dezertbill

Old, but applicable. Telling when you have an owner who "falls asleep" when your GM is asking "football questions" to a potential candidate and then chooses that applicant over the GMs choice. They say in sales being likable is more important than actual knowledge. Rex Ryan is a shining example of this.

My take is this: I read where Whaleys choice for the position was Hue Jackson. In fact I read somewhere that Hue pretty much thought he had the job and was surprised when Rex was named. Also read where Russ Brandon made the comment to "not let Rex leave the building" before Ryan was named. The Pegulas have also spoken how Rex wowed them and within the first several minutes of their conversation they knew Rex was the right choice. Thus, I believe that Rex wasn't Whaleys Final choice. But between Pegulas own opinion as well as influence from Russ Brandon the Pegulas made the decision (based on Whaleys comments today obviously without his total blessing) to hire Rex. To make this work the Pegulas also had Rex report to them to ensure that Whaley couldn't do anything to make this choice not work. Sitting in the pressbox with ownership this year you know Whaley was hammering Rex on his failures and poor decision making. As a man you know he had an "I told you so" attitude towards the Pegs. So finally the Pegulas realized that they messed up, and it was in Their best interest to finally allow Doug to actually do his job and act like a GM and lead the search. So now it will be Whaley who brings the candidate to the owners. Granted, they still have to sign off on the choice. But I have a strong feeling that Whaleys reccommenstion will be taken a lot stronger than when Rex was hired, and the final choice will be more about what he thinks and not what the Pegs think. I also believe that Brandon will not be involved in this process like last time so he won't be able to Sabatoge Whaleys choice like he did with Ryan. it will be made clear to candidates that Whaley is the man who you need to impress, and he will probably have more power over the coach than he had with Rex. It comes across that it was dysfunctional before, but now that Whaley is more in control it's gotten back to the dynamic where the GM is the decision maker, not a green owner and president who is more a marketer. To me that makes it less dysfunctional because Whaleys choice would have left Schwartz as our D.C. Which I think with Hue who knows how that would have worked out. I believe Whaley has done a great job building this roster and I believe this is a winning franchise. Now that I know Whaley wasn't the spearhead of the Ryan train wreck I have more confidence that he can find the right coach. Be sure though that if that's the case, the next coaches firing will include him as Well.

Add to this his suspensions and coming back to the field not in shape and getting injured. Scott is dead on. Ive read where some have questioned Dareus's work ethic, yet he credits his lack of preparation on Ryan's system. And I'm not sure what Rex's system has to do with the horrendous tackling this club displayed all year, specifically the nail in the coffin Dolphins game. Unable to perform basic job functions and not being dedicated to your job when your being paid a kings ransom are not system issues. He wouldn't last a week in New England.

That's awesome. Bart Scott is my new hero.

The ship had sailed on Wade Phillips as HC. Keep him the highest paid D.C. Shanny would be a perfect fit. He's going to be a great HC. Too. Bad it won't be with the Bills.

Great take. I know some of these former talking head execs can be taken with a grain of salt. But someone as well respected as Casserly to have actually sat down and interviewed Lynn and came away with that perspective speaks highly for Lynn The more positive I hear about him obviously the better I feel about the move. We just need to get it right. If Lynn is named HC don't be surprised to see Chris Palmer get OC. He has worked closely with Lynn all year and has had great results in the NFL as QB coach and OC (minus the train wreck in Cleveland as HC). Him and Lynn are on the same page and know what each other wants and likes. Makes the most sense.

I'd take Pettine over Bradley.

Love Marv. But it's literally been a generation since he's last coached. Enjoy your HOF status. No thanks

Not necessarily bro. I believe Whaley simply wants to keep his options open with TT. If he gets hurt Sunday then the team and any incumbent HC would get stuck with him and his $30 mil. If he is healthy then the Bills have the upper hand to renegotiate Taylor's deal and make it more cap friendly. If Lynn is HC I definitely see TT returning. Lynn already said as much at his press conference that he wants to see TT after an off season of further preparing. The only way that happen is if TT comes down from his price. I don't see any other team paying him what the Bills paid him so chances are Lynn may get his wish.

If Lynn was smart if he is named HC he brings back Pettine as D.C. They worked together for 3 years in NY. Him running offense and a known commodity that made our D top 5 would pump instant credibility into the franchise and get fans excited again. Needless to say it would also help sell tickets. I think the Bills fans would change their tune as in paper we would have proven strength on both sides of the ball. I also believe he names Chris Palmer OC. He had had experience as OC and HC and had been Lynns right hand man through all of this. Still not sure Lynn can run a franchise as HC with so little experience. But with respected former Coordinators and HC by his side they can assist him as he learns the ropes.

