Cash-to-cap: Putting your team behind the 8-ball

[BillsVet]

Are the Bills still going to be using their cash-to-cap system? How does this affect their coaching search? What are Russ Smithers and Waylon Overdorf going to do?

 

I see teams league-wide watching each other to see what's going to happen in 2010. There's a wait and see approach, and I can't see them spending big on a HC, despite reports to the contrary. I don't see there being a lot of activity this offseason.

 

Everything is about 2011 and the potential lockout. There won't be huge contracts going out this year, especially since many potential UFA's will be RFA's and require compensation.

[Red]

According to USA Today, the Bills' total expenditures on payroll this year (salary, bonuses, etc) was about $112 million, good for 12th in the league. That's more than the Patriots, Bengals, Ravens, Colts, Eagles, Cowboys, and Vikings - e.g. half the playoff teams in the league.

 

We don't suck because we're not spending enough on players. We suck because we choose the wrong players. And so far, there's nobody new in the front office.

 

Correction: Nix was brought in just prior to the April '09 draft. It was logically widely acknowledged at the time that Nix arrived too late in the game to have any influence upon last year's draft. Therefore, his work began at the start of the '09 college football season with scouting college football players. This 2010 draft for the Bills will mark the start of the Nix era in Buffalo. We will see in the next 2-3 seasons if Nix can strike gold more than Modrak in building our roster.

 

We DO suck because we chose the wrong players.

 

Anybody have word as to the status of Guy and Modrak? I'm still waiting for atleast 1 of their heads to roll.

[Sisyphean Bills]

As far as the coaching search, cash-to-cap could have very much to do with why so many coaches just flat turn down the Bills requests for an interview. (It seems far more plausible than suggestions that the nightlife -- how much time does an NFL coach really have to get wasted and pick up babes anyway? -- in Buffalo isn't as good as it is in Cleveland, so that's why the Browns are landing big fish whilst the Bills dig for worms. )

 

Mularkey quit this team and stated that the reason he left was that it was being structured so that he didn't feel he would have any ability to compete. At this point, he seems to have been 100% on the mark.

 

Now, assistant coaches are rejecting offers at interviews. This is 1 of only 32 jobs like it in the world. But, it appears that it will only be attractive to a very desperate coach. Why? If indeed, the accounting is structured such that the team is hamstrung out of the gate, then that would be a huge and legit football executive reason to not want the job. How many coaches want to put their name and reputation on the line, knowing that people will only look at the W-L columns, and knowing they are being placed behind the 8 ball. That the vision is: we don't need to change anything, we need luck.

[Red]

As far as the coaching search, cash-to-cap could have very much to do with why so many coaches just flat turn down the Bills requests for an interview. (It seems far more plausible than suggestions that the nightlife -- how much time does an NFL coach really have to get wasted and pick up babes anyway? -- in Buffalo isn't as good as it is in Cleveland, so that's why the Browns are landing big fish whilst the Bills dig for worms. )

 

Mularkey quit this team and stated that the reason he left was that it was being structured so that he didn't feel he would have any ability to compete. At this point, he seems to have been 100% on the mark.

 

Now, assistant coaches are rejecting offers at interviews. This is 1 of only 32 jobs like it in the world. But, it appears that it will only be attractive to a very desperate coach. Why? If indeed, the accounting is structured such that the team is hamstrung out of the gate, then that would be a huge and legit football executive reason to not want the job. How many coaches want to put their name and reputation on the line, knowing that people will only look at the W-L columns, and knowing they are being placed behind the 8 ball. That the vision is: we don't need to change anything, we need luck.

 

You know, I hope that you are wrong with that assessment- but I have a feeling that you are right.

 

How could Cleveland and KC- both perennial losers of late like the Bills and not boasting any sort of social life- be all of a sudden landing holmgren, Pioli, Weis, etc? KC may have a QB, but Cleveland certainly does not. In fact, when asked about the Bills job Holmgren was quoted as stating a flat out 'No'.

 

And why are the Bills having to fly everywhere to meet with candidates? Russ flew out to Denver to meet with Shanahan, and now they reportedly flew to Minnesota to meet with Frazier. I don't know if this is customary, but from what I recall its the other way around; the candidates fly to the possible employer.

 

I did not know that it what Mularkey said. It sounds eerily similar to when Mike Grier initially left the Sabres.

 

I think Overdorf is more of a dark overlord than we may know. I am interested to see how Russ Brandon being moved to CEO now affects the relationship with Overdorf.

 

I think that you may be right about the cash-to-cap idea hamstringing the franchise and thus potential future coaches. It certainly does explain the sub-par talent Buffalo has fielded both in its coaching ranks and roster this decade.

 

Kelly and Thurman are excited about these changes. I can only believe that these changes also signal a new organizational shift towards finding, developing, and keeping better players than they have this past decade.

 

Time will tell.