BillsVet

Is a 24-27 record as GM and having the most resources to work with in franchise history irrational?

Drawing conclusions based on a body of work (i.e. at least a quarter of the season) versus the most recent game result could be construed as negative by a lot of fans now. For some reason, espousing a wait and see attitude will get you called a "hater" or "negative." I need to see a level of consistency from this team as well. What irritates me is the team comes out strong in certain games and other times is flat. Last year's away NE game they were jacked up for MNF and played well. But other times during the season is was if there wasn't much motivation. I hope that hasn't continued in 2016 with a strong defensive effort against AZ and would expect another strong defensive effort versus NE. We'll see.

What is your point? The NFL from of the 90s is long gone and no one operates today the way teams did back then. Everything's more competitive and ff we're banking on luck happening here, well, that's like your retirement plan being to win the lottery. For the record, Robert Kraft bought his franchise in 1992, the team went to the SB in 1996 under Parcells, but was mediocre by 1999 when he hired a previously fired HC named Bill Belichick. Kraft identified someone who has been wildly successful that remarkably found a QB in the 6th round. The Pegula's are being led by Brandon and Whaley, neither of whom have much of any success in this league. I'd want someone advising me better than those two.

An owner needs to know their place and when to interject. I wish T/K Pegs had found someone to review the organization and provide feedback when they bought the team in 2014. They were on their way to that with Polian, but it blew up when Marrone quit. I'm not saying Polian was the be-all, end-all, but at least he was external to the organization. I had hoped T/K Pegs didn't need to learn the hard way again about trusting people they inherited. With the hockey team, they eventually had to fire the GM, HC, and another HC. Then, they hired someone as hockey czar who inexplicably quit shortly thereafter who fortunately hired a hockey GM before he left. That GM at least has a plan. T/K Pegs trusted Brandon and Whaley far too much since buying the team 2 years ago. After the fiascos of the past few years, I would hope an outside person could tell T/K Pegs those two are focused more on the OBD politics, i.e. job promotions/keeping their jobs, than winning football games.

A GM will only accept the job if they've got a measure of control over the team. If I'm a prospective candidate, I get assurance that no one outside of the people I hire in the front office interferes in football operations, save for ownership. Anyone else, specifically Russ "Mr. Smithers" Brandon will have nothing to do with decision making on that side of the house. Period. That hasn't been the case at any point in the 16 years of failure.

The post-mortem on Whaley's tenure will be his inability to identify a QB prospect and/or starter. Nix did this franchise no favors eschewing the QB position in 2011-12 when Fitzpatrick was the designated starter. Having said that, the roster seems to be built like a fantasy team. Building individual positions rather than a scheme designed to win the division. It's also clear Whaley didn't have a decision to hire a HC. Marrone was a Brandon choice and Ryan the decision from T/K Pegs. The dysfunction in this franchise isn't all on Whaley, but his off-season was a blundering mess. That humans playing football comment is something I'd never expect a NFL GM would make.

If the report is true, it reminds me of after season comments made by defensive players about Rex's scheme being too complicated. Are the players not able to understand this is the NFL and it requires complex schemes at times? Do they think you can just line up and go at the opponent. I'm beginning to think a lot of these players aren't putting in the work nor have the understanding that winning in the league requires out-thinking your opponent.

Nice summary CT. I think Ozzie Newsome well understood TT wasn't a long term option at QB and made no real attempt to trade him before he hit UFA. I've also wondered what TT learned backing up in Baltimore about playing QB in the NFL. Sometimes it seems like he's more of a rookie out there than a 6 year veteran.

I don't understand why personnel is linked to scheme. Buffalo drafted Spiller, yet Nix wanted a huge OL and actually bragged about the latter. Now, a new GM trades for McCoy, yet their OL seems more suited for the power running game. It hurt last night not having a short yardage option. This is only one example of not fitting personnel to scheme.

Of all people, Sal Capaccio had an interesting start to his morning show segment on GR. Said essentially that teams around the league throw the ball to their bigger receivers and the Bills don't do that. The Bills have always tried to do things differently during this 16 years of failure. We've seen it in front office hires, personnel moves, gameday strategies, everywhere. Instead of doing what works, they think they could do it better and differently. The league is passing these dinosaurs like the Ryans by.

Russ is so far up the chain of command that he's not responsible. That's the defense whenever anyone mentions the guy's name. Well, as you mentioned, Brandon was in the room and contributed to the decisions to hire Nix, promote Whaley, hire Rex, and probably others. Somehow he's still not responsible.

Hiring an independent consultant who will objectively critique the way things are handled at OBD is at least a decade overdue. And I would hope that consultant would tell TPegs that there is interference in football operations which needs to end for his 1.4B company to ever proceed beyond mediocrity.