This

With all due respect purple are you listening to what your saying? "Were average. It's not like we're 0-16". I'm sorry but mediocre is not OK with me. It's not ok with Tom Brady. It's not ok with Belicheck. It's not ok with Mike Tomlin. That's why those franchises are so successful Year after year dispite injuries, etc. Because they strive for greatness. Honestly I don't feel we have a mediocre roster. I feel we have a playoff roster. The reason why we haven't succeeded was because of coaching. Hence the exit or Ryan. Although I've given credit to Whaley for that roster, finding a head coach that can bring the best out of the team also falls on his shoulders. His responsibility is to ensure the franchise is represented in the brightest light. That's not happening right now, and that's Whaleys fault. As much as I've lauded him for the talent on the field it all means nothing if he didn't put the right coaches in place to bring out that maximum potential. Achieving mediocre with a winning roster is unacceptable. If Whaley can't put the right leadership in place to bring out the best in our players, then regardless of his talent acumen we need it find someone who can.

You mean the same people who said hiring Rex Ryan was a mistake and we'd be going through this again in 2 years. Yes. The problem is I and most fans concur with their line of thought. Some of these "talking heads" are former players giving an honest opinion with no agenda. If they are thinking that what are potential free agents thinking? If I thought the Lynn press conference was embarrassing from a standpoint that the left foot doesn't know what the right foot is doing, how do you think potential coaching candidates who are far more knowledgeable about the business feel? I'm sure Lynn is a very intelligent man. But he is very green and the FO left him out there to dry in a foreign environment and he stumbled. It made us look incompetent. Do you think a Belichick would have stumbled like that? Or Garrett? Or Sean Peyton? It also demonstrates how little control a potential head coach would have if he came in to coach this team. That's disturbing. I'm tired of being the leagues punchline. We need to start having experienced and seasoned football people representing our franchise. I don't see that right now being the case since our GM or owner won't speak to the media and Lynn simply doesn't have the experience and shouldn't be the only voice.

Agreed. We are getting creamed by media and former execs. I agree this is closing in on dumpster fire status. It's embarrrasing. I'm fearful no quality head coach will want to come near Buffalo. That's the real issue.

I agree. Whaley not talking to the press when Ryan was let go is a bad look.

I don't view Taylor's benching as the end of his Bills tenure. I believe this is a business move. What happens in the off season will decide whether he comes back. As for Lynn, I like him as a person. He does seem a bit overwhelmed. The fact that he "handled himself well" isn't a consolation prize to me. As much as naming him HC would be a cool feel good story I don't believe he's the best choice available. I believe there are more prepared and polished choices out there that can be the piller of our franchise and turn this around. I've already made my case for my choice. Unfortunately it's not Lynn.

Although Lynn seems to be the "hot name" in league circles I honestly feel he doesn't have a fraction of the experience Shanahan has nor has he been "battle tested" as a coordinator in this league. Shanahan has had 9 years to learn how to utilize different personnel and adjust on the fly in certain situations and still experience success. Lynn only has 14 games as OC on his resume, all with the same players, talent, and scheme. My only fear is Whaley may lean towards a more gm-friendly choice like Lynn so that he can have more job security and control, using that "one Buffalo" crap claiming that Lynn is more of a "team player" and easier to get along with (I.E. more likely to allow Whaley to run the show without being questioned). I hope that isn't the case. If it is, it will just make it that much more difficult to create a winning culture and break our ridiculous playoff drought.

