Bills franchise question?

[Mr. WEO]

There really isn't a power struggle between the GM Allen and HC Shanahan. Shanahan has most of the authority with respect to player personnel decisions. Allen isn't the type of person who jealously guards his authority. He is more than willing to work with Shanahan and support him.

 

From what I understand they have an excellent working relationship. Shanahan is really the most important football operative within the organization and Allen is more of an administrative executive.

A very good point, John. I doubt there will be any problem with that duo. I'm sure Allen has no illusions regarding his role

 

I think people are hoping for Shanahan to fail simply because he is not here.

[JohnC]

A very good point, John. I doubt there will be any problem with that duo. I'm sure Allen has no illusions regarding his role

 

I think people are hoping for Shanahan to fail simply because he is not here.

 

It is remarkable how if you know what you are doing you can rebuild a team in relatively short order without breaking the bank. As an example, in one offseason Shanahan dramatically improved the OL without giving up much and without over-pricing a player. He drafted OT Trent Williams with his first round pick, he picked up Hicks a guard/RT for a reasonable price in free agency and got LT/RT Jammal Brown from the Saints for a miniscule price. Not only is he rebuilding the OL but he is also adding depth and flexibility to it.

 

If you include the addition of McNabb (Bills also had an interest in) he has dramatically upgraded the offense without taking the Snyder extravagant free agent route. It is acknowledged that McNabb has a high contract which will be extended but it certainly is commensurate to where he is ranked as a qb.

 

Compare the Skins situation to the Bills which haven't had a decent functioning OL for almost 15 yrs. As I have noted on prior postings expecting Demetrius Bell to start at LT is taking a very high gamble on sabatoging the offense once again. The NFL of today is predicated on player movements. Some franchises are more adept at working within the system and other franchises seem to always lag behind.

[transient]

There really isn't a power struggle between the GM Allen and HC Shanahan. Shanahan has most of the authority with respect to player personnel decisions. Allen isn't the type of person who jealously guards his authority. He is more than willing to work with Shanahan and support him.

 

From what I understand they have an excellent working relationship. Shanahan is really the most important football operative within the organization and Allen is more of an administrative executive.

 

I'll admit I don't know much about Allen, so I'll take your word for it. This situation or a combined GM/HC roll is the only way coaches like Shanahan or Cowher would agree to coach an organization at this point in their careers IMO.

 

Personally, I have no ill will against Shanahan, and actually don't think he would have been a good fit. From a personnel perspective he seemed to bring in players by the truckload in FA, and if they didn't pan out he'd take the cap hit and find another, something I don't see playing well with Ralph (however, fits right in with Washington's MO under Snyder).

[BobbyC81]

After that 4th consecutive SB loss to Dallas after the '93 season, I stopped caring about other franchises winning SB's before my beloved Bills. Let's face it, they had four straight chances to win just one of these damn games, and blew them all. Sure I'll respect those 4 consecutive Conference championships, a feat most likely never to be repeated again in today's salary capped free agencied NFL. But now I only want to live long enough to watch my Bills win just one SB. Unfortunately, Ralph Wilson has to live long enough at 93 years old, while they still are the Buffalo Bills, for that to happen.

 

So although it seems crazy that Tampa Bay and New Orleans have won their SB's before the Bills have, who really cares? Cleveland and Detroit fans have never even gotten the chance to watch their teams play in even one SB, and we Bills fans have experienced that feeling 4 times.

 

Houston has also not seen one of their teams in the Super Bowl and were also an original AFL team. Titans (formerly Oilers) made it but not as Oilers.

[Meathead]

The team that really killed me to see win, was the Patriots, the first time. Make no mistake, I loved the way they played football, but, I hated the fact that the one team in our division, who Bills fans could look down their noses at, won a friggin' Super Bowl. seemingly out of nowhere. To have them repeat that feat a few more times is just galling...

this just in - they were cheating

 

i will go to my grave just amazed that people can talk about the cheatriots as if they earned something. for some completely unbelieveable reason most people seem to feel taping signals wasnt a massive advantage. if you give me the resources of an nfl team and a tape of the first quarter defensive signals i guarantee you i can put together a decoder in time for the second half

 

oh wow look how incredible that ne offense is! why its just like they know exactly where to go!

 

thats because they did

 

go back and take a look at the teams that gave them trouble in that era - it was teams that had cheatriot ex-coaches on staff! since they knew what the cheats were doing they likely did something to make stealing signals a lot harder

 

its one of the biggest travesties in sports history, as well as a damning indictment how little people care about morality in their sports. a few draft picks and a couple fines?!??! my god they should have been stripped of their titles. of course the nfl severely underplayed it cuz they knew the scandal would seriously damage enthusiasm and thus income for the game, as well as leave a permanent mark against the league. but if people had stood up and protested the kid glove treatment they would have taken another look. but of course people didnt and i still find that utterly amazing

 

what have they won since then? nuthin. the giants made their allegedly super offense look average. not surprising since they no longer knew what was coming. apparently people think that was just a coincidence. aaarghh

[thewildrabbit]

It is remarkable how if you know what you are doing you can rebuild a team in relatively short order without breaking the bank. As an example, in one offseason Shanahan dramatically improved the OL without giving up much and without over-pricing a player. He drafted OT Trent Williams with his first round pick, he picked up Hicks a guard/RT for a reasonable price in free agency and got LT/RT Jammal Brown from the Saints for a miniscule price. Not only is he rebuilding the OL but he is also adding depth and flexibility to it.

