BillsVet

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.

RW could fire Brandon and give Cowher 25% of the team and it wouldn't be enough. The Buffalo Bills organization is where careers go to die. Why would BC take the chance of going somewhere in which his boss is a little marketing boy who reports to a 91 year old owner that ultimately makes the decisions.

I love it how whenever a position coach or coordinator works with talented players, that they're credited with said players success. Like Trestman working with Jerry Rice in Oakland. The guy is in Canada for a reason. He's not going to be Bud Grant 2.0 and come to the NFL and produce winners because he just isn't good enough. Everyone talks about Levy, but for goodness sakes Marv had a ton of talent to work with after moving into the NFL with Buffalo. Trestman in Buffalo would be worse than Tom Cable in Oakland or David Shula in Cincinnati.

A 3-4 NT in Leslie Frazier's C2? Why not? Smithers needs to start worrying about selling tickets for the 2010 season soon.

Next year will be a full on rebuild for the entire roster. New coaches bring new schemes, and they'll look for new players more than an incumbent HC would. Darryl Talley was upset with the effort during the season, and we can be sure whatever poor guy takes over the team will see that. The team needed a complete engine overhaul and all we got was a kicking of the tires and a new air freshener. This is a team that can't rebuild because that would be making a plan for the future. And with the team going up for sale, new long term contracts are something they won't do.

Negativity about a team that's missed the playoffs 10 years running? How about one that hasn't won a post-season contest in 14 seasons? Or, how about not knowing where the team is when the 91 year old owner is not around? Nope, no reason to be anything but positive. Man, that's must take a lot of alcohol.

Their marketing department is aloof. Management doesn't help the cause by making strange decisions, like cancelling a ring ceremony without even telling their HOF RB who happens to have a 2 hour show Monday's on WGR. Couple that with the lack of information on the DJ extension in late 2008, retaining DJ in December 08, or firing the coaching staff and trying to say they weren't fired but free to look for work. Even when people attempt to speak with RW, he's closely guarded by the likes of Scott Berchtold, VP of Communications. It's a sad thing when they're afraid of what their owner might say.

That seems to be the topic no one wants to address. The Minnesota Vikings are fighting a protracted war with the state about publicly funding a new stadium, given their lease running out at the Metrodome after the 2011 season. So far the state has balked, forcing the team to threaten to move. OTOH, Buffalo hasn't made any noise about a new stadium, nor insisted on public money for any renovations. No one from the Bills or any government has discussed what happens after the lease expires after the 2012 season. I don't think there's a plan, nor will there be. Everything depends on Ralph at this point.

How will the Browns maintain continuity now? They don't know what they've done. All joking aside, there's a reason why Buffalo chooses to remain in house with their GM and does not shed the dead weight on the payroll. And it's got nothing to do with football.

Is he shoveling snow or some other inane duty in the interim? Why retain his services if he's not going to be involved. For goodness sakes, he's the VP of Pro Personnel not scouting the Yukon Territory. I'm not saying he's horrible, because DJ had more say on personnel that we'd care to admit/believe sometimes, but this whole franchise needs a fresh start. Instead, we're getting yesterday's repackaged leftovers.

There is no change coming to the front office. Because Burns and Smithers didn't know individuals on a supposed list, they again kept everything in-house and risked nothing but looking bad to the rest of the NFL. And guys like Modrak and Guy will remain because they're familiar faces, even though the former spends little time at OBD. The Bills haven't made long term plans on anything in years. The last three GM's bear this out with octogenarian Levy, then the unqualified Brandon, and now 70 year old first timer Buddy Nix. None of those guys were/are long term answers, which leads me to believe their plan is to not have one until the owner passes. God forbid, but they're now up sh!$ creek without a paddle in a HC search.

Cowher has not interviewed. Kelly and Wilson have had conversations, but nothing official. That's a reach if there ever was one. Shanahan was a pipe dream and all but the most homer of fans know it. Neither of those were ever realistic. Harbaugh would prefer to remain at Stanford than coach in the NFL? What's wrong with that picture? Certainly no worthy NFL HC job would be eschewed in favor of a job in the PAC-10 which isn't high profile. Goodness gracious.

Two months into a coaching search and only one legit candidate has had an interview? There's no way to explain how bad this is becoming, and the homers will say not to worry, but there aren't any other teams in the NFL searching for a HC. Perhaps Oakland tomorrow, but if Grimm declines, that guarantees that things are very bad.

