Dan

You do realize that, that's the money Ralph is using to try and bring a guy like Shanahan in with? IMO, Ralph knows he can't rebuild the stadium full of $100,000 luxury boxes. So, he's done the next best thing. Can you please provide some evidence that Ralph doesn't care about winning? Didn't he just bring in a high-priced FA? Didn't he just fire his underachieving HC mid season? Didn't he just com out and say he's prepared to pay whatever it takes to get a good coach in here? You do realize Dallas' record over the last 5 years hasn't been stellar (save once)? 2004 - 6-10; '05 - 9-7 '06 - 9-7 '07 - 13-3 '08 - 9-7 Nor has the Redskins? 2004 - 6-10; '05 - 10-6 '06 - 5-11 '07 - 9-7 '08 - 8-8 So what was your point again, other than you've readily bought into the media hype that Dallas and Washington's owner somehow care and know more about winning than Buffalo's owner?

If he wins out.. .then we can talk.

Not close to $10 mill. Link 1 - coacheshotseat.com Link 2 - forbes.com However, I think you have to ask yourself. If Belichick or Fisher hit the market, what would they command? I'd propose quite a bit more than their current salary of roughly $5mill/yr. Also, I think it important to remember that the numbers thrown out so far - $10mill/yr + partial ownership + - are pure speculation. So until Shanahan is hired and the actual numbers come out, I think it important to not get too drawn into the numbers. Other than to say, price does not seem to be an issue with Ralph.

To be fair, almost any coach will have some people thinking its a ticket to a title. But, more importantly, I don't see paying top dollar for a HC as trying to buy a championship in the same way as bringing in every top FA on the market. Paying top dollar to a quality HC is just paving the way for winning team to built from the ground up. Of course, he could try to bring every high-priced FA as well. But, that would be another discussion.

It'll almost certainly be spun that wyay by a numbe of pundits and posters; however, I disagree. These same pundits and posters have been saying for years that this is a coaching league. That is, with FA, salary caps, and parity all teams have roughly equal talent. What separates the contenders from the pretenders is coaching. So, we need a good coach. If Cowher does take a job, it'll certainly be in the same ballpark salarywise. Heck, Shanahan is making $7mill for doing nothing. Someone is going to pay him more than that to get him. Is he worth it? Well, who knows. But, if you want him, it's going to take some serious coinage. I do agree, it's one heck of a price just to make the playoffs. But, there's no guarantee in any decision. We tried the strong GM role with TD. That failed. We tried the hot coordinators. That failed. We tried the experienced, but cheap coach. That failed. Now, looks like we're trying the big name coach with rings approach. You're absolutely right, no other team has been successful with that. However, seeing as it's Ralph's money, I'm all for it. Bring in some credibility. Bring in some positive attitude. Make the playoffs. Then in 4 years, fire the guy and try to get over that final hump. IMO, it'll be easy to break the cycle the Bills are currently in with a name coach as opposed to an unproven guy. It will be interesting to see what they do about the players, though. Regardless of who the coach/GM is, I'm not sure Buffalo can afford the signing bonuses the top FA's, ala Hansworth, demand. So, although Carucci's artivle is concerning, I'm not sure Shanahan could operate like that even if he wanted to. Perhaps that will give Ralph the out when he quits because he can't spend like a drunken sailor.

I agree. However, IMO, the first step for the Bills must be to establish credibility and a winning atmosphere again. Muddling along with mediocre coaches and players makes that difficult to accomplish. However, bringing in a Shanahan adds instant credibility to the franchise. With that being said, the Cariucci (sp?) article concerns me. Because it brings into light what may be the cost of that credibility. Is it worth it? I honestly don't know. But I guess we can cross that bridges a few years from now.

Do you honestly think someone like Shanahan is afraid to coach against NE? Seriously, you're proposing that as something that would turn away potential coaching candidates? They have to go against the big bad Pats* each year.

Dungy hates Buffalo. It's obvious isn't it?

