atlbillsfan1975

Yeah seriously. This made me laugh. I do not start looking into a guy until it is leaked or put out there who the Bills are interviewing. When they hired Chan i just exhaled. Living in Atlanta i saw all i needed to know about him. I thought he would have gotten the Bills farther along, but had no hopes for a SB type team. I hope the next coach had me believing it can happen.

after reading Hortons comments and grasp for power structure he sounds very bright. Arizona's D has been very good. The NFL today is about guys who can relate to their team. Not age necessarily. Your demeanor has to match that of your team. i remember when Coughlin got to NY he changed the entire culture. Cut guys who did not buy into what he was selling. Now you have to start having success- wins, or the guys will tune you out again. Horton does sound organized and ready to lead. If he gets the job in Buffalo or not he will be a HC i bet in the next few years.

Aim higher? Like who? Lovie is a 'proven winner' as a head coach in the NFL. The guy gets fired after going 10-6. Has been to the Super Bowl. Give me a more REALISTIC candidate?

Ok.

I live in Atlanta and read the book 'Next Man Up' by John Feinstein. Ray Lewis was guilty of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people. He eventually realized that protecting people that would commit a crime was not worth it. Truely is one of the best to ever play the game and is probably one of a dying breed when it comes to the NFL. A guy who plays hard, motivates and expects a lot out of himself and his team. Will take your head off then give you a hand to help you up. I am sad to see him leave. But he is going out with the franchise he started with after 17 years. How many guys can say that?? Especially playing LB. Rarely do you find a player that has the heart to match his talent or vice verse. Ray will be missed. Best LB to ever play.

I think the Brandon move and Whaley as gm address' the FO question to some degree. Nothing you can do about where Buffalo is. A guy should not even interview if that is a 'concern' . And you are correct that some guys would not coach there i am sure. i think about Spurrier at SC. The icing on the cake for him was where the university was in relationship to Augusta National where he got a membership when he signed to coach the Cocks.

He could be the next Mike Smith or the next Mike Singletary. Not sure the Bills have the luxury of rolling the dice on that one.

I would like the Whisenhunt hire. First of all if he is hired you have to think it is because Whaley wants to work with him. I like the fact that he has been to the Super Bowl. Whisenhunt saw first hand you need a qb. He also learned this leason over the past couple of seasons with the situation he had in Arizona. I am sure if he was hired he would be on board with making QB a priority from the start. To me Whisenhunt is exactly the type of guy who would get the respect from the players Chan could not get. Other then Whisenhunt i would like to see Lovie brought in for the same reasons as above.

A smart candidate will have his agent or himself really look into yesterdays move with Brandon. If what we were told is the truth and Ralps phone line is a one way line, i mean Brandon letting Ralp know what has or is being done then who would not want to come to Buffalo. Say what you will, but if you are married with a family and can make millions of dollars a little snow is nothing. The fan base and the city are dying for a winner. You would be the king of Buffalo if you brought us a winner. The Bills fan remember their great coaches and players like Gods. Its why 10 years later we where still asking for Kelly or Marv to come back!! If the franchise is truely commited than i think the Bills job is a great opportunity. The Bills have to show the candidate they will give them a good allowance for Cords and scouting depts. This is what will really win a coach over. If he knows he has few limitations on the staff he can assemble, he will like the job even more.

DB's often looked lost. Break down is coverages happened too much. You could see Db's looking at each other with their arms up as if to say 'where were you'. No thanks on the DB coach. Oline looked good and barely missed a beat when injuries started happening over the past two seasons. Their was some drop off when Wood got injured. But no too many teams have two outstanding centers on their team.

Murray has put up big numbers in the best confrence in college football. All other confrences do not hold a candle to the SEC. So if a guy is good in the SEC, there is a higher probability that will translate to the pro's. I have been skeptical of Murray. I am a UGA fan. he has stepped up big. He is exactly the type of guy Nix/Whaley should target if he comes out. He could be there at 8. I would draft him and let him compete from day one. Just like Wilson did in Seattle. Landry Jones will never be what Murray is in the NFL. Bank on that.

I could see Zona giving Dallas a first for him. Think about it. Fitzgerald is not getting any younger. They just spent their last first rounder on Floyd. They have a good D. They need a couple tackles on the online. But other than that a Romo would make them an instant contender. This is also the same ownership i believe which saw Kurt Warner come in and make them a SB team. Ownership may consider this a similar move?

The point you are making is that guys can win if given the right situation. Sometimes guys do learn from their 'mistakes' as a previous HC. Or a good college coach could transition into a good pro coach. The coaches need the full backing of the franchise. Which means a great scouting department down to a good coaching staff. This means money. We shall see what resources Brandon has and thus able to promise to the coach he tries to hire.

Levitre is probably in the top 5 for gaurds. He will command just behind what Grubbs got last year 5 years $36mil.

