Sisyphean Bills

You and GG already commented on this, but if the rumor is true that Brandon knew that Buddy was being ushered out during the coaching search and even told Marrone that at the time, then leaving the decision up to the old codger on the exit slide pointed out to the street is, well, bordering on negligent. Of course, maybe Nix never bothered telling anyone in the organization that he was thinking of retiring nor was he forced out. But like GG said, there had been rumors on the street for months about Nix being out as the GM of football. At any rate, successful organizations have buy-in. The football people work from the same playbook and everyone lines up facing the same goal post.

Exactly. He was proxy-owner. Everything is ultimately on him. There is no "overstepping". (Besides, he wanted Marrone.)

Well, Kelly, it's really a non-starter for me anyway. I don't believe the narrative that Buddy Nix was the only guy who really wanted to hire Doug Marrone.

Ok, but do you really care about what the top decision maker wants and doesn't want to make decisions about? Or do you care about the results? And any narrative that Brandon didn't want or wasn't completely comfortable with Marrone has the stench of pure spin. Wasn't Russ just selling the whole "Doug has completely changed the culture" spiel?

Plausible deniability.

The Bills aren't a contending team. My guess is that Whaley thought he had hit a home run with EJM and he wanted the WR he fell in love with. The obvious problem with this reasoning is great QBs raise the game of the other players around them. Jordy Nelson, Wes Welker, etc. are not going to the Jacksonville Jaguars and carrying the rest of that team to the Super Bowl.

It's more exciting if the HC and GM are having daily bare-knuckle brawls.

Wasn't there an article somewhere about how the read option was basically a joke with EJM because he simply never read the defense and always gave the ball to Spiller/Jackson? The new coach, whoever it is, will have to figure something out though.

Pete Carroll hired his own GM. Seems to be working for them.

I heard Schefter say that as well.

Sure. Some people are just bitter and backstabbers. But then we're splitting hairs. There is no such thing as a "great gig" for the curmudgeon pissed off at the universe.

Shanahan had final say on all football matters with the Redskins. Would he come to Buffalo and be willing to accept less?

I'm curious why you you think he'll cede power so willingly. As I recall, earlier this month he was preaching the virtues of his HC hire as proxy-owner.

Yep. I have no trouble with thinking Marrone was pulling a power move here. It seems pretty likely in fact. Another idea floated was he may have felt on the outside with the "czar" concept. Although he appears tight with Polian, given the recent rumors.

How good of a gig is it if one is pulling powerplays to force either his peers or himself out the door? Even with rose-tinted goggles snapped tightly over my eyes, that doesn't look right. It sounds ... dysfunctional. Edit: It may well have been a powerplay.

Marrone was reported as interviewing today. FWIW.

Normally, the head coach decides the composition of his roster.

Does anyone remember when Marv stepped down and Brandon got the GM tag stuck by his name? Between 08 and 09, they gutted the entire OL and the TE. All 6 positions had new starters. They also switched systems to go to an up-tempo no-huddle attack and fired the then OC 10 days before the season opener. The team regressed in every major offensive category. There is a track record of placing little to no value on OL. Unfortunately, there is an old football adage: "You are only as good as your offensive line." It sure does seem like someone either can't or refuses to grasp the meaning beneath that. Like Yvel Vram used to say, "they ain't just tinker toys."

Was he as in love with Watkins as Whaley is/was? I'm wondering if anyone in the war room really understood exactly how deep this last draft was at the WR position.

If you were Pegula and owned this team, wouldn't you want to roll up your sleeves and figure out what is going on after this past week? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

What do they mean by next?

Clears up all the information and disinformation of who's involved in what. Thanks.

Belichick likes 6th rounders.

Yes, he picked Marrone. Wait ... who are you talking about?