Lineage aside, I believe Kyle Shanahan would be the perfect choice for the Bills organization moving forward as their next Head Coach. Here are my reasons why: TRACK RECORD Its not often that you have a shot at hiring the OC of the highest scoring offense in football. This season Shanahan is 1st with 502 points scored and 2nd in total yards. Thats 65 points higher than the 2nd leading scorer, the Saints. Their 33.5 average per game is 4 points more than the Saints. In 9 NFL seasons as OC, his offense has been in the top 10 six of those seasons, with four finishing in the top 5. Although he is a pass-happy coordinator, that wouldnt necessarily spell bad news for LeSean McCoy. The Falcons are ranked 7th in rushing yards and 3rd in rushing TDs this year. Devonta Freeman only has 14 less carries than Shady and has the exact same amount of receptions. So you wont see Shady pouting about not being used. The Falcons are also 6th in rushing 1st downs and 4th in runs of 20+ yards or more. So there isnt a huge drop-off there. Shanahans offense takes care of the ball only having lost 3 fumbles all year, tied for 4th. In contrast, the Bills have lost 10, ranking them 28th. Shanahan has also been successful with a running QB as well. In Robert Griffins rookie year 2012, the Redskins offense ranked 1st in rushing yards and 2nd in rushing TDs. They also finished 4th in total points and 5th in total yards. Washingtons 2013 campaign of 3-13 was due a porous defense and RGIII not being in fully healthy. Redskins still finished 9th in total yards and 5th in rushing yards. So his arrival wouldnt necessary mean bad news for Tyrod Taylor. If anything, it might boost his career if the Bills are able to resign him to a cap-friendlier deal. ATTENTION TO DETAIL Reading his Wikipedia page, Shanahan is quoted as saying, I studied every potential Xs and Os play and issue possible. I spent my whole life working on that. My goal was that any question a player could have about anything on the field, I'd be able to answer it. He is a student of the game having grown up around the most successful offensive mind in football, and his preparation and attention to detail rivals the best. A great MMQB piece outlines how he has developed and grown over the years as an OC from Peter King: http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/10/06/ Another great piece by the Washington Post outlines how his time in Washington made him ready for a HC opportunity. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/11/01/the-worst-period-in-kyle-shanahans-career-may-have-been-the-best-thing-for-it/?utm_term=.baea9f111b60 Another example of his attention to detail was his departure from Cleveland. When he was fed up with the dysfunction of their front office shoving Johnny Manziel down his throat and the different voices telling him what to do between ownership, the GM, and Pettine; Shanahan wrote up a 32-point presentation as to why Mike Pettine should let him out of his contract. Who does that? Although Pettine later admitted he didnt need 32 points to know when a coach doesnt want to be around, the presentation was presented to ownership and it worked. He was able to escape the Browns and take the OC job in Atlanta without the Falcons having to give up any compensation to hire him for the same position. Unheard of. Here is the piece: http://www.businessinsider.com/kyle-shanahan-presentation-2015-2 It seems the move worked out pretty well for him. DEFENSE The biggest question is how the defensive side of the ball will look with Kyle as HC. I look back to his dad, who even while running the greatest offense in the NFL in his prime, Mike Shanahans defenses ranked in the top 10 in rushing yards allowed in eight of his fourteen seasons, five of which were in the top 5. He ranked top 10 in passing yards allowed in seven of those seasons. Mike knew the importance of defense, and being such a detail oriented person himself, Im very confident that Kyle will find a defensive mind that can provide similar success. OVERALL At 37 Kyle Shanahan has been calling plays for almost a decade. This is a guy who can come to Buffalo with a lifetime full of football knowledge and coach for 20-25 years. Unlike a Coughlin who at 70 has only a handful of years left in the league. Great football minds like Belichick dont come around very often. But they usually derive from coaches who started very early in the game and were top notch in preparation and attention to detail. Although by no means am I currently ranking Kyle Shanahan with Bill Belichick, its young coaches like that who have the best chance of becoming the best the game has to offer as a new wave of young HCs hit the league. If Im Buffalo, I jump at youth, energy, experience, attention to detail, result-proven success, along with lineage; and name Kyle Shanahan our new HC.

The Bills have employed 2 of the 5 longest tenured head coaches to go the longest without a winning record. Dick Jauron went seven years and Rex went six. Unfortunately their tenure with Buffalo was toward the end of their streaks Not the beginning. SMH

With Lynn as HC you bring in a D.C. Like Pettine or Bradley and there will be optimism amongst fans. Personally I see someone like Pettine getting the job. Lynn and Pettine both worked for the Jets from 2009-12 amd are familiar with each other. With the success Pettine had in Buffalo bringing him back would create an instant boost in the fan base with two known commodities. Lynn did a great job running the offense and I'm not against Giving him the position as long as he brings in a DC like Pettine or Bradley that is a known commodity.

Lynn is on the shortlist for a number of NFL HC jobs and won't be around. I am completely on board with Lynn as HC and Pettine as DC. I believe Pettine would consider it and Wow what a great combo that could be.

Not against this. He should be interviewed and judged accordingly.

Vito Carlucci. In the mood for spaghetti and meatballs now with a flavorful red.

I disagree bud. I believe it will be up to the new head coach whether Taylor is a fit for his team. I'd so it becomes a value issue, and no one is going to sign Taylor for the amount he was due if he remained with the team. So no reason pigeonholing yourself into a huge deal. Taylor's agent is a business man. If the Bills offer Taylor a better deal than any other team he'll be coming back. The best chance of this happening is with Lynn being named HC. Lynn knows Tyrod and his benching is whaleys call and not the HC. Lynn might still have confidence in Taylor and believes he can still get the best out of him. It becomes less likely with a new HC who may have their own idea of who their starting QB would be.

I don't look at this as Whaley completely throwing in the towel on Tyrod. I believe they still have interest in keeping Tyrod, just not at the huge number they would be stuck with if he gets hurt. Sitting him gives Whaley options to bring back Tyrod at a friendlier price without forcing his hand. It's smart. As for the EJ talk. If Whaley uses this one game to justify signing EJ to a future deal then Whaley is just blind and he should be shown the door as well. With that being said I believe EJs start is more about Cardale not being ready than EJ being looked at as a future option. The ship has sailed on Manuel. I can't see how the Bills could look it any different.