BillsVet

Wayne Huizenga, before selling the Dolphins to Stephen Ross, hired Bill Parcells to clean up the Dolphins at the end of a 1-15 season in 2007. Parcells advocated firing the entire coaching and front office staff. Everything. And then he hired an entire new staff. This reportedly cost 27M dollars. Forgive me for not having a link, but I recall starting a thread about the cost to win. And guess what happened? That team Parcells built went 11-5 in 08. Sure, Miami got a lot of bounces their way, but Huizenga sold the team and made a significant profit. The point is, it's a business, and Huizenga made a decision just prior to selling the team. RW plays marketing games, doesn't build a real football team, and depends on gimmicks (TO) to sell tickets. All the while, the team languishes in mediocrity, or perhaps worse this season. EDIT: Huizenga-Parcells

The greater issue, outside of pure business decisions, is that RW does not like paying people not to work. I'm sure you'll recall the Wade Phillips event, when Wilson claimed WP quit on and was not fired. The former would remove RW's obligation to pay WP. This is a stubborn man, Mr. Wilson. He's accustomed, over a lifetime of business and sports ventures, to getting his way. He's not fired a coach mid-season since the eigthties when HC's earned a fraction of what they used to.

Brandon was just speaking on behalf of Wlson. He tried to be tough, but in the scheme of things, no one among NFL types respects him. I've read that he was practically laughed at while attending the combine. It's an insult to Bills fans that he's been "promoted" to such an important NFL position. But oh yeah is he arrogant. If he we knew he could make big decisions and was good at them, I'd give him his due. Except he's nothing more than Mr. Smithers to Ralph's C. Montgomery Burns.

What's worse than not caring about the team is not caring to go watch them in person. I'm almost at the point and wouldn't be shocked if Cleveland pulled out a win. I've never understood the casual fans who go to games to party. While that's nice, I go to watch games but at this point maybe the tailgate will be the high point of the afternoon.

Is he pimping/bumping "Bills and Beers" again? Some fans are so delusional they can't make a point and he's a prime example. What's funny is fans who think they can adequately quantify the loss of the team's best offensive lineman. We can't even know how much better or worse the QB is, let alone the OL by removing Peters.

Don't forget to mention that when they chose to add an OT after Butler's injury, Buffalo (drum roll please) decided on getting a guy from the Packers PS who couldn't make the roster on a team badly in need of OT's. Who is making decisions on this team, Ronald McDonald? They now have a guy cut from Detroit, a project second year man in Bell, and the cut-in-preseason Kirk Chambers. Throw in Jamon Meredith who GB parted with, and that's what I call EDIT: high risk. Trent may as well dig his grave with Mario Williams, Peppers, Abraham, Freeney, Mathis, Porter, the Jets, Pats and the Titans as future opponents. This is what's maddening: they spend big money on WR's and RB's but won't protect the guy who's supposed to get the ball to them. Cue the circus music.

Almost...RW trusts himself to make the decisions. And there's no question that everyone else is nodding in approval whenever he decides to do something. All the while, Russ Brandon is huffing and puffing without really being anything other than a face for the organization. It's funny they trot him out there when things are good (TO signing) but when things are bad he's nowhere to be found.

I started wondering if Buffalo were to lose to Cleveland if a move would be made. But back in the 70s and 80s, RW was not on the hook for that kind of money. And it made me realize that nothing will change regardless of how the team fares. He's not taking an 8M hit AND have to hire another coach. It won't happen.

The smart fans have been hollering from the woods that guys like Jerry Reese know that depth at certain positions is key. He chose to build depth (you can't have it at every position) at OL and DL. DJ, who is tasked with building this team because Russ Brandon knows nothing about NFL personnel, chose to build it in the secondary. Jerry Reese is one of the finest GM's in the league. And he's got the Mara/Tisch Families backing him up. Their management wants to win and devotes the resources to do it. They're a big market, but Indy and Pittsburgh are doing it as well with less. Injuries when you've never pursued depth is not an excuse. But you can bet your bottom dollar they will say youth and injuries are the cause for failure. We're in denial if we believe that.

