BillsVet

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?

No one complain! If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. Seriously, are we in kindergarten or something? Forgive me for not being overly enthused by a guy who wasn't able to get a HC job in more than a decade. Coincidentally, that's the same amount of time it's been since this franchise made the playoffs.

Let me get this straight. You're banking on a 70 year old first time GM who worked out of his home in Tennessee while Assistant GM and didn't manage day to day operations. And, hoping a Guy and Modrak will somehow get things right? You could have substitued Levy and Brandon for Nix and said the same thing in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. I wish DJ would call Gailey and tell him what he's got in front of him. Then again, both are being paid a sum that no other team would.

Good thing Minnesota didn't spend on Favre, trade for Jared Allen, sign Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, Steve Hutchinson, and Bernard Berrian. They'd at least be in the NFC Title Game if they did. UFA dollars spent wisely is what counts. This franchise hasn't done that since the TD era. Example: all UFA's signed from 2006-07 were not with the team when the season started in 2009. But go ahead living in absolute world.

So what happened in 06 and 07 when there were multiple games blacked out? The NFL remains wildly popular, but Buffalo wasn't selling games out even after Marv was inexplicably named GM (of football I might add). The Dear John letters are more plentiful because the organization stopped caring about winning after TD failed. And no amount of PR can make up for the trainwreck they've become. I suppose ignorance is bliss. Except fewer people are ignorant with hirings like this that serve to remove that they've become Raiderish.

Mr. Smithers gives a rat's arse. He's the guy who has to sell this move to the people who are going to wonder why they should continue supporting the team. They've probably got a wildcard up their sleeves, a la TO, but really there's no way they can't hide who they really are.

I'm just surprised no one has attacked Lombardi for his opinion. I mean, anytime someone says something negative about the Bills, they're destroyed by the faithful homers of TBD. For the record, Lombardi once worked for the 49ers during the Walsh years. And BW told him there are really only a few teams in it to win it each season. Unfortunately, former league executives like Lombardi understands better than others that the Bills are going in the opposite direction. They've quit and the only way out is to have luck as RW puts it. Raiderish is the new adjective to describe the Bills. Or perhaps the Raiders are really Billish.

Three games out from being a WC team after four seasons of rebuilding. Pardon me for not being over-enthused. The Jets may finally have a long term answer at QB, along with possessing an outstanding defense. Buffalo has neither and thus haven't even started their rebuild.

Anyone saying "give the guy a chance" is saying that you trust Bills management. This is the same organization that has approved of Williams, Mularkey, Jauron, and now probably Gailey. Call me crazy, but as long as Smithers and Brandon haven't made a good decision in forever. The rest of the NFL didn't want to give the guy a chance, but he's good enough here? It's mindbending to think we're at the point where it's necessary to make excuses for everything, no matter what it is. Why has he not been mentioned for any other HC job since forever? Why was he not even mentioned for an OC job since his firing in KC? Who is the last manager, HC, GM, or otherwise that was hired by Buffalo and actually in demand by the NFL? And the first person who cites Levy in 86 should remember ML inherited too many quality players and had the greatest GM of his generation running the show.

The marketing plan is pursue a name UFA one a one or two year deal to make people forget how awful their HC hire was. Sound familiar? I'd be willing to bet they're in save face mode after Harbaugh turned them down. They just needed the right stooge who wouldn't demand the front office make the wholesale changes OBD led us to believe would happen. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas are becoming shills for the front office and hurting their credibility.