 

If you include the addition of McNabb (Bills also had an interest in) he has dramatically upgraded the offense without taking the Snyder extravagant free agent route. It is acknowledged that McNabb has a high contract which will be extended but it certainly is commensurate to where he is ranked as a qb.

 

Compare the Skins situation to the Bills which haven't had a decent functioning OL for almost 15 yrs. As I have noted on prior postings expecting Demetrius Bell to start at LT is taking a very high gamble on sabatoging the offense once again. The NFL of today is predicated on player movements. Some franchises are more adept at working within the system and other franchises seem to always lag behind.

Who knows what the GM and HC are thinking going into this next season with what they currently have on the roster at the tackle position...

 

I can only think that by week 8 all the fans gushing about what a great GM / HC hire the Bills have made with Gailey & Nix, those very same fans will be calling for their heads.

[JohnC]

I'll admit I don't know much about Allen, so I'll take your word for it. This situation or a combined GM/HC roll is the only way coaches like Shanahan or Cowher would agree to coach an organization at this point in their careers IMO.

 

Personally, I have no ill will against Shanahan, and actually don't think he would have been a good fit. From a personnel perspective he seemed to bring in players by the truckload in FA, and if they didn't pan out he'd take the cap hit and find another, something I don't see playing well with Ralph (however, fits right in with Washington's MO under Snyder).

 

I was never an advocate for either Shanahan or Cowher to take control of the football operation as a HC/GM strongman. As a HC most directly involved with drafting, free agent acquisitions and trades Shanahan, especially in his last years with Denver, made a ton of costly blunders. The Bills franchise would never have been able to be solvent with his costly high churning blunders. Ralph Wilson would never tolerate that type of costly operation in his franchise. And rightly so. The owner of the Broncos, who was also one of his best friends, felt he needed to fire him and move in a complete different direction. The owner ate a lot of $$$ off of a vey extended contract by firing him, but he felt that he had no choice if he wanted to get his franchise on a better track.

 

Cowher is an excellent HC. In Pittsburgh he had a strong supporting cast. The ownership was stellar and the front office was superb. The culture of success was well established before he got there. I would have no qualms with him as our HC. Although I do have serious concerns with putting him authority over all aspects of the football operation.

 

The NFL of today is a very challenging environment to work in because of the cap and the resulting player movements. Franchises which have long term success are usually very strong organizations with good ownership and very competent front offices. The long term malaise for the Bills shouldn't be a surprise to anyone when the caliber of its quirky ownership is considered.

 

I am very happy that Nix is our GM. He is a very sound personnel (scout) man and he has an understanding on how to rebuild a franchise. The issue with him is he going to be given the time and resources to do what needs to be done?

[agardin]

this just in - they were cheating

 

i will go to my grave just amazed that people can talk about the cheatriots as if they earned something. for some completely unbelieveable reason most people seem to feel taping signals wasnt a massive advantage. if you give me the resources of an nfl team and a tape of the first quarter defensive signals i guarantee you i can put together a decoder in time for the second half

 

oh wow look how incredible that ne offense is! why its just like they know exactly where to go!

 

thats because they did

 

go back and take a look at the teams that gave them trouble in that era - it was teams that had cheatriot ex-coaches on staff! since they knew what the cheats were doing they likely did something to make stealing signals a lot harder

 

its one of the biggest travesties in sports history, as well as a damning indictment how little people care about morality in their sports. a few draft picks and a couple fines?!??! my god they should have been stripped of their titles. of course the nfl severely underplayed it cuz they knew the scandal would seriously damage enthusiasm and thus income for the game, as well as leave a permanent mark against the league. but if people had stood up and protested the kid glove treatment they would have taken another look. but of course people didnt and i still find that utterly amazing

 

what have they won since then? nuthin. the giants made their allegedly super offense look average. not surprising since they no longer knew what was coming. apparently people think that was just a coincidence. aaarghh

 

I completely agree with you and that the Jets game should have been a forfeit at the very least, no chance of an undefeated season.

I think what made people down play it was how they played for the rest of the season. I don't know if they continued to tape signs or not but the fact that they continued to dominate likely made people feel that the original infraction didn't mean much. I know this sort of thing happens quite a bit in the NFL where everyone is looking for an advantage but to actually tape them is a different matter IMO.

