Archives for January 12, 2017

'On Friday, the Bills will introduce McDermott in a press conference, but presumably general manager Doug Whaley, he of the disastrous meeting with the media 10 days ago, will be there. Questions for him will abound. Start with the fact he was supposed to lead the search, but on Wednesday it was made clear that owners Terry and Kim Pegula made the coaching choice.'

'McDermott's contract is expected to cover five years, the same length as the agreement the Bills reached with McDermott's predecessor, Rex Ryan, in 2015.'

'Not surprisingly, the signature of McDermott's scheme is similar to that of Johnson's. It features a 4-3 base and is known for being extremely aggressive. Opposing quarterbacks not only can expect to be blitzed, they can usually count on not knowing who is blitzing and the direction from which the blitzer is coming.'

'McCoy would be a solid selection for offensive coordinator – if the Bills can get him. The ex-Chargers coach has interest from other teams and will reportedly be one of the candidates new Broncos coach Vance Joseph interviews for the position Thursday. McCoy may be more attracted to a team with better structure and a more developed passing attack.'

'"McDermott is a Jim Johnson disciple from Philadelphia," said Long. "The late Jim Johnson, great defensive coordinator. And he’s been great down in Carolina, McDermott. We talked about him on the way up here in the truck, McDermott. Really aggressive. I think he’ll switch to a team up in Buffalo that fits their personnel… They'll go from a three-man front to a four-man front, which I think fits what they do. And I think he’s ready. They got a good coach.”'

'Word is, McDermott wants control of the 53-man roster, which is typically the province of the GM. But with Whaley a weakened figure, any established coaching candidate would have demanded full control. According to reports, the Pegulas were impressed enough by McDermott to consider giving him some control of the roster. There's talk that he and Whaley will share control of the 53.'

'McDermott and Holcomb have worked together for four years. Holcomb has coached Carolina's linebackers since 2013, helping develop Luke Kuechly into a four-time Pro Bowler and the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year.'

'The Bills are not close to being a contender. They reshaped the roster according to Ryan’s vision. Now they’re going to have to reshape it again, especially since McDermott runs a 4-3 defense. And check out next year’s tough schedule. It screams 4-12.'

'My problem with McDermott actually has nothing to do with McDermott. The same beef would have applied to any coach the Bills hired so long as the same people remained in charge of the front office. They can’t be trusted to make sound decisions, so there’s little reason to believe they made the right call now.'

'“Phenomenal football coach,” Reid told the Charlotte Observer of McDermott earlier this year. “(The Panthers defense is) getting coached like crazy by a guy who is going to be a future head coach in this league.”'

'The Bills just hired the anti-Rex, and that's a great thing.'

'One thing that should jump out from the list of McCoy's experience is that he was the offensive coordinator who won a playoff game with Tim Tebow at quarterback. Sure, Denver's defense that year was insanely good. But, Tebow!'

'One of the hallmarks of McDermott’s coaching style is his ability to adapt. While he runs a base 4-3, his approach has been to tailor the scheme to the strengths of his players because with all the turnover in the NFL, you’re constantly adjusting to different skill sets.'

'Despite McCoy withdrawing from the game, Alexander may not be the only Bills player represented at the Pro Bowl when all is said and done. Richie Incognito and Kyle Williams were both named first alternates for the game. Stephon Gilmore, Jerome Felton and Zach Brown are also alternates who could appear in the game if other players back out.'

'With McDermott in place, the Bills still have some questions to sort through. Who will have control of the 53-man roster? What will the team do about quarterback Tyrod Taylor? What will the organizational structure look like? McDermott is just the first piece of a complicated offseason puzzle for the Bills, who are attempting to improve on a 7-9 season and end a 17-year playoff drought.'