Same crap as three years ago guys! Wake up!! RW just promoted a marketing guy. marketing guys know how to sell the sizzle. We have all been left hungry for a winner for too long. Interviews mean nothing. Get a good coach and shut up till then!!!

Exactly!!! I was hoping for a total change. Nix down to everyone would be replaced. A older statesman like Polian brought in to head football operations. Someone who is respected around the league. Polian hires a good young promising guy to be GM, like Dave Caldwell. Caldwell than brings in a HC and they find the QB together. Nope, same approach RW has taken over the last decade at least. Polish the turd and hope we buy it!!!

You hit the nail on the head. He did it in Buffalo and did it at tech with Reggie Ball. In both cases his stubborness cost him his job ultimately. Not sure in Buffalo he had a better option. But he should have known sooner then us watching the games what Fitz is- a good back up QB.

I get you. And yes i think your correct with the chicken and the egg. The only problem with building the team is you are usually just good enough to take yourself out of position in the draft to get the first or second best QB...ie see the Bills the last decade. Wilson is the exception to the rule. I mean a third round rookie QB coming in and pushing his team over the top? Wilson has made them one of the scariest teams entering the playoff, has that ever happened?? Here is hoping the Bills find their Russell Wilson. Oh and i like Caldwell's chances at finding that guy better then Nix's!! Ha

You both are probably right. Do you think Chan is rethinking his decision not to get Jackson ready during the bye? And thus have him ready after one of the games that Fitz laid an egg in?? Fitz was not the only reason the Bills missed the playoffs for sure. Their was a period where the D started playing better and if the O had put up 25+ we probably would have had a shot at watching meaningful football in December.

i do agree with you that Russell was placed on a solid team. Much like i think the Bills are a solid team. Give them a HC and QB and i think the Bills could be similar to the Seahawks. As far as QB and the NFL goes i still hold firm you must have good QB play to be a winner. That is the only way to win consistently and make the playoffs. I am not saying you have to have Drew Brees or Brady, but a QB that can consistently make the right throw 80-90% of the time.

maybe the 49ers but not the Seahawks.They are where they are because they found a QB. Yes they have a good defense and good running backs. But with out Wilson they are probably on the outside looking in at the playoffs. And there is one way to do many things in this world. You are wise enough to know that.

I am hopeful that if the right staff is hired and a QB is found this team will be good. I really believe the team is a few players away and a good staff from being a very good team. I do not feel the same way about this team now as i did after Jaurons firing. Chan just was to loyal to the wrong QB. No slap on Fitz, he just is not a starter. Chan has a history of trying to make QB's something they are not. He did it at Tech and did it in Buffalo. It is a shame because i think Chan is a good guy.

I am sorry i have to disagree with you. Ralph would buy it if Polian endorsed him. You can bet Ralph would give him a call. Could Dave be a bust, sure, anyone can fail. I would rather take my chances with a good young guy who has been a part of two franchise turning around their losing ways. A guy who has sat in many talent evaluating meetings with Polian and Dimitrof and watched moves they made from the inside. The fact he has ties to the city is neither a postive or a negative, it just is. I have met him and that means nothing. on paper he seems like a darn good candidate. As far as he has never been a GM anywhere, neither was Polian till he got the job with the Bills. Instead of trying to poke holes in the Caldwell hire, give me someone better?

You do build from the lines out ONCE you have a QB. The NFL has turned into what the NBA was back in the mid 90's. If you have one superstar you will be good. Give that one superstar some pieces around him and you become great. QB is the number one most important position in pro sports. This is the other reason why i like a younger GM. He is not still thinking the league is what it use to be. Dave has watched Indy and Atl turn around their franchises by adding a top notch QB. Only then can you begin to really become a force. Look at the draft where Matt Ryan was drafted. Glen Dorsey was thought to maybe be the pick of the Falcons. At the time coming out of college Dorsey was seen as a more dominate player at his position than Ryan was at his. Also ask Miami if they had it to do all over again if they would take Jake Long over Ryan? With out a QB you are not going to ever be a great team. The Ravens with Dilfer is a mute point because the rules have changed so much since 2000.

I have met Dave and talked with him, just after he moved to Atl. I have always enjoyed picking his brain after a Bills draft. I will also tell you he considered interviewing for the GM position a few years back when Nix got it. At that time he felt he was not ready/the situation was not right Thomas Dimitrof has been a huge mentor to him. Dave has told me point blank he would enjoy the opportunity to bring a winner back to Buffalo- if the circumstances where right. He is an exceptional talent evaluator and has seen the inner workings of two succesful franchise go from perenial loser to consistently winning/playoffs. In both cases at Indy and Atl he saw QB as being priority number one, and thus i have no doubt he would make it his mission to address that with the Bills. On a personal note he is a guy Buffalonians would love. Down to earth real guy. Young energetic and is exactly the type of outside the box type of hire the Bills need to get us back. Give me a smart, driven guy who has seen how its done and been a part of it, and now wants to prove he can do it too. Thats what we need!!!