So you're saying Dustin Hoffmann will be the next GM? Link???

We're the worst. The lowest of the low. We shouldn't even move the franchise. We should just disband the team and sulk in our basements for a year.

IMO, it's an either/or situation. The big name coaches (Shanahan, Holmgren, Cowher) don't want a proven GM. They want all the power. So, if you want to bring one of them in, then all you need is a Brandon-type GM to essentially sign the checks for them. So, if you're going after one of them, which it appears Ralph is, then you put the GM and all other FO positions on the back burner. However, if they all turn you down, then you're looking at a hot coordinator, college coach, etc. In that case, I'd think you'd want a good GM and FO behind the guy. So, as I see it... Ralph is currently going the proven, highly touted coach route. Gruden, Homlgren, Shotty (if he can really be included in this group) are all out. That essentially leaves Shanahan at this point. So, Ralph will try to meet with him, give his best offer, and see where it goes. If Shanahan turns him down, then I think the whole process slows down and they begin looking for the FO staff. Or at least, that seems like the logical process to me. I'm not saying either approach is right or wrong, good or bad, just saying that's how I think the situation has to play out. There's probably just about the same probabilty of success or failure either way. IMO, if they hired some proven GM and then went after Shanahan, then we could really say the Bills are dysfunctional. As it looks now... to me, they're just trying all they can to get a proven, big-name coach in. I, for one, applaud Ralph for the effort. We'll see how it works out.

So before we can hire a good coach, we need a team so good that it doesn't need a good coach? Brilliant!

I'm fairly certain our inferiority complexes dictate that Gruden, as well as all other top coaching candidates, turned down the job because no one wants to come to Buffalo because we're so bad, we're beyond saving. Unless, of course, Ralph spends alot of money which, of course, will mean he overpaid and therfore must be desperate. So, if you please, I think Gruden hates Buffalo. Just as I'm certain Cowher laughed at the very notion of coaching the lowly Bills.

I'm assuming this is an attempt at humor? It's been a great game.

I'm sorry, you lost me. Which one of the posters here is this Sully fellow you keep referring to? Or is he Sully an amalgamative refference to 90% of the posters here?

I really shouldn't, but... when was the last time he did that though? 2007? As good as Peters may be, he just didn't want to be here. So, can we all just move along. I don't have a problem with your draft order. Although, I might throw a DT into the mix, if a good one is there.

It'd be nice to see someone build a new, luxury box-filled, state of the art stadium that still retained the appeal of the older fan-friendly stadiums. In much the same way as the Orioles' ball field did, it could recapture what it means to attend a game while changing the way these monstrosities are built.

IMO, an 18 game schedule just further dilutes the talent, and subsequent play, on the field. It would also also favor the larger market teams, because they'd have more money available to add the extra players to the roster that the league would almost certainly have to allow. Which would, in turn, further widen the gap between the small and large market teams. Of course, it would lead to increased TV revenues, so it's all good. So, by all means, it should be done.

Ask Jamon.

I fully expect a coach with the credentials of Shanny to leave without a contract. You never take the first offer. Not when there's so much time for things to change. So, it won't surprise me at all. But, that doesn't in any way mean that he won't still come here. If he's as smart as we all think he is, he'll still consider all his options and take the best all around offer on the table at season's end. And I would think that, although important, money isn't the most important aspect of his decision.

Using logic like this, some people here have been rooting for the Bills to lose out for about 4 years now. I wonder if they even like the team they're supposedly a fan of anymore?

Playing the way he has this season, I would disagree. He may have played some great games and had some great potential; but that is all in the past. He's not been good in quite some time.

False start penalty, as well. FWIW.

Agreed, that final drive was a stark contrast to what Trent has done. However, it also showed the good and the bad of Fitz. He's better than Trent in that he can move just enough in pocket to find an open receiver and get the ball downfield. On the other hand, he's just innacurate enough to miss TO with 2 passes and we lose the game.