BillsVet

The guy's gut told him not to come work here. In other words, he wasn't going to work for an organization which will be sold to the highest bidder and whose 90-something owner still runs the franchise. Cowher can do whatever he wants, but anyone in management has to manage their career and gauge whether a prospective position will enhance that. The Bills are a complete rebuilding project, and I'm sure he didn't want to be at the dawn of that movement. But it's funny to see people attack Cowher for not coming here or Tim Graham for merely reporting his interview. Those guys aren't at fault, rather, the team with 10 straight non-playoff seasons is.

Anyone wanting to trade with Belichick is not all that bright. Ask the Raiders who gave up what will probably be a high first for an aging Richard Seymour back in September. Still, Buffalo would do well at this early juncture to trade down. They need all the picks they can get, although teams rarely trade into the top 10.

Schobel plays the run better than he gets credit for. If he retires, it's going to be an adventure replacing him because Maybin needs another year to fill out and get stronger. He's about as savvy a DE as there is in the NFL and Chan Gailey needs to get to work if he hasn't already on keeping his best player.

Mike Mayock is just slinging stuff against a wall and doesn't really know what he's talking about. I mean, who made him an expert in drafting? The guy isn't always right, but he's darn good. One guy he wasn't crazy about was John Carlson, TE from ND who went in the 2nd of 2008. Bradford needs a solid showing at the combine, but I'm not sure if he'll be able to throw coming off should surgery.

It's not even February and you're dinging one of the best mock drafters for supposedly throwing stuff at a wall? No mock draft in January looks like what actually happens because the combine and individual workouts influence board movement. Just once I'd like to see someone actually put forth an alternative or back up an opinion before ripping another person, TBD'er or otherwise. But that'd be too much for TBD.

Buffalo does not consider outside candidates for the big jobs at OBD and therefore Roseman wouldn't have been considered. Really, TD was the last outside hire in management this decade. Philly doesn't need a total rebuild like Buffalo does. They need some pieces, but they're a playoff team the last two seasons and to compare and contrast both franchises is an exercise in futility. Unlike Jeffrey Lurie, we know the Bills owner will immerse himself, despite a terrible track record in picking players, front office people, and HC's, into all facets of football. It's for this reason that I can't slam the Eagles as much but will criticize the Bills. Reid did interview other in-house candidates, but he's still in charge. The management side of the house is changing in the NFL, and having someone who understands the cap and legal stuff seems to be a somewhat growing trend. The Jets have Mike Tannenbaum as their GM, who isn't a classically trained football guy; he's a lawyer who came up on the cap side of the house. After all, I can't imagine many teams had capologists 10-15 years ago, but now they're a staple of front offices. Roseman holds the title of GM, but it's not in the way of what we think of. He'll handle the non-personnel duties and focus on cap stuff. All along, I've made the point that people do not reach the pinnacle of their career at 70 and there's more to this GM thing than simply scouting players. Too many people here forget that Nix was not involved in day to day decisions when he was "Assistant GM" in San Diego and lived 2000 miles from team HQ. Now, he'll be in the middle of day to day decisions, that is, if Smithers and Burns will let him.

Shanahan was interviewed in November. It was then that word spread how RW would be willing to pay 10M to hire a name guy to come in. OBD has never sold hope better than in the November through early January time frame.

Leaking that RW would pay 10M per to secure a name GM/coach was a stroke of brilliance by the PR folks at OBD. It helped Buffalo sell some tickets and increase attention to the coach search. I've heard Channy is getting 3M per, and it's a cost savings because he's the de facto OC as well. Modkins probably isn't being paid much with his wonderful resume. I wouldn't be so sure about the stadium being filled next season even with a big name player signing to a short term contract, a la TO. By interviewing a grand total of 5 people for 2 of the most crucial jobs in the franchise, the Bills showed they're concerned with making as little commitment as possible given the owner's age. Not surprisingly, they did that by hiring two people who were not courted by any other of the 31 NFL teams.

Collie and Garcon looked good out of the box because they have two outstanding coaches: their future HOF QB and OC Tom Moore. Take nothing away from the kids, they're good and made plays when it counted in the AFC Championship. Conversely, Buffalo drafted Hardy out of Indiana with the expectation he'd be the starter right away, which is absurd for rookie 2nd round WR's. They typically don't develop that quickly. The Bills fell in love with Hardy's measureables, but it belied the fact Hardy didn't run a NFL route tree, nor separated well in college. Now he can't even get on the field when healthy.

If you knew anything about the Eagles, it's that Andy Reid has personnel control. He had it when Tom Heckert (now GM in Cleveland for Mike Holmgren) served in the role Roseman was promoted to. And Andy Reid has had far more hits than misses in his 11 drafts there. Track record means nothing to too many mindless posters here. The Eagles won 103 regular season games from 2000-09, Buffalo a mere 66. So go ahead and attack Philadelphia for promoting from within, because it ain't the same as when Buffalo does it.

Tell that to the homers who sit there and compare a 70 year old first time GM to Bill Polian as a mid forties GM in 1985-86. RW got lucky that someone from within his organization (who was 25 years YOUNGER then than Nix is now) happened to be the best front office man of the past quarter century. That happens real frequently. Luck only goes so far. If Buddy Nix is adept at being a GM, then why in sam hill wasn't he hired for the 15 or so GM positions since the turn of the decade? Guess that's what I get for pointing out facts to the homers.

