Reed83HOF Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/01/28/bills-still-seeking-fill-advisory-role/ "Despite being turned down by Bill Polian, the Buffalo Bills are still very much in the market to hire someone to advise them on football matters...According to NFL sources, the Bills now are looking at someone who doesn't have Polian's lofty stature, yet possesses the experience to provide guidance to GM Doug Whaley when it comes to evaluating talent." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Interesting that the NFL itself has sort of pushed the idea of a consultant/czar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDIGGZ Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I don't know what changed from the time Polian was ready to agree to come on to now. He said because the coach and QB left. Well we have a new coach now who is going to be here for many years to come and we always needed a new QB, Orton wasn't going to be our guy past this coming season no matter what. It sounds like Polian had some kind of allegiance to Doug or something and once he was gone then he decided against it. I can't think of anyone better than Polian to take this position so I'm kind of bummed (ok maybe Parcels) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Really? The guy in charge of the Browns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixxxer Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 No egomaniacs please, I'm grateful for all the things Polian did for the Bills but I think he's not the right guy Pegula's Bills right now. I don't know much about Hill but if he is respected and can connect with the three existing parts (owner, coach and GM) without the necessity of measuring dicks in every discussion, I'm all for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDIGGZ Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I don't think Polian has an ego at all. I think at this stage of his career he would be happy just to be back in Buffalo and using his experience to make us a better team. At his age this might have been his last opportunity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in Horseheads Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Why not Benny Hiil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDIGGZ Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 or Hank Hill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Interesting - he sounds like he has a ton of experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Polian wanted Chris Polian to replace Whaley. My guess is Marrone heard the local media bad mouthing Chris Polian and told Bill. Rumors already starting that Marrone and Chris Polian are a packaged deal next year. We really lucked out IMO. Pegula looking for his version of Craig Patrick who he hired with the Sabres. Ron Hill fits the mold. He has huge NFL ties and knows how this league works. Ron Hill sees regional combines as development arm of NFL Ron Hill has worked for 35 years with NFL teams and the league office. His career started when he was hired by Gil Brandt as a scout in 1979 and spanned several teams during the past few decades, working under such coaches as Tom Landry, Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves. He joined NFL headquarters in 2006 as the league's vice president of football operations. He got involved in a new business venture called "regional combines" four years ago. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000338410/article/ron-hill-sees-regional-combines-as-development-arm-of-nfl Edited January 29, 2015 by Beerball Too much pasted material Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Polian wanted Chris Polian to replace Whaley. My gess is Marronethe local media bad mouthing Chris Polian and told Bill. Rumors already starting that Marrone and Chris Polian are a packaged deal next year. We really lucked ot IMO. Pegula looking for his version of Craig Patrick who he hired with the Sabres. Ron Hill fits the mold. He has huge NFL ties and knows how this league works. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000338410/article/ron-hill-sees-regional-combines-as-development-arm-of-nfl Good analogy of the Craig Patrick hire. I think that kind of guy and hire and advisory position is exactly what they are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixxxer Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Grandfathered by Gil Brandt? The guy is ok in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Really? The guy in charge of the Browns? He is not in any way in charge of the Browns. He's been on Ray Farmer's staff for 6 months. Just a veteran personnel exec. Edited January 29, 2015 by YoloinOhio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 The idea of having a very experienced guy to advise the Pegulas in their first foray into NFL ownership is an excellent one -- ideally this is someone who won't have his own separate agenda in mind when assessing the situation. Ron Hill certainly has a crapload of experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 The idea of having a very experienced guy to advise the Pegulas in their first foray into NFL ownership is an excellent one -- ideally this is someone who won't have his own separate agenda in mind when assessing the situation. Ron Hill certainly has a crapload of experience. I remember when the Browns hired him over the summer it was looked at as a very positive hire, but never bothered to look him up. I did this morning and was also really impressed with what he would bring to the table as far as what the Pegulas actually need/don't need at this point. Hope it happens. I like Bill Polian but I think the "name" would take over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 i want Faith Hill. Please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. L. Hot-Flamethrower Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Part of 10 Conference Championship Games and 4 Super Bowls. Not too shabby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) Pegula just hired an entire coaching staff. What would such an advisor do at this point? Edited January 29, 2015 by Mr. WEO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Interesting that the NFL itself has sort of pushed the idea of a consultant/czar. My take is that the Bills initiated the conversation. Pegula just hired an entire coaching staff. What would such an advisor do at this point? Rex did, yes. Hill would mentor Whaley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Rex did, yes. Hill would mentor Whaley. Yeah, that's my take as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I don't know what changed from the time Polian was ready to agree to come on to now. He said because the coach and QB left. Well we have a new coach now who is going to be here for many years to come and we always needed a new QB, Orton wasn't going to be our guy past this coming season no matter what. It sounds like Polian had some kind of allegiance to Doug or something and once he was gone then he decided against it. I can't think of anyone better than Polian to take this position so I'm kind of bummed (ok maybe Parcels) He didn't want any type of role that could potentially push his HOF candidacy off the table... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 My take is that the Bills initiated the conversation. Rex did, yes. Hill would mentor Whaley. That's interesting. The owner says our GM needs supervision/mentoring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 That's interesting. The owner says our GM needs supervision/mentoring? he didn't say that. Yeah, that's my take as well. IMO Hill may work with the GM on some areas but his primary role would advise/consult with the owners on football ops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 That's interesting. The owner says our GM needs supervision/mentoring? Why not? Do you think that Polian would have come in and worked with the coaching staff? No, he would work with Whaley, offering advice on building a roster, giving his take on specific players (pro or college). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 That's interesting. The owner says our GM needs supervision/mentoring? There is no other reason to bring a guy to mentor your GM if he doesn't think the GM needs mentoring. The Eagles owner essentially just told Kelly he doesn't need a GM. Why not? Do you think that Polian would have come in and worked with the coaching staff? No, he would work with Whaley, offering advice on building a roster, giving his take on specific players (pro or college). That's what I said--Pegula believes his GM needs this assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 My take is that the Bills initiated the conversation. Rex did, yes. Hill would mentor Whaley. What sort of mentoring do we feel Whaley needs? He spent 10 years as Pro Personnel Coordinator in Pittsburgh and 3 years as Assistant GM in B'lo. I'm not opposed, I know Ron Hill has been around the league for a long time. I just want to understand what the thinking is on this guy's actual role and why it would be a Good Thing and not a case of Too Many Cooks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. L. Hot-Flamethrower Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 There is no other reason to bring a guy to mentor your GM if he doesn't think the GM needs mentoring. The Eagles owner essentially just told Kelly he doesn't need a GM. That's what I said--Pegula believes his GM needs this assistance. No. He would be a sounding board for Whaley and a Bridge to the Owners. His expertise is Pro Personnel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Allan in MD Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Why not Benny Hiil? He doesn't advise, he grabs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 No. He would be a sounding board for Whaley and a Bridge to the Owners. His expertise is Pro Personnel. So was Whaley's when the Bills hired him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 There are endless things a guy that spent 35 years on different teams and went to four SB and 10'Championshipmgames and worked in the NFL office can help new owners and a GM and a coach and a front office with. Could be a huge help with no say in personnel matters at all. There are all kinds of football and non football operations aspects that this guy could help with, just to run the team more efficiently. Training, travel, scouting, media, PR, pro personnel departments, practice scheduling, quality control. This is how we did it when I was at blank, this is how blank does blank, this worked great when I was at blank, this will save some manpower and time if you do blank. The Bills had a front office that did things a certain way over 50'years for one owner. A new owner is coming in with a little more than 50 days experience. The guys entrenched are going to say this is working well when a lot of it is probably not. There is no other reason to bring a guy to mentor your GM if he doesn't think the GM needs mentoring. The Eagles owner essentially just told Kelly he doesn't need a GM. That's what I said--Pegula believes his GM needs this assistance. No GM wanted the job. They tried hiring several and got rebuffed. Because Kelly was going to do things his way and a GM would have no GM powers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 There are endless things a guy that spent 35 years on different teams and went to four SB and 10'Championshipmgames and worked in the NFL office can help new owners and a GM and a coach and a front office with. Could be a huge help with no say in personnel matters at all. There are all kinds of football and non football operations aspects that this guy could help with, just to run the team more efficiently. Training, travel, scouting, media, PR, pro personnel departments, practice scheduling, quality control. This is how we did it when I was at blank, this is how blank does blank, this worked great when I was at blank, this will save some manpower and time if you do blank. The Bills had a front office that did things a certain way over 50'years for one owner. A new owner is coming in with a little more than 50 days experience. The guys entrenched are going to say this is working well when a lot of it is probably not. No GM wanted the job. They tried hiring several and got rebuffed. Because Kelly was going to do things his way and a GM would have no GM powers. I understand all of that, good points. It would have made more sense to bring in such a guy before you pick your HC--which is the most important decision the owner will ever make. That's when you want sage counsel with decades of experience. This other stuff (practice scheduling, PR, Travel, scouting) is house keeping stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixxxer Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 (edited) What sort of mentoring do we feel Whaley needs? He spent 10 years as Pro Personnel Coordinator in Pittsburgh and 3 years as Assistant GM in B'lo. I'm not opposed, I know Ron Hill has been around the league for a long time. I just want to understand what the thinking is on this guy's actual role and why it would be a Good Thing and not a case of Too Many Cooks. Given that he worked for the NFL, it could mean that this is help for Terry and Kim, it would open some doors for them to learn more about the business they're getting into. Some inside info about the NFL machinery, per say. If he can sit down with Whaley and give some pointers, why not? Another pair of eyes gauging certain situations can only help. Edited January 29, 2015 by Fixxxer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I understand all of that, good points. It would have made more sense to bring in such a guy before you pick your HC--which is the most important decision the owner will ever make. That's when you want sage counsel with decades of experience. This other stuff (practice scheduling, PR, Travel, scouting) is house keeping stuff. Again, look at the Patrick situation with Sabres. Patrick probably has a larger role consulting Pegulas on the state of the hockey franchise and the inner workings of the league than he does in micromanaging Terry Murray's daily activities. I imagine a similar role for Hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 This is about the best news I've heard since Terry Pegula bought the Buffalo Bills. The sole reason I say this is because now the Bills will have someone to advise the new owners with some actual NFL front office experience in the football operations side of things. I doubt Hill has much power over anyone at this point, and was just brought in to advise on the offensive acquisitions. So, now when the team goes after a free agent offensive lineman they won't offer the worst player in the NFL a contract, and instead the Bills might just find some decent talent for the line. The Bills need a power RB who can carry 250 times a season. A top pass catching TE that can actually block as well. The biggest concern of the team right now is finding that franchise QB. Hill should really help this team. Lets face facts that Whaley fell on his face with the offensive acquisitions the last two years, and he needed some help. Want more info on the guy.... http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Ron-Hill/935503 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I understand all of that, good points. It would have made more sense to bring in such a guy before you pick your HC--which is the most important decision the owner will ever make. That's when you want sage counsel with decades of experience. This other stuff (practice scheduling, PR, Travel, scouting) is house keeping stuff.They tried with Polian. The dumbest thing to do is hire someone for that post just to fill the position. Marrone left and Polian was no longer there. The Bills could either look around for a guy, vet him, bring him in, and then start a search or get an equal shot at every available coach. They decided that was wiser and I for one am thrilled they did. If you or anyone doesn'tlike the Rex hire I understand why you may not think that was a good strategy. Once Rex and staff was hired, and they all seem to be on the same page, you take your time and find a guy who is going to mesh with Rex, Whaley and Roman, and NOT a guy like Polian with a big ego who is or may want to put his stamp on things and make big changes. So they are going after a completely different kind of advisor than they perhaps were before. For me, there were only 3-4 guys I would have wanted in the earlier version, Polian, Arcossi or Wolf. And since I like Whaley I didn't want them having too much power. If you or anyone else, again, doesn't like Whaley I can see why you may have wanted differently. The Pegulas very much like him now, so they are looking for a guy to work with him not above him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 he didn't say that. IMO Hill may work with the GM on some areas but his primary role would advise/consult with the owners on football ops. My thoughts as well. It has nothing to do with Whaley, he'll continue to do his thing. IMO, it's more of a way for the Pegula's to learn the ropes of being NFL owners and gaining insight into how the league functions, being able to understand what Whaley and Rex are doing and generally getting up to speed with the help of someone who has a lot of NFL experience to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike in Horseheads Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Pegula just hired an entire coaching staff. What would such an advisor do at this point? Pick out the Jills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 My thoughts as well. It has nothing to do with Whaley, he'll continue to do his thing. IMO, it's more of a way for the Pegula's to learn the ropes of being NFL owners and gaining insight into how the league functions, being able to understand what Whaley and Rex are doing and generally getting up to speed with the help of someone who has a lot of NFL experience to share. Exactly. I don't know a thing about this particular guy other than reading a bio. Never heard of him. But that kind of guy is very valuable to new owners, especially with league office experience. The Craig Patrick analogy is again, a very good one. Been around a lot of good teams a lot of years in various positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Again, look at the Patrick situation with Sabres. Patrick probably has a larger role consulting Pegulas on the state of the hockey franchise and the inner workings of the league than he does in micromanaging Terry Murray's daily activities. I imagine a similar role for Hill. Not for nothing, but the state of the franchise is not good. That team has won 55 games over the past 3 seasons. What is the real value added for a guy like this? Pegula isn't a new NHL owner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Perhaps "mentor" is the wrong word. I suspect Hill will act more like an aide-de-camp, much like Patrick does for both Murray and Pegula with the Sabres. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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