Archives for January 2015

‘Marrone certainly is familiar with Johnson, who owned the team when Marrone was an assistant. The former Bills coach also knows the AFC East very well after spending the last two seasons in the division, so his hiring would make for a potentially smooth transition.’

‘”I think Frank, in his first year, did a very good job,” Telesco said. “He’s smart. He’s detailed. He’s prepared for this for a long time. He’s a great teacher, a great communicator, and he can really handle a room as far as handling the offense. He did an excellent job, and I’m not surprised that some teams would have interest in him.’

‘A person familiar with the league’s hiring cycle said that San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, a former Bills quarterback, is expected to receive strong consideration to replace Marrone in Buffalo. If so, Reich potentially could work with Bill Polian. There has been persistent speculation that Polian, the highly respected former front office architect of the Bills, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts, might rejoin the Buffalo front office this offseason. He most recently has been an NFL analyst for ESPN.’

‘Starting safety Aaron Williams blasted Marrone in a tweet. “Lost all respect!!” Williams said.’

‘”We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization. We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives.’

‘”We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans.”‘

‘Bills sources believe Marrone could have particular interest in the Jets, where he once served as offensive line coach for four years. Sources say the Jets will have strong interest in Marrone.’

‘There’s also the possibility that Marrone opted out of his contract because there’s another job he wants, which takes us to our next subject.’

‘With his decision to opt out, Marrone is now clear to explore any other coaching opportunities as he sees fit. Regardless on if he secures a coaching position or not, the Bills will pay Marrone his $4 million salary for 2015.’

‘Even to his last hours as an employee of the Buffalo Bills organization, Marrone tried to control the situation of the opt-out clause and asked for an extension for him and his assistant coaches. Those demands are normally reserved for coaches that are wildly successful in their place of business. It’s a rare case that one 9-7 season would warrant that type of a try in the leverage game.’

‘”Doug Marrone informed me late today that he has decided to exercise the option clause in his contract and relinquish his responsibilities as our head coach.’

‘”I still think I’m a major factor on this team as far as the offense and as far as leadership so we’ll see,” Manuel said.’