THis is from espn.com......i like what Nix is about

[buffalo_bills]

Highlights from Nix news conference

December, 31, 2009 Dec 31 5:46PM ET

 

By Tim Graham

 

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buddy Nix's introductory news conference provided quite a bit of between-the-lines insight on how he plans to approach the Buffalo Bills.

 

His first major decision will be to hire a head coach, and although he declined to discuss names, it sure sounded like interim coach Perry Fewell won't be the choice.

 

Here are a few highlights I picked up from Nix's Q&A with reporters Thursday at One Bills Drive.

 

The Bills want a coach with a proven track record. In outlining the qualities he most values in a head coach, Nix stressed the ability to assemble a staff. Fewell's only head coaching experience will have been the seven games Buffalo gave him after firing Dick Jauron.

 

 

You know what, I know actions speak louder than words, but from this interview, I really like what Nix has to offer. It doesnt look like he'll bring any big free agents, but i think he'll bring some FA'S that are mediocre, but also get the job done. He understands what we need as head coach. He WILL bring someone in with previous coaching expreience, which is good to hear. He also wants to have better strength and conditioning coaches, which is also great to hear becuase we know about all our injuries, and they are not a coinidence. Overall, I think Buddy Nix will build a good team. I dont know how long it would take, but from the sound of it, the team should definitely improve next year. GO BILLS!

[Magox]

Glad to hear all this. He's definitely saying the right things, now lets see him put all this into action.

[Numark]

yea i don't exactly know why this was such a hated move.....

[PushthePile]

Thanks for sharing BB. I liked some of things I read.

 

- He seems committed to getting an experienced head coach. It's hard to disagree with that. The jump to head coach is severe and experience is important. The good ones learn from past failures.

 

- Nix said some nice things about rewarding players that perform for Buffalo. This has been an issue for quite some time. Giving back to our own quality players is far more important than landing good FAs. It promotes continuity (the good kind) and it builds tradition. It also makes Buffalo a much more appealing place to play.

 

- He addressed the Strength and Conditioning. I know many here have had big issues with this. While I am skeptical of how it would have affected this team, it should make alot of you happy. It also shows that Nix isn't pulling punches with this staff.

 

- The emphasis on a QB coach is vital and seems obvious. It makes you wonder about what we have in place. Again, Nix doesn't seem interested in pulling punches and one would think this coaching position is critical.

[BillnutinHouston]

It all sounds really good and very sound. Some like Sullivan or Florio may have preferred another guy "out there", but who can argue with the principles Nix intends to implement? If he's successful in implementing his philosphies, we should be in good shape. At least now we know what the philosphies are - I take some comfort in that.

[gobillsinytown]

yea i don't exactly know why this was such a hated move.....

 

Because Nix doesn't have the last name of "Shannahan", "Holmgren", or any other easily recognizable name. There also was no mention of 10 million per year in the Nix hiring. He also isn't 32 years old. I think that about covers it......oh,

and it's important to have a short memory when raging about anything that happens at One Bills Drive.

No one new who Bill Polian was when Ralph signed him.

I can distinctly remember the rage some Bills fans felt when Levy took over as head coach, because he didn't have an impressive record at Kansas City.

Bitterness gets to be like a caffeine addiction after a while.....

[jad1]

Because Nix doesn't have the last name of "Shannahan", "Holmgren", or any other easily recognizable name. There also was no mention of 10 million per year in the Nix hiring. He also isn't 32 years old. I think that about covers it......oh,

and it's important to have a short memory when raging about anything that happens at One Bills Drive.

No one new who Bill Polian was when Ralph signed him.

I can distinctly remember the rage some Bills fans felt when Levy took over as head coach, because he didn't have an impressive record at Kansas City.

Bitterness gets to be like a caffeine addiction after a while.....

 

Actually, I don't think it has much to do with Nix himself, rather it has to do with the process in which Nix was selected.

 

The hirings of Polilan and Levy by Wilson do stand out. Unfortunately, along with hiring Saban and Knox, they represent the only good front office hirings Wilson has made during his 50 years as the Bills owner.

