Bill from NYC

It depends on who you mean by "they." My point is that it appears that Brandon, a non-football man, made the decision.

Nice job by Scott in terms of linking the responses of posters to their personalities. I would fit into the category that he described as, "cynical" lol! That said, maybe it will work. Marrone has got the job and deserves a chance.

Highly regarded as a businessman. http://www.buffalobi...c3-7d95b2e98331 Evidence would point to this being a Brandon decision. And it could work, but what does this tell us about who is calling the shots?

OK, but did you see my link early in this thread? There would seem to be a strong Brandon/Marrone connection.

How do the connections with Brandon sit with you? Obviously, he is a businessman, NOT a football man. I must cop to having an uneasy feeling about this.

Very good points. A good omen: He is from the Bronx, as was the best football man in the history of the Bills Org. A bad omen: He just got glowing reviews from Herm Edwards.

Sure there is. Russ and Marrone know each other. This would seem to be a Russ hire. I doubt if Nix and Whaley had much say at all.

"Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon, an East Syracuse native, serves on the Syracuse University Sports Management Advisory Board, and has a measure of familiarity with Marrone." http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-meet-Syracuse-head-coach-Doug-Marrone/a52d984f-8c4f-4aac-afc3-7d95b2e98331 So, was this a marketing move, or one of cronyism? I don't know, but as a Bills Fan I will rally behind him and hope that he is up to the task. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, THAT was funny!!! The thing is, I don't really agree. The QB I would use for the sake of this discussion is Matt Schaub. I would call him a perfect example of a QB who is GOOD. He will never be as great as Elway, Brady, P. Manning, etc. But he is clearly good enough to lead a good team to the playoffs, perhaps even a superbowl. When a team has a QB as good (again, not great) as Schaub, you can use draft picks on players such as Watt, etc. instead of chasing qbs. In fact, I am hoping that if there really is a lack of star qbs in this class (which appears to be the case), we can find one who will at some point play at the level of Schaub. So imo, the difference between Dalton and Fitz is that Dalton has a good shot at being about as good as Schaub. He isn't quite as accurate, but seems more mobile. Fitz otoh looks as if he will not reach this higher plateau. And I am being kind. In summary, are the Bills worse off for not drafting Dalton? Yes, I believe they are. Jmo.

Not to speak for John, but the rule changes have made the league resemble Arena Football. Receivers now own the middle instead of assasin safeties, and HUGE fines are imposed for late hits on the QB. Also, the new CBA makes it easier to take a chance on a qb with an early draft selection. Teams will not be destroyed for years for a blunder such as Jamarcus Russell. In short, if you like a quarterback, you have to grab him if he is there. PS: I don't necessarily like the new game more than the old one but to compete, the need fo a qb has never been more pronounced.

Again, I agree. It's as if Nix kept his eye on how a college player was rated, rather than concentrate on building a winning team. I know that this sounds nuts, but while Spiller and Gimore were rated high, and are in fact good players, it didn't translate into wins. I suppose it's the same wrt Dareus, but I was ok with this pick because it made a weak team bigger and stronger. And btw, I continue to credit Nix with building this OL. He simply should have made a move at a qb. I have no idea what held him back. Actually, I have seen a lot of Wilson. While he lacks the tools of Mallett (who doesn't?), I think that he might be good. I also think that he will need some time, given his situation. And btw, I still hope that the Bills offer Saban 6 years/60 million.

Good post as usual, from top to bottom. Yes, Gilmore probably will be good some day, but the impact factor does have to be weighed. And I agree with you wrt Gailey. He has what I consider a very good offensive mind, but little can be accomplished sans a quarterback. As for the "glimmer of hope" I will wait until after the draft. Call me crazy, but I expect them to draft Dee Milner at #8.

When we talk about great units like this you are correct, it comes down to opinion. I was very young, but the best I remember were the old Chiefs, with Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier (both in HOF) and Jim Lynch. Also, the Steelers trio of Ham, Lambert and Russell wasn't too shabby.