Re: Brandon, I think he actually thinks he's good enough in the landscape of the NFL. I mean, his owner expressed confidence in him. Then again, we all know Brandon is outclassed in managing personnel by guys like Belichick, Parcells, Polian, Jerry Reese et al. He can't make a significant decision, and he has never worked as a scout. The man is NOT qualified to be a NFL GM, and if he doesn't have the authority to fire coaches, he's not a GM. Ralph remains the GM, and he's in a state of, well, I don't know what.

It means he hasn't taken his geritol today.

Wood lost some snaps today to Seth McKinney. Just saying. And I'm well aware Buffalo acquired an additional 1st by trading Peters. Levitre has been decent in the middle, though not outstanding. I'm talking about a Peters-Levitre-Hangartner-Butler-Walker line. That is, if Walker was up to playing RT. Reports suggested his play regressed since 08 ended. Bell was a 2 year project when drafted. It's been one year and he's committed 6 penalties in 2.5 games. Good LT's don't get whistled that often.

I believe you, although I don't wish for the demise of the owner. The frustration is we either have a bad team or no team. And we invariably take the bad product for fear of no product.

Where is C. Biscuit to ask what RB has done wrong? Man is that a loaded question. He doesn't handle personnel and RW makes those big moves.

And you feel comfortable with him making decisions, like keeping a coach who'd have been fired by at least another 31 other franchises? Or trading the best player on the OL. How many franchises feature owners that make personnel moves? This is RW's team, RW's coach, and RW's failure.

Let's believe for a moment that Peters re-signed with Buffalo. That move by itself, while costing a lot, would have prevented the Bills from completely blowing up the OL. You know, moving Walker (brilliantly, I might add) to LT, and then needing 2 guards because they moved Butler and cut Dockery. Don't analyze the move as one player leaving the team. See it from the OL as a whole. And for the record (with a nod to Sisyphean) does anyone believe Brandon alone made the decision not to offer Peters what Philly did?

He cost too much for this franchise. His trade was a salary dump, and the consequence of that move has and will continue to make that move pay. Demetrius Bell isn't ready, and will continue to struggle. Add LT to the need list for Draft Weekend 2010. BTW, who trades good young LT's?

They entered the season once again with little to no depth at numerous positions. LB and OL are two areas, and less than 4 games in that was demonstrated. At least Cleveland fought today. STL is bad, and so is TB. But at least they have new coaches and new people in the FO. Buffalo won't change anything up there, for fear of letting new people in the organization. And that's on RW.

Coming from him I could believe he was serious.

RW will never allow anyone from outside the organization into his kingdom. He's not willing to spend decent money on talent evaluators, but must spend on players. RW won't spend 2% of the total player payroll on a GM, nor make a change at HC, and then says they don't have talent. How patently absurd is that? Hiring Levy, promoting Brandon, and then making the key decisions is why RW has a perennially loser. But RW is too stubborn or arrogant to admit he's a failure.

I can only believe Runyan is unsigned because he is not physically able to play at the NFL level. Philly know him best and passed. It's too late to find decent options to replace NFL retreads like Chambers and J. Scott. And Buffalo signed a PS guy from GB who couldn't make the active roster on a team needing OT help. But hey, they're saving money not having to pay Peters.

You are completely delusional.

Trent stunk it up. But how often did he have time to throw? Jonathan Scott was abominable, Chambers is a turnstile, and you have 2 rookies. Hangartner was blown up a few times. That OL is miserable and it wasn't all that good to start with in Week 1.

They already have their excuses for this season: 1. Injuries 2. Young team This time, it won't work.

We can only hope, but RW needs to fire himself. The team deliberately cut costs on payroll, moving Peters, not keeping Clements, not signing better UFA's, etc. And RW is the one making all the important decisions. He is directly responsible like few owners in the NFL are. Al Davis, Mike Brown, and Jerry Jones think they can run teams. They can't.