 

No one can argue that the vast majority of Wilson's front-office signings haven't been somewhere between bad and horrible.

 

With his hiring track record, and the current state of the Bills, you'd think that Wilson's interviewee list would consist of more than two names.

 

After ten years of failure, it's hard to believe that Wilson wouldn't want to hear some outside opinions about the assessment of talent on the Bills current roster, the upcoming FA and draft prospects, and feedback on possible coaches and candidates.

 

It's not too much to ask that Wilson spend 4 or 5 days talking to possible GMs to get a good consensus on the direction the team should take to get back to respectability on the field.

 

Also, since the ownership issue continues to remain fuzzy because Wilson has no sucession plan in place, it might have made some sense to hire a younger GM who could, if successful, remain in the position for the next 10 years or so. It would give a sense of stability to an very unstable situation. Hiring a 70 year old GM just adds more uncertainty for the future outlook of the team.

 

Anyway, Nix sounds like a good guy and hopefully will be true to his statements in filling out the team's scouting and coaching staffs.

 

And it's not fair to him, but the decision would have been better received if Wilson had selected him after vetting a more comprehensive list of candidates.

[ThreeBillsDrive]

Glad to hear all this. He's definitely saying the right things, now lets see him put all this into action.

 

The proof is in the pudding

[cale]

Because Nix doesn't have the last name of "Shannahan", "Holmgren", or any other easily recognizable name. There also was no mention of 10 million per year in the Nix hiring. He also isn't 32 years old. I think that about covers it......oh,

and it's important to have a short memory when raging about anything that happens at One Bills Drive.

No one new who Bill Polian was when Ralph signed him.

I can distinctly remember the rage some Bills fans felt when Levy took over as head coach, because he didn't have an impressive record at Kansas City.

Bitterness gets to be like a caffeine addiction after a while.....

 

Look what you said is true. But even you have to admit that the owner went outside to look for Polian and Levywhen the organization became dysfunctiona. The reason given by the owner now is that "they didn't know the other guys on the list." What kind of reason is that?

 

I like the Nix hire. But I'd be a lot more comfortable with it if they looked thoroughly inside and *outside* the organization. They then would have had at least ideas and pitches from guys from successful organizations.

 

As it is, the only other interview was Guy. Modrak has never wanted the job. Guy has f-d up royally in the pro personnel dept. This organization *gave* him an interview. What does that say about the search process?

 

I'm sorry but the Bills have done nothing in the past 10 years or so for me to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm gonna wait and see what the results on the ground are before deciding if this move is genius or just one more OBD cluster$@.

 

C

[BADOLBILZ]

yea i don't exactly know why this was such a hated move.....

 

I don't think it was hated as much as viewed with a great deal of skepticism because it was all too famialar and seemingly hastily slapped together without so much as any interviews outside of the organization. An organization that is downright sickly and keeps trying to solve it's problems by promoting people from within.

 

I don't see anybody who doesn't like Nix. He truly says all the right things, which wasn't the case with Marv(we draft for need) or Jauron(you name it). But just like he knows that it's critical that he find a HC who can build a staff, the Bills need a GM who can hire a good HC and assemble a quality scouting staff and so on. It's a big job and the man is 70 years old and has never been a GM.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Look what you said is true. But even you have to admit that the owner went outside to look for Polian and Levywhen the organization became dysfunctiona. The reason given by the owner now is that "they didn't know the other guys on the list." What kind of reason is that?

 

I like the Nix hire. But I'd be a lot more comfortable with it if they looked thoroughly inside and *outside* the organization. They then would have had at least ideas and pitches from guys from successful organizations.

 

As it is, the only other interview was Guy. Modrak has never wanted the job. Guy has f-d up royally in the pro personnel dept. This organization *gave* him an interview. What does that say about the search process?

I'm sorry but the Bills have done nothing in the past 10 years or so for me to give them the benefit of the doubt. I'm gonna wait and see what the results on the ground are before deciding if this move is genius or just one more OBD cluster$@.