Thank you for a well thought post. The only thing I will do wrt your list is agree with the poster who cited the weather, and question 2 of the 3 negatives. The wr corps needs more than depth. After SJ, they are pedestrian at best. An injury to #13 would make them perhaps the worst in the NFL. The LB corps, although I haven't seen them all, probably IS the worst in the NFL. Coming into the season, Barnett was good. Now, no LB is. They are all terrible. A coach/GM would have to fill these 2 gaping holes, AND get us a qb. This would seem to be a daunting task. Long time fans like you and I know what to look for. If Goodell strolls up to the podium and announces that the Bills select Dee Milner at #8, all is lost for many more seasons. We need to fill the above holes, and most of all field a good quarterback to play this new brand of football. Jmo.

Yes. I am not sure how many qbs in this class can step right in. Also, things have changed with the new CBA. Early draft picks cost less these days. It wouldn't be unreasonable at all to keep Fitz for a year to help break a kid in. Besides, Fitz will probably be an OC down the road, and might be a willing mentor.

I am sorry Bro. I thought you were kidding. Imo, Marv is WAY too old, and he failed miserably at GM. Nice man, but we need something more. If we want to go back in time, we should hand the keys to Polian imo. Have a great New Year.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear what you are saying. For me, it was a pressure free game. I can't prove it, but I had zero doubt that the Bills would win. It enabled me to watch the game with a sense of calm. The score didn't reflect the actual game either imo. Aside from Spiller, SJ, and Brad Smith not too many players had exceptional games. Looking at the stats, it would seem as if the LBs played well. They really did not. Barnett is done. What do you think of this QB class? I like Glennon, but imo it will take him some time. I see him as possibly rising to the level of Schaub. Smith confuses me. I wasn't impressed by him at the bowl game, but he is almost certainly better than this. I liked Jones until I watched him this season. Maybe he is hurt, but he seems to have fallen way off. I am also going to look at LBs in this class, but I hope we can get some in free agency. Guards too, because I will be shocked if Levitre stays. Shocked and thrilled, because he might be the most under rated player in the NFL. PS: We need a safety. Happy New Year my friend!!!

Nope. He's outta here based on that comment. And he deserves it too. As much as I have praised what Nix has done for the OL, it was more of the same in terms of the draft.

Is this really where you want to go? Are you accusing those who are unimpressed by the kid of racism, let alone people that you do not know? Is so, that is lame and shallow.If not I'm sorry, and ask you to explain what you are saying.

I realize that the conditions are bad. But, I am totally unimpressed with Smith. His out patterns lacked zip, and his shoulders seem quite narrow. I was hoping that he would have a great game today to make sure he was the first player selected. My wish is that the Bills do not draft him. We need a QB, and I would, at this point, be fine with Glennon or perhaps even Nassib. The last player I want the Bills to draft high is Geno Smith. PS: My record wrt qbs is sketchy. I was right about Losman being awful, but I thought Rob Johnson was going to be a superstar.

Dave, logic precludes Bills Fans from high expectations at this point. Sad but true. Saban has won titles sans a stellar qb, but we both know that college is different. The only thing that could possibly bring him to NY (imo) is money. I make the case that if he came here, he would get this team to the playoffs in a very short time period. I also admit that I am dreaming.

I only have only one man in mind who can do it all for our team. Like him or hate him, Nick Saban. He is a complete, total winner. Nobody, perhaps in the history of college football, is a better recruiter. The man knows who has talent. He has trained numerous great assistants. And, there is a family history. Mr. Wilson, as we all know, is not young. He should offer Saban a 5 year/50 million dollar contract and give him complete authority. Mr. Wilson is a billionaire. This would not hurt his estate. It might actually strengthen it. Coach Saban would bring to the table a winning program. Great assistants would, and have already bought into his system. It would not take him long to win wherever he goes. Winning is what he does. And I think that he almost certainly has learned lessons from his first time around with Miami. The man is NO joke, and is about to win another national championship. I am not necessarily correct, but I am unable to see anyone else in his class. Jmo.

Most Important: 1) Levitre, but it ain't looking good 2) Byrd: Franchising him is no big deal 3) Rinehart: Important depth player 4) Colin Brown: Pretty good player, and Wood is not reliable in terms of health. And, we ae going after a qb so Barrett Jones will be selected by another team. We could keep him for pocket change. Jmo.

The fact that he is a free agent after this season, and would be risking injury before a new contract is something consider, wouldn't you say? I am in the crowd that thinks he is finished as a Buffalo Bill. No great loss either. Just another dumb Jauron draft selection that helped destroy this football team.