management. Smaller markets have a less margin of error, but in the case of GB, they draft and use UFA extremely well. Buffalo does not have the front office leadership and management capable of adapting and succeeding in the 21st century NFL. But because most on TBD do not manage others, nor ever will, thy can't comprehend that individual decisions can adversely affect so much. No team is absolutely perfect, but when you miss on numerous first rounders, sign bad UFA's, and hire inept HC's, expect to go ofer the decade.

How anyone can say the Bills will be fine with the team's future is serious doubt is beyond me. Go ahead and ignore the obvious that the owner passing means the team is up for sale to the highest bidder. Ignore 10 straight non-playoff years. Ignore a roster nearly bereft of talent and severely lacking in depth that featured only 2 pro bowl alternates. Ignore that in the past four years the team has been on par with TD's last four years. Ignore the multiple individuals who won't even take their calls to be HC. Ignore the GM search that didn't extend beyond the building. Ignore that Mr. Smithers was promoted after managing this team to a 13-19 record in two seasons as quasi-GM. The team's rep has been irreparably damaged since Levy was inexplicably hired. Yeah, they'll be fine all right.

While working for SD from 01-08, Nix worked out of his home in Tennessee and did not interface with other team personnel with day to day operations. A GM needs to manage all personnel, both pro and college along with overseeing the cap, negotiating contracts, hiring the HC, and managing other numerous day to day operations. Nix didn't do a lot of that. It also appears as though he doesn't have the authority to fire people like Modrak, Guy, and Overdorf who need to go.

Buffalo has not have earned the benefit of the doubt in their management and personnel decisions since forever. No, next season isn't over, but odds are that the Bills will be in total rebuild mode with a new HC. I'd ask the casual uninformed homer fans which moves the Bills have made that earn them a level of trust and respect from the fan base.

Who are the stars of this team after four seasons of Levy/Jauron/Brandon? Evans, Schobel, and ???? Both of those guys were drafted by Tom Donahoe 9 and 6 years ago. The other players, Levitre, Wood, McKelvin, and Maybin are either playing positions easy to replace (Guard) or still aren't proven NFL players. Is it any coincidence that none of the team's first rounders from 06-08 aren't really difference makers? Only Posluszny from the 2nd and 3rd rounds from 06-08 can be considered an NFL starter for the long term. They have nothing proven successful at QB, nothing at OT (Butler's been injured each of his seasons), their best defender may retire, and their LB's beside Poz and Mitchell are UFL caliber. Next season will be a total rebuild.

So would I. That agent isn't worth anything unless he demands at least 5M per season and sticks it to Buffalo. The Bills are seriously in huge trouble and must immediately move more quickly and perhaps in a different direction that they'd like. Still, based on their collective response during the fake ring ceremony, the Nix hiring PC, and not admitting DJ's new contract I'm not betting their reaction is enough to mitigate the latest report.

The Bills will be in "save face" mode really soon. They can't afford such bad PR anymore and must answer. If Frazier is willing to take the job, they can't run the risk of having another guy decline their interview request. Cue Berchtold and Chris Brown for a CYA leak or news story. Smithers, where are you?

Marv Levy would turn this organization down if offered the HC job.

There are several examples of UDFA RB's being successful in the NFL. Jackson, Willie Parker, Priest Holmes, and others are just a few. There aren't nearly the amount who go from UDFA or PS to being a top NFL LT. No, I don't want to write him off, but it's much easier to find a RB than it is a LT. The probability he'll lock down either side for the long haul is not as great as people think. I trust GB's front office a whole lot more than I do Buffalo's.

I really hope so with Nix. My primary concern is how much latitude he'll have to manage the team. Right now, they've kept the same people in the front office, and I sense much of the bad drafts from 06-08 are somewhat blamed on DJ. At the same time, it's apparent that they need another rebuilding. How long is BN going to be around for to see that through?

Green Bay did not balk when Buffalo came calling. They allowed him out the door, in contrast to their reaction when Buffalo raided their PS for Brian Brohm. In the latter instance, at least GB offered a 2 year contract. Look, each team in the NFL has a reputation for how they handle personnel. I believe GB is pretty good, and simply letting a first year guy walk away is extremely telling. He may be decent, but from what I saw at the games this year, he's another project type guy (along with Bell) who isn't/wasn't ready to be a full time starter.

Anyone who thinks Jamon Meredith is an up and coming talent should remember this: GB surrendered 50 sacks this season and he wasn't good enough to make their active roster. The Packers were particularly bad at OT, with two thirty somethings Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher.

Given that all NFL franchises require a great deal of personnel, there is ample opportunity for information to get out even though teams hate this. And universally declaring that no one knows the degree of an owner's meddling in order to deflect any opinion critical of said owner is a short sighted argument.

You've resorted to suggesting there are two owner options: 1. Owner closely oversees everything and makes all decisions or.. 2. Owner abdicates responsibility to someone in his stead. Reasonable fans should expect an owner to fall somewhere in the middle and delegate day to day responsibility to football people to make key football decisions. I should think the owner will be part of the decision to hire a GM, not signing a big name future HOF WR for one year. Nor should the owner be the absolute authority to who becomes the HC. The reason Buffalo consistently fails is because the owner will not admit he's incapable of making good football decisions. Take that as a "bash Ralph" opinion, but history demonstrates RW rarely gets it right. And when he does, he ends up firing that guy who is the best GM in the past 25 years of the NFL.

Someone could attempt to dispute those reports, but TD and John Butler said RW was frequently wanting information. I don't think we realize the degree to which he meddles. Snyder gets press because it's DC, but RW may be worse. This is the same guy who re-signed OJ before the season opener in 76 and didn't tell anyone until a night or two before the game. Well put. I don't think it's any coincidence that more hands-off owners are the successful ones. While they're all rich, their business acumen doesn't translate into professional football and the smart ones know it. They'll delegate day to day stuff to a football man who has the authority to hire, fire, and make the moves necessary to win. I think of guys like Irsay, Blank, Kraft, Spanos, Mara/Tisch, Lurie, and Biscotti.

I'm dismissive because solid NFL coaches don't come from the CFL. Sure, someone will mention Levy and Bud Grant, but that was more than a generation ago. I'm also not one to live in absolutes, as in he was the reason for the success of those teams/players or he was an impediment. Still, some people are capable of only going so far. Schonert was a QB coach, not a coordinator. Trestman seems like a guy who topped out as a coordinator. And last I heard, he preferred being a HC in the CFL than a coordinator or position coach in the NFL.

BNH, it's too late for that. Many fans here have advocated hiring a consultant last month to help the team transition into a new regime. Unfortunately, nothing has really changed. Smithers was not going to hire anyone he didn't know, and probably sold RW on that same idea. And that's why no consultant was ever considered. Smithers actually thinks he can do it himself. If they were serious about revamping their entire operation, it would have started with a league wide search for a GM, not a team-wide one. I think Smithers has become RW's chief football adviser, but the old man cannot see he's being led down a dark path.

But, but, it was positive! Meredith is NFL garbage, along with Jonathan "I got beat 3x by 35 year old Jason Taylor" Scott. Demetrius Bell was a project player who had no business starting. I think at least 20% of their roster to complete the season was made up of street free agents, UDFA's, and low round (5th or later) draft picks. No wonder they had no depth.