Fine, but by May the majority of the pro personnel decisions have been made. Unless of course you count scouring the waiver wire or street FA list for the next retread. Bills fans figured when Jauron was fired that a true housecleaning was coming. It hasn't nor will it happen because no one can fire anyone without Ralph's approval. Ergo, Modrak, Guy, Overdorf, et al will remain until the bitter end.

1) Promising young nucleus on the Line? They have no OT's that aren't injury concerns. OT's are much harder to find than G's. 2) Evans does not get the ball, because both the aforementioned OL is bad and the team has no QB. 3) RB's are not difficult to find, and more likely to be injured than most positions. 4) Secondaries are not as important as the front 7, in that they can be ripped apart without a pass rush. 5) They have one Pro Bowl alternate and an aging Stroud. How many times did MS get double-teamed? Not much 6) Special teams are nice, but they weren't spectacular, flagged regularly, and lost 2 games in 09. Not a stellar unit and will have a new coach. 7) If you think this team can win the AFCE next year, it's going to take a lot going right. As in the previous 6 items working out. They need no less than a starting caliber QB, LT, RT, and a SLB. Then, no one gets hurt because depth is a problem.

Tim-thanks for noting how Buffalo is an organizational mess in your article regarding Kugler's hiring. The Bills have had as many declinations for interviews (one) as they have interviews since Frazier's meet and greet. Have you ever heard of a coordinator turning down an opportunity for advancement?

Fans define success as winning and IMO at this point making the playoffs is the goal. I'm not so sure the execs at OBD see it that way, at least the CEO, CFO, and perhaps the owner. Seems like profit is the motivating factor, hence the cost-cutting moves last season. I thought it ironic that the quasi-GM of the franchise was not heard from as the season started slow and finished poorly. That absence speaks volumes, especially considering that fans were told 7-9 wasn't good enough. Brandon said very little at the Nix introduction, so I'm left to believe he's not one to be in the spotlight any more than necessary when things aren't good.

Rational fans know that there isn't a lot of time for this franchise to construct a winner. ATL, MIA, and BAL all went near worst to first in their division in one season from 07 to 08. (BAL was a WC) Frazier's time as a HC in the college ranks was at...wait for it....Trinity University, which is an NAIA school. He wasn't coaching Ohio State or Florida or Oklahoma and getting big time experience. I don't think the fans want to watch another complete rebuild after 10 years of failure. We've seen that twice already this decade. Even if they don't advertise it, knowledgeable fans can easily spot a rebuild.

Heard it from the dude, playing the dude who's disguised as another dude. Simple.

Don't even try holding a conversation with the homers. Nothing short of the team moving would ever cause them to doubt the franchise. I have never heard of a coordinator turning down a HC job in the NFL, but suddenly it's no big deal. Perhaps it's some OC or DC has rejected an interview before, but for this to happen is a huge slap in the face. All of this is the result of horrible management with RW's people like Littman running the show behind the scenes. Between Donahoe, Levy, and Russ "Mr. Smithers" Brandon handling this team we've witnessed mediocrity in an era when just about every team has made the playoffs. Homer fans are not bright, but simply afraid that if they don't show support, the team will definitely leave. And so you get the drivel like APUS and C. Bisc.

Every team in which the owners run the show routinely fail. Ironically, none of these owners are willing to admit they flat out cannot build a winner. Dallas-Finally won their first playoff game since 96 when Jimmy J.'s boys were running out of steam. Jerra Jones, even with Parcells, could never put big dollars together and replace Johnson's talent. Cinci-Mike Brown's franchise hasn't won a playoff game in 20 years. Two playoff appearances in 5 years though. Oakland-Nothing to say, Al Davis was past his prime about 10 years ago. Myriad of coaches and yes-men have come and gone without change. Washington-Snyder's spending hasn't worked, isn't working, and won't work. Buffalo-Wilson's elderly grip on the team won't recede despite the playoff drought and 0 playoff wins since 95 season. All of these teams, both smaller market and large, have failed because owners think they know enough football to run the show. Sadly, none of them get the point as their teams continue to slide. Only Dallas and Cincinnati have QB's and not coincidentally both were 09 playoff teams.

And every one of those meddling owners has a pretty poor track record. Mike Brown's Bengals haven't won a playoff game in 20 years, Jones just won his first since 96. Davis' Raiders may be the worst team next to the Lions. Meddling owners typically do not succeed. Contrast these guys with the more hands-off approach of Arthur Blank, Dean Spanos, Jim Irsay, Robert Kraft, and Jeffrey Lurie.