The past month has been a continuation of what RW falls back on when things aren't going well. He insists on surrounding himself with people he knows, ergo Buddy Nix and the promotion of Smithers to CEO. And of course, those people can't be strong personalities who will challenge the owner. Not interviewing an outside candidate for GM was a systemic failure, even though some believe that a man with the organization for 11 months isn't an inside hire. And that numerous other (and some highly successful) franchises missed the boat on their GM hire. The NFL is a league in which the slow are left behind to suffer and draft high. And when the owner micromanages the organization, you get what Buffalo has become: a team with 10 straight non-playoff seasons in the salary cap era.

It doesn't matter who the GM, HC, or College Scouting Director is. If RW has any input into picks beside signing the check, the franchise will not move forward. It's far too early to say the Bills have hit on 3 out of 4 picks and reminds me of those who proclaimed the 2006 draft as stellar. Four years later, the 06 and 07 drafts have produced exactly one starter. And truth be told, I expect guards picked in rounds 1 and 2 to be very good. Now, let's see if they can find a QB, LT, and or pass rusher. Those are the hardest positions to draft, with G, RB, and LB being easier.

Thanks for finding this Dave. The homer fans can attack the site, the article, the writer, and whomever else they'd like. But it doesn't excuse or ignore what has transpired at OBD. The only way Buffalo ever becomes a playoff team is to be extremely lucky. I cannot believe a then 89 year old Wilson was immersing himself into the draft selections as deeply as he did. And even though there's a new GM and HC, what's really changed? I don't like to prejudge Buddy Nix, but that PC for Gailey's hiring was a complete disaster. Nix may be a fine scout, but there's more to being GM than scouting. Five straight losing seasons. 10 straight non-playoff seasons. 14 years since a playoff victory. It doesn't end until the owner relinquishes control.

On 11/17, a good majority of the fan base was relieved to see Dick Jauron fired as HC of the Buffalo Bills after 3.5 seasons of mediocrity. Word quickly leaked out that Buffalo secured a meeting with Mike Shanahan and most of us immediately dreamed of a name coach to replace the deposed DJ. Not long after that, rumors ran rampant that Ralph was offering unprecedented money to hire the former Broncos HC. Fans were led to believe there was going to be one last shot by the owner to win it all, as he talked about at his ring ceremony. Most of all, several reports indicated there would be a serious evaluation of football operations, specifically the personnel departments. I figured the last vestiges of TD's reign of error, Modrak and Guy, would be shown the door so the team could put the past 10 years behind them. It wasn't to be. Now fast forward to today. After each A list guy turned them down and subsequently hot coordinators showed general ambivalence to working at OBD, we've crash landed. No one can predict what Buddy and Chan will do, but it's a strange pairing and an unheralded one at that. Meanwhile, the same front office holdovers remain, and it appears no one is being forced out. So much for the house cleaning. Admit it, the Bills marketing people fooled fans with subterfuge and PR once again. When I look back at the last two months, we're not so much disappointed by not getting a Shanahan or Cowher. It's more a matter of buying into hype and being dropped for a loss-again. If after 10 years of failure we don't re-evaluate as fans, I can't imagine what would force us to.

No solutions? You cannot be serious. Sully advocated hiring Jim Harbaugh, who (and I'll fabricate something here) turned down the job. Sully is on record as recommending the Bills hire a consultant to find the GM and help transition from the era of TD/Marv into something new. I see a lot of people marginalizing a columnist through generalizing what he does. There are excellent columnists out there who say things that aren't popular and are routinely criticized. Ever hear of Mike Royko? How about Jim Murray, long time writer for SI? But you're the poster who mysteriously goes away when things go bad. Ironic you've come back after the season ended.

Seeing Nix and Gailey on the stage yesterday, I knew both of them were happy to just be in the NFL. Sure they wanted to be here in Buffalo and that's admirable. But as has been pointed out, Nix doesn't strike me as the type who would reward Ralph's hiring him by going contrary to him in the all important coach search. Nix chose Marty's side in the latter's ongoing feud with AJ Smith in SD. That sort of loyalty either went out the window since early 07 when Schottenheimer was fired, or someone intervened to shoot down Marty. I can't see two friends (and Nix wanted someone he was on the same page with) being unable to work with. Regardless, Gailey has an even bigger hole to climb out of since this report no matter who decided against it.

Smithers was getting Homer Simpson to talk to C. Montgomery Burns and wasn't available. He likes it that way. Waylon is very astute PR-wise. He'll never open himself up to criticism, nor place himself anywhere that there's a remote possibility of it.

Teams haven't been in cap hell in a long time, and it's looking like they'll be no cap next year. There's a chance there may never be another cap, but that's not for awhile. This off-season will be unique, in that without a cap it will be interesting to see what team do. Particularly with UFA's not becoming so until they've completed 6 seasons of NFL service. Anyone who hasn't is a RFA, meaning they'll be tendered and require draft pick compensation.

Thank you kindly NGU. Just seems strange Buddy could be "buds" with Marty, but couldn't work with him.

Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground. Is this a thread about American Idol or captioning a picture of the newest Bills retread HC.

We need a Chan-O-Meter.

Daggum, the song goes "lookin like a fool with your pants on the ground." Ralph warned me you media people twist everything.

I have to believe Buddy likes Marty, based on their years in SD. Problem is, Buddy controls nothing aside from running draft day and UFA. RW and Smithers would and will not take his advice if it contradicted their opinion. I've made the point that micromanaging owners do not work. Wilson, Jerry Jones, Al Davis, Mike Brown, and Dan Snyder have a combined for ONE playoff win since 2003.

If this report is true, and I trust Tim Graham, then there is no hope anymore. RW is not just part of the process in selecting any front office person, he is the process. He's deciding, and for all those mindless posters who think RW knows football, try again. Given RW's history, is it really surprising to think the owner was concerned with Schottenheimer threatening his power base?