An objective review which is long overdue, but too many people at OBD with their own agendas will not permit this to happen. It's part of the reason they interviewed no one from outside the organization when Brandon wanted out of the GM role. He either couldn't get interviews, or wanted to keep things in house by interviewing Nix and John Guy with the latter fired. I get that TPegs wants to demonstrate loyalty, but there will be a time when winning trumps that approach. I would hope that means an objective set of eyes be placed on his billion dollar plus investment and not entrusted to RW cronies like Brandon, Whaley, et al. This. This. This.

I feel like Russ Brandon would be right at home playing the Wizard of Oz, saying, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." It's doubtful someone who once was the managing owner of the franchise would seamlessly transition into a role without any influence into football operations. Especially when one sees he was on the phone with potential UDFA's after the draft concluded.

Buffalo has, IIRC, the largest coaching staff in the NFL. Not including the HC, his staff and special teams, I count 18 coaches of which 9 are offensive. An OC, OL coach, WR coach, QB coach, RB coach (also Asst HC) Offensive Ass't, Sr. Offensive Ass't, TE, and Ass't QB coach. If the Bills can't figure out how to get the plays in, perhaps too many cooks is confusing the rest of the kitchen. As for the offensive game-plan, Roman isn't acting independently here. He's fulfilling the HC's vision of playing it safe with short passes and plenty of runs. It's what the HC dictates and, if this were 1975, it might work. When has Rex ever been the type of innovative offensive coach who spreads the field and throws 30 passes a game?

I see where this is going. How many playoff appearances does Fitz have by the way?

The propaganda arm of the franchise speaks. Ergo, it must be true. We're one game into the 2016 NFL season and CK wasn't selected to start. If he continues playing this well, perhaps he's not a bust. It's still not good when a 2nd round pick doesn't become a starter until another player is injured. I also noticed Sunday that they had another player positioned on the left side of the line to help. So I'd hold the horses on declaring he's improved his game significantly. Not being an outright starter seem to bear that out, especially when the RT is a guy they signed off the street last year.

4 years backing up a solid starting QB in Baltimore. 1 season as a starter. Another off-season in the same system. Still can't see the field, read defenses, or make basic throws. That seems to be a common theme over the past 10 years. The NFL doesn't give QB's 4-5 years to hopefully develop and the rules certainly favor them getting up to speed faster, particularly PI calls and roughing penalties. Meanwhile, other QB's are demonstrating early they can play in the league. On a weekend Buffalo's QB was missing sideline and checkdown throws, Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz (albeit vs. Cleveland), Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Trevor Siemian, Jameis Winston, and Marcus Mariota were showing with less than 3 years starting experience how someone can excel without lengthy experience.

I'm thinking a lot of posters here don't remember the DJ years all that well. The realistic, i.e. "negative" types are otherwise known as "haters." But the people who use those terms are noticeably absent today after yesterday's game.

Great having you here Bill. Not sure what's happened to Woods, who despite poor QB play in 2013-14 looked like he'd be a good #2 WR. I'm also amazed they haven't figured out that targeting Clay more than 3 times a game. Whaley owns this roster and has been given more than previous GM's to make them good. Rex shares some of the blame, but hasn't got the time in Buffalo like the GM does.

BTW, what did Jim Monos order for lunch today?

To quote Dick Jauron: "It's hard to win in the NFL." While DJ and RR will never be confused, the teams they put on the field are eerily similar in terms of end result. Safe offensive scheme and a defense that tries to keep it close to eek on wins here and there. It's just that this year's team is a lot more expensive doing what DJ did back in the RW penny-pinching years.

Amazing how Smithers is always in the picture. For a guy TPegs said doesn't have anything to do with personnel, it was strange hearing the team prez was calling potential UDFA's after the draft. The front office, in its current configuration, is Brandon's. And those people have proven they aren't competent. He sure would. But Whaley's ego got in the way and wouldn't permit any competition to Manuel. This, after people were saying late in 2013 that Manuel couldn't play. https://twitter.com/jasoncolebr/status/503281788920553472 Didn't "Dealer" Doug cite this as something TT needed to improve on? Yet they just gave him a new contract? And people wonder why this franchise can't make the playoffs in a generation.

Rex being faux-humble in the post-game PC citing the Ravens defense comes off as real weak. Their defense wasn't special, but Buffalo's offense was unimaginative and TT, as he did so often last year, wilted when they needed him in the 4th quarter.

Greg Roman doesn't have the element of surprise anymore like he and Tyrod had in 2015. And you can be sure opposing defensive coordinators will use this game to make it more difficult for the Bills the rest of the way.