[JohnC]

Who knows what the GM and HC are thinking going into this next season with what they currently have on the roster at the tackle position...

 

What is obvious to me is that the staff must feel that the OTs they presently have are adequate. They didn't make any major moves in the draft, free agency (other than getting Green) and trades to upgrade the LT position. Will they make any moves to shore up the LT position prior to the season? I don't think so.

 

I can only think that by week 8 all the fans gushing about what a great GM / HC hire the Bills have made with Gailey & Nix, those very same fans will be calling for their heads.

 

You judge a team by its performances. A team can be better and still have a mediocre record. If you are a realistic Bills fan you know there is still a very long way to go (years) before being considered a serious team.

[spartacus]

What is obvious to me is that the staff must feel that the OTs they presently have are adequate. They didn't make any major moves in the draft, free agency (other than getting Green) and trades to upgrade the LT position. Will they make any moves to shore up the LT position prior to the season? I don't think so.

 

looks like they want the biggest do-over they can get.

 

 

going into the season with your 2 top LT prospects both injured and not very good to begin with gives the QBs very little chance to show what they can do 

 

and will destroy whatever confidence in Trent Chan is able to revive.

[sharper802]

Ever since Levy left as HC, it's pretty much been a steady downward spiral. A lot of reasons contributed to that. When other teams make the correct decisions which put them in a position to win the SB, my hat's off to them. I don't begrudge any other team their successes. I do think it's a shame that the Bills, in the league since the beginning, have floundered for so many years without getting things on track.

 

I am cautiously optimistic that the team is moving in the right direction this year. I pretty much expect the team to have a rough start to the season, as the new staff, schemes and players adjust. My hope is that they will be a better team by the end of the season, than they have been for the last several years. That, is something I can live with.

Don't you mean since Polian left as GM? Levy was the reason the Bills failed to win a SuperBowl by being consistently outcoached in the big game. It is a joke he is in the HOF.

[C.Biscuit97]

We've been only around for 50 years, yet we have gone to 4 SBs in the last 20 years. Imagine being a Cub fan.

 

And I definitely hate this terrible decade and want to be in the playoffs badly. But as strange as it sounds, winning a championship makes it seem less special. I was in Philly for the weekend and they are filled with bandwagon fans that have existed for 3 years. The same is true with the Red Sox and Pats.

 

If you are a Bills fan now, you are the definition of a die hard.

[gomper]

John hit it right on the head. You need stability in all three of those administrative areas to be a consistant winner. The constant turnover here has produced exactly what you'd expect on the field for the past 10 years. Any first year college assistant scout could tell you that the Bills need more up front on both sides. Spiller may be a homerun in years to come but it sure seemed like a luxury pick by a team that has no more room for error.

 

The QB situation is a disaster as everyone knows. The answer Nix comes up with to solve this major problem will be a huge part of grading his tenure. As for the present, prepare for an long, ugly season of double digit losses and plain being beaten by superior talent. The silver lining may be that with a 2-14, 3-13 record, the QB situation may solve itself in the draft.

[canbuffan34]

After that 4th consecutive SB loss to Dallas after the '93 season, I stopped caring about other franchises winning SB's before my beloved Bills. Let's face it, they had four straight chances to win just one of these damn games, and blew them all. Sure I'll respect those 4 consecutive Conference championships, a feat most likely never to be repeated again in today's salary capped free agencied NFL. But now I only want to live long enough to watch my Bills win just one SB. Unfortunately, Ralph Wilson has to live long enough at 93 years old, while they still are the Buffalo Bills, for that to happen.

 

So although it seems crazy that Tampa Bay and New Orleans have won their SB's before the Bills have, who really cares? Cleveland and Detroit fans have never even gotten the chance to watch their teams play in even one SB, and we Bills fans have experienced that feeling 4 times.

My thoughts exactly, at the age of 42.. I figure I'm halfway through my life (hopefully) and I just want a SB victory before I go.

[clearwater cadet]

While it's not ill will towards those teams, I do know what you are getting at, and always hoped we wouldn't be one of the franchises that never won one. If this team doesn't win one before Ralph moves on, and the team does leave town, I can honestly say I may bever be able to watch another NFL game, or Bills footage again.

 

I've thought the same thing many times and, I believe that will happen soon then later.

[BuffaloBill]

I am cautiously optimistic that the team is moving in the right direction this year. I pretty much expect the team to have a rough start to the season, as the new staff, schemes and players adjust. My hope is that they will be a better team by the end of the season, than they have been for the last several years. That, is something I can live with.

 

 

Agreed ... I just want to get back to a point where we can be truly competitive against good teams. While the dolfins turned it around in one-year I believe this was highly unusual and in the end not sustained. The Bills have to identify a QB who can play to win. Teams that have this are consistently competitive. It is a coach, system, QB and better than average D driven league. If you have these things you will be a playoff team. Without them you are mediocre at best (Bills of the past decade).