 

C

 

Most of the posts in this thread have been excellent, yours included, Cale. But two things:

 

Firstly, Polian was promoted from within. Ralph didn't go outside the organization to hire him. Polian did however hire Levy from outside.

 

Secondly, in all probability Guy was interviewed solely to comply with the Rooney Rule.

 

I agree with and have stated the same thought most of us have expressed here: We'd all feel more secure in this hiring if the team had spoken to others outside the organization, both interviewing candidates and also getting opinions from independent experts (Wolf, Accorsi).

 

Our primary reservation aside, this might still end up being a good hire.

[NFLBighits]

We Don't Know But this I do know if they landed Bill Cowher they be batting a 1,000

[Buftex]

Most of the posts in this thread have been excellent, yours included, Cale. But two things:

 

Firstly, Polian was promoted from within. Ralph didn't go outside the organization to hire him. Polian did however hire Levy from outside.

 

Secondly, in all probability Guy was interviewed solely to comply with the Rooney Rule.

 

I agree with and have stated the same thought most of us have expressed here: We'd all feel more secure in this hiring if the team had spoken to others outside the organization, both interviewing candidates and also getting opinions from independent experts (Wolf, Accorsi).

 

Our primary reservation aside, this might still end up being a good hire.

 

 

I distinctly remember, when Hank Bullough was fired, it was pretty much a "done deal" in the sports media at that time (a bit smaller than it is now) that former Browns coach, Sam Rutigliano was going to be the Bills coach. The rumor at that time was that Rutigliano was Ralph's choice... not necessarily Bill Polians.

 

That was not a choice that inspired much in Bills fans (although he had a decent run with the Browns), but negotiations crumbled quickly with Rutigliano (did Polian ensure that?) ...so Marv Levy it was... Polian, the unknown, picked Marv, not for his work with the Chiefs, but more, he was impressed with him, after working with him in the USFL with the Chicago Blitz...Polian also worked in the CFL, when Marv Levy was winning Grey Cup championships. So who does Buddy know?

[Red]

You know what, I know actions speak louder than words, but from this interview, I really like what Nix has to offer. It doesnt look like he'll bring any big free agents, but i think he'll bring some FA'S that are mediocre, but also get the job done. He understands what we need as head coach. He WILL bring someone in with previous coaching expreience, which is good to hear. He also wants to have better strength and conditioning coaches, which is also great to hear becuase we know about all our injuries, and they are not a coinidence. Overall, I think Buddy Nix will build a good team. I dont know how long it would take, but from the sound of it, the team should definitely improve next year. GO BILLS!

 

 

 

Yes!

 

I could not agree more with the approach. Letting guys that developed in Buffalo like Pat Williams and Antoine Winfield walk away was stupid. All those guys have gone on to do is have stellar careers with the Vikings. Fletcher too. He is still kickin' butt in DC. Clements was going to cost way too much, and as he has proven is overpaid.

 

I think that the Bills have truly lacked a teaching staff from its coaching ranks. I liked it when the Bills had Sam Wyche as their QB coach. I don't know why Jauron did not believe in the idea of having a QB tutor to groom your young QB's.

 

It's also exciting to hear that the concerns about the injuries and perhaps the role the strength coach plays in all of it is of concern.

 

Ultimately, I don't need the TO free agent signing, or any Vick garbage. Build through the draft, and reinforce those draft picks with solid, scrappy veterans like a London Fletcher or a Drayton Florence.

 

I've got to say, I'm excited again!

[RkFast]

I don't think it was hated as much as viewed with a great deal of skepticism because it was all too famialar and seemingly hastily slapped together without so much as any interviews outside of the organization. An organization that is downright sickly and keeps trying to solve it's problems by promoting people from within.

 

I don't see anybody who doesn't like Nix. He truly says all the right things, which wasn't the case with Marv(we draft for need) or Jauron(you name it). But just like he knows that it's critical that he find a HC who can build a staff, the Bills need a GM who can hire a good HC and assemble a quality scouting staff and so on. It's a big job and the man is 70 years old and has never been a GM.

