Archives for May 14, 2013

‘”We have a plan and we are going to execute that plan,” said Brandon. “When I am ready to address the situation at some point, we will all be sitting here again together and we’ll go through that process. I won’t go through that (now) or at any time in the near future. We have a plan in everything we do.”‘

‘The long-anticipated move by Nix, 73, paves the way for the promotion of 40-year-old Assistant General Manager Doug Whaley. He is expected to be named general manager within the next week or two. Whaley was hand-picked by Nix and former scouting chief Tom Modrak in February 2010, when they hired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. He has been grooming under Nix ever since. He got a promotion in 2011, and his contract with the Bills was extended in February.’

‘And now that Nix is gone, the Bills won’t be tempted to rekindle the man-crush on Shawne Merriman that had the odd feel of the one going on with Jochen Hecht downtown. Another plus.’

‘”He will remain a vital part of the organization,” Brandon said. “He will still play a vital role in our football organization. He will assist me, coach Marrone, and the next general manager in projects that we all work on together and discuss. He means more to me than I can say and has been a significant part of this organization and has helped raised me in this business.”‘

‘It’s not clear what Nix’s new duties will entail, but at the news conference Brandon said: “He will still play a vital role in our football organization. He will assist me, coach Marrone and the next general manager … He means more to me than I can say and has been a significant part of this organization and has helped raised me in this business.”‘

‘”This is a stupid lawsuit because it has no legal merit, and it’s a stupid lawsuit because it’s not going to be good for his career,” Buzbee said. “(Williams) is a victim of his emotions and of bad legal advice. What he’s done is kick an anthill, and you know what happens when you kick an anthill.”‘

‘”I feel strongly that the team is on the right course for success,” Nix said. “We have some excellent talent on our team and Coach Marrone and his staff are doing a terrific job in leading and teaching the players we have on our roster. I was very impressed with the 24 rookies we had in this past weekend and I’m very excited about the upcoming season. I think this is going to be an exciting time for our team and our fans.”‘

‘Assistant GM Doug Whaley, entering his fourth season in Buffalo, is expected to take over. He was signed to a long-term contract extension in January. Though the Bills did not immediately announce Nix’s replacement, the team has spent much of the offseason grooming Whaley, a former executive with the Steelers and a former player at Pitt, to take over.’

‘”I’ve made this decision to step away from the general manager’s position because I feel it is the right time,” said Nix in a statement. “By the ‘right time’ I mean I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach with a good staff, and it’s time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together.”‘

‘”Timing is the main thing, but there are other benefits as well. This job is very demanding with a 24-7 schedule of responsibilities. This new position will enable me to spend more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by (owner) Mr. (Ralph) Wilson and (team president) Russ (Brandon) and I’m fortunate to step away from the job and still remain a part of the team.”‘

‘”A part of Williams wanted to be married and start a family, while another part wanted to continue to live the life of a wealthy bachelor who could do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted, whenever he wanted,” according to the counter-claim.’

‘Said Rogers,”It hurts. It’s embarrassing. Like I said, it just makes the chip on my shoulder that much bigger. There are a lot of doubters and a lot of haters out there. I’m here, not to prove them wrong, but to show who I am, and what I’m really about. It has been a long, long, long ride for me as far as personal growth and everything. I’m just glad to be here. Coaches are pushing us young guys to get better. We’ve got (quarterback) E.J. Manuel out there looking good. I feel good right now. I’m excited.”‘

‘”He’s still going to be a vital part of the organization,” he said. “He’s still going play a significant role with our football operation. He will assist me and he will assist coach Marrone and the next general manager on project work that we all work on together and we discuss.”‘

‘”We are going to create and establish a very robust football analytics operation that we layer into our entire operation moving forward,” Brandon said. “That’s something that’s very important to me and the future of the franchise.”‘

‘”I’ve made this decision to step away from the General Manager’s position because I feel it is the right time,” said Nix in a team statement. “By the ‘right time’ I mean I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach with a good staff, and it’s time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together. Timing is the main thing, but there are other benefits as well. This job is very demanding with a 24-7 schedule of responsibilities. This new position will enable me to spend more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Mr. Wilson and Russ (Brandon) and I’m fortunate to step away from the job and still remain a part of the team.”‘