Sisyphean Bills

Brohm is more like what you really want in your #3 QB. A younger player that you are developing that might actually become an asset at some point. Hamdan first entered the NFL in 2003 and has thrown exactly 1 completion (in 03 no less) in all that time. If he couldn't even earn a look given the Bills offensive situation...

You mean like Marv Levy?

In a way, it's true. The NFL is a BIG MONEY business and Ralph has thrown around some big contracts. Unfortunately, he just hasn't spent his money wisely. It's not "cheap" to throw a $49M contract at Derrick Dockery or a $6.5M contract at T.O. On the other hand, neither contract helped the team improve.

Yes, I think it could go that way. I'm not sure the order is as important as the who, again. You want a GM and HC that are on the same page and have the same vision. If the HC brings along a GM or the GM brings along a HC should be less important to us than getting someone that knows what they are doing and that the team works together. If the Bills can't land an elite HC, they need to shoot for landing an elite GM that can enable the HC they end up with. Really the objective criticism of the Bills organization centers on the leadership vacuum on the football side of the business. That is the glaring hole that needs to be filled.

Knox was the only big name hire, IMO. And, he brought a new front office in with him. Thanks, JW. We do appreciate your efforts!

It's sort of sad, though. Given a major softball lob his way, Mr. Wilson refuses to blast it right out of the park. Instead of, "We're going to be bringing in a number of people. Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, etc. are all proven head coaches and we're going to conduct an extensive search and talk to these gentleman and others..." The thready pulse of the poor apathetic Bills fan gets, "I don't know him." And, some announcement will be made later to squelch these rumors. PS: Smithers says, "I know nuuuthing!!"

True. Hopefully, "I don't know him" was extremely literal and did not imply "I've never heard of him". One other follow up point to my earlier post above. The important point is not when the coach is hired or interviewed. The important point is who is hired and by extension the cascade of decisions that follow from that: the offensive coordinator, the defensive coordinator, the strength-and-conditioning coach, the position coaches, the front-office people and scouts, the player evaluations, putting the schemes and systems in place to allow the players to reach the apex of their potential and be their most successful. From a marketing perspective, rolling the dice on the next Raheem Morris may not sell real well beyond the initial "Wahoo!"

Sounds like business as usual is in store though. "I don't know him." "We'll wait to the end of the season and re-evaluate." On second thought, I think you may be sadly correct. Just another T.O. move; a token sacrifice to break up the mob. [Edit] As far as T.O. bringing in good coordinators and improving the front office and bringing in other veteran players, you're barking up the wrong tree. T.O. brought attention and sold tickets. Otherwise, he did absolutely none of and was positively not expected to do any of the other more important things that I typed.

To play Devil's Advocate, hiring a name coach brings attention. A name coach has a track record and contacts with players and other experienced coaches. A name coach should be able to offer credibility to a moribund franchise not just to the "almighty ticket buyers," but to people that actually matter to have success on the field on Sundays -- coordinators, position coaches, scouts, and veteran players -- which are all personnel the Bills lack. Instead of just another change for change's sake, it is a public statement that Mr. Wilson is serious and committing to try and bring in a winner.

Exactly. At 91, this is undoubtedly the very last time Wilson rides this merry-go-round. Planning beyond that makes no sense whatsoever from Wilson's shoes.

You think hiring a coordinator is a good move at this point?

No time like the present to bring in some consulting eyes to help get that evaluation started, Mr. Wilson.

I agree with you generally. Jauron was a disaster and something needed to be done, and I think virtually everyone knew he was a dead man walking this season at this point. I disagree that there was some sort of "sudden apathy" involved at all. I don't believe Ralph Wilson could measure it from his home in Detroit even if it was a real phenomena. Perhaps, you or someone you know became disillusioned this week, but I know many Bills fans that were fed up with Dick Jauron last year and have been losing interest for years now. Of course, "fan-dom" is the reason for this change ultimately. Ralph Wilson is the #1 fan of this team and he had had enough. His opinion is the only one that mattered in the end.

With a Wonderlic score like that, he might be coaching the "Arrested Development" offense by Friday.

I'm just surprised no one has mentioned John Shoop as a candidate yet.

Seriously though, do the Bills even have enough warm bodies to field an OL in practice? The number of injuries at the OT positions has been nothing short of crazy. Corollary: can we fire the strength and conditioning coach now too?

It's hard to learn a playbook.

Who did they cut to make a roster spot?

The job isn't attractive. Ralph will have to make it lucrative and put a lot of slack in the reigns. If he isn't willing to do that, we'll end up with someone like Jim Zorn.

In fact, it shows some integrity and respect in a way. Mr. Wilson could have just curtailed Jauron's authority completely and forced him to march the death march to the end and all the while he and Russ Brandon could fly in a number of candidates for various positions, showed them the digs, the occupied offices they'd be taking up, etc. He could've treated Dick Jauron like the Chiefs treated Herm Edwards. Just not tell him anything and let him go through the motions. Dick could've found out he was fired when a reporter knocked on his front door like other coaches. But, there is no reason to treat a guy like Dick Jauron like yesterday's trash. It was just time to move on.

The torpedo that sinks your ship is timing. There is no reason to dismiss Dick Jauron immediately to sell season tickets after the season is halfway over. It makes no sense. Firing him now, 3 weeks from now, or at the end of the season has little bearing as to the direction they are going to take to get fans interested again. The 2010 season is over 9 months away; a few days or weeks is hardly a blip on the marketing campaign radar. Jauron wasn't making the playoffs and was on a death march already. Now, you might have a point if they announced the ticket office would be open extra hours and was having trouble answering all the calls for fans eager to buy tickets to see a Perry Fewell coached football team. But, I doubt seriously that there was any T.O. like tidal wave of new ticket sales. When team captains & administrators are saying things like "What's the !@#$ing point?" then someone in charge has to make a decision as to whether to sit there and play with the paper clips and watch a nuclear meltdown, or whether to take some sort of action to try and instill some sort of confidence there really is someone at the top. As far as Tim's guess that this was for the holiday shopping season. He may be right, but I take it he was smiling a bit as he typed that.

Close. The disillusionment was from the players and the organization internally. Team leaders were questioning the direction of the team. Frankly, there wasn't unanimity on keeping Jauron on for 09 from the start. If Ralph cared so much about what fans wanted, he'd have fired Jauron a long time before now.

He's bringing Bozo The Clown as head coach, too.

It might be more appropriate to smile at all those that believed Turk was the only problem with the offense.

Let's put it this way. He's on the verge of being replaced by the guy that holds the worst yards/attempt average for a QB ever and in a league where everything is tilted towards the offense and explosive plays. Stick a fork in him.