 

70 isnt old anymore. Some people dont become lead men until they are in their 70s...like Supreme Court Justices...Popes....and Presidents.

[3irty1]

Building through the Draft, putting money into your current roster rather than FA, possibly switching to the 3-4... Sounds like the Packers for the last 4 years. Just be prepared for a long ride. Though it is effective if done correctly, it takes a couple seasons to complete, and thats if you make good decisions in the draft. Luckily it seems these next two drafts will be loaded with talent.

 

I like the idea, and am happy with Nix. But its de javu all over again

[Flbillsfan#1]

Building through the Draft, putting money into your current roster rather than FA, possibly switching to the 3-4... Sounds like the Packers for the last 4 years. Just be prepared for a long ride. Though it is effective if done correctly, it takes a couple seasons to complete, and thats if you make good decisions in the draft. Luckily it seems these next two drafts will be loaded with talent.

 

I like the idea, and am happy with Nix. But its de javu all over again

I hope the difference will be a STEADY IMPROVEMENT in the next couple years rather than CONTINUED mediocrity.

[spartacus]

Look what you said is true. But even you have to admit that the owner went outside to look for Polian and Levywhen the organization became dysfunctiona. The reason given by the owner now is that "they didn't know the other guys on the list." What kind of reason is that?

 

 

C

 

Polian was not hired from outside the Bills to be the GM

 

he was already a scout working under another one of Ralph's inept GM hires, Terry Bledsoe.

When promoted, Polian was another of Ralph's cheap internal promotions, on which Ralph struck lightning in a bottle. As they say, lightning does not strike twice in the same place.

 

Levy had the good fortune to coach a teamful of Hall of Famers, put together by Polian. Marv's actual coaching ability is pretty suspect and should be reviewed in light of how many coaches he developed under his "tree" and moved into top jobs in the NFL. about none

[BillsWatch]

Don't expect the Bills to dump a lot of cash into the free-agent market. Nix expressed his preference to building through the draft, dedicating money to players already on the roster and supplementing areas of need with mid-range free agents, not superstars.

 

Nix's philosophies sounded to be in direct contrast to the way the Bills have operated in recent years. The Bills have lost such players as Jason Peters, Pat Williams, London Fletcher, Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield because they refused to pay them.

 

"That money ought to go to our guys that played good and you reward them by extending them and keeping them around. We know what we got. Let's build that way. Let's make that team know that we're going to do that.

 

Disagree with TG on this, Jason Peters, London Fletcher, Nate Clements and Antoine Winfield were lost because they wanted to be paid as superstars. Antoine Winfield in fact was paid in a front loaded contact almost no other team could afford. He also left out a number of free agents who got bundles and did not pan out for new team like Jonas Jennings. Pat Williams was lost because they had the salary cap room for one player and choose an offense not a defense player. Fletcher if he played for Bills now would be called too small and making tackles 10 yards off line of scrimmage and I have heard same thing spoken to him by Red$kin fans.

 

Bills have paid good money to extend players, players they thought had more potential and worth the contract, but the coaching staff has not been able to get the most out of them. Synergy was a goal of the front office but synergy works only if implementation works otherwise synergy takes down all.

 

It all sounds really good and very sound. Some like Sullivan or Florio may have preferred another guy "out there", but who can argue with the principles Nix intends to implement?

 

That Sullivan and Florio do not agree is a good sign. But like many others if things turn around they will do a flip flop and point to the articles which showed they support the move if you cover up half the words and squint with one eye.

[Buftex]

That Sullivan and Florio do not agree is a good sign. But like many others if things turn around they will do a flip flop and point to the articles which showed they support the move if you cover up half the words and squint with one eye.

 

I don't think anyone necessarily dis-likes Nix, but I think the reason for concern with the choice is more based on the clumsy way it evolved (like most of Ralph's FO moves in the recent past) and the fact that it isn't a great sign that Ralph is straying too far out his comfort zone to bring us a winner. It is an approach that has not worked before, so there is an inclination to be a little wary of this decision. But, we can only have blind faith at this point...it is all we have...