San-O Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. o You fire Polian (well documented) and then promote Butler who spent the team into cap hell. o You bring on Ol' Whitey: never worked again in the NFL that I am aware of. o You then bring back Marv to pseudo G.M., which was a disaster. o Marv leaves and you go without a G.M. Great move. o You promote people seemingly every year, and every year you are a losing team. o They finally dumnped John Guy last year, but how is Modrak still employed after ALL the losing? Ralph doesn't get it and time has run out, unfortunate for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. o You fire Polian (well documented) and then promote Butler who spent the team into cap hell. o You bring on Ol' Whitey: never worked again in the NFL that I am aware of. o You then bring back Marv to pseudo G.M., which was a disaster. o Marv leaves and you go without a G.M. Great move. o You promote people seemingly every year, and every year you are a losing team. o They finally dumnped John Guy last year, but how is Modrak still employed after ALL the losing? Ralph doesn't get it and time has run out, unfortunate for us. So, where is the part about nepotism? GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammie65 Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. This is the main thing about Chan and Buddy that has given me hope about them. They have done the exact opposite so far (with the exception of George Edwards, but one year on a bad team changing from 4-3 to 3-4 with injuries and personnel who don't fit the scheme gives them and him a pass as far as I'm concerned). They pulled the trigger on several guys like Trent Edwards who was long overdue to be let go. There are others that will be next but so far they have been pretty methodical and smart in their approach and decisions. The message so far has been clear. Perform at the NFL level and work hard or find a new job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. o You fire Polian (well documented) and then promote Butler who spent the team into cap hell. o You bring on Ol' Whitey: never worked again in the NFL that I am aware of. o You then bring back Marv to pseudo G.M., which was a disaster. o Marv leaves and you go without a G.M. Great move. o You promote people seemingly every year, and every year you are a losing team. o They finally dumnped John Guy last year, but how is Modrak still employed after ALL the losing? Ralph doesn't get it and time has run out, unfortunate for us. What you are saying MAY be true....but I still feel that every once in a while a squirrel is going to luck out and find a nut.....and in this case it was Buddy Nix Allow me to ellaborate: - I dont think it is as much nepotism as it is an old man who is uncomfortable with people he doesn't know so he goes with people he does - Enter Buddy Nix.....who started out as a superb talent scout....Ralph hands over the reigns because he is comfortable with him...lucky for us Nix is also pretty darn good - The first thing Nix does is hire Chan Gailey....can we all agree that Chan even though we lost last year was a breath of fresh air.....a offense that is not predictable......throwing out the tv's in the weight room........making quick changes on certain players when they see they have not worked out.....etc etc - Then Nix goes and raids the steelers for one of their top front office guys.....the steelers - Then came last years draft.....yes our defense was putrid but we DID in fact draft 2 defensive linemen high...... - We did in fact bring in Dave Wannstadt....which people dont talk about much anymore but will end up being a HUGE move - The Spiller pick was not a pick for last year but for this one I mean....it takes time to take a train going in the wrong direction turn it around and get it to biuld up steam.....but at least for once in about 8 years I can honestly say that I see the front office PLAN. Now the question will be can Ralph keep himself from butting in on Buddy and let him do his thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San-O Posted April 18, 2011 Author Share Posted April 18, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. This is the main thing about Chan and Buddy that has given me hope about them. They have done the exact opposite so far (with the exception of George Edwards, but one year on a bad team changing from 4-3 to 3-4 with injuries and personnel who don't fit the scheme gives them and him a pass as far as I'm concerned). They pulled the trigger on several guys like Trent Edwards who was long overdue to be let go. There are others that will be next but so far they have been pretty methodical and smart in their approach and decisions. The message so far has been clear. Perform at the NFL level and work hard or find a new job. That is true. I do feel better about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
808 Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 1 move that still has me scratching my head is the kelsay selection. i liked wthe other things they have done so far but that move still has me confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
....lybob Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 probably the biggest problem is not being able to hire top coaches and GMs - for whatever reason - is Ralph cheap? too small a market?, bad weather?, does Ralph demand too much input? or whatever- we've drafted poorly, our FA acquisition has been mediocre at best and our coaching hasn't been stellar- While there is a certain amount of luck involved longterm success or failure reflects on management and management reflects on ownership and geographic area. Sadly for us longterm success or failure depends on money spent X how intelligently that money is spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 So, where is the part about nepotism? GO BILLS!!! I was wondering that too. Would've been a better thread if all these wankers had been tied together as love children of the master bottle washer himself, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 (edited) Sorry if I offend anyone, but I'd have to say Ralph Wilson has been the biggest problem in recent years. His hires at HC, GM, and not firing Modrak have haunted us over the last decade. That's just my humble opinion. Edited April 19, 2011 by NewEra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 What other near Billion dollar organization hires known inept personnel and then continues to retain them year after year after having further proven how inept they are....It appears to me that if you suck at your job in any NFL capacity the Buffalo Bills will find a spot for you! Want proof, simply look at the history of drafting in the first round this franchise has done over the last ten years or so. Wade Phillips started it all off when he took a bust with DE Erik Flowers in the first round in 2000. Tom Donahoe did draft some decent players during his tenure, but then he also drafted a complete bust in LT Mike D Williams in 2002 which set the team back years at that position, even the current Bills still seem reluctant to draft an offensive tackle early because of that bust. With first round picks like Nate Clements-Mike Williams-Willis McGahee-Lee Evans-JP Losman. After Donhoe was fired, (Marv Levy-Dick Jauron) 2006 Donte Whitner- -John McCargo --2007 Marshawn Lynch-- (Dick Jauron) 2008 Leodis McKelvin -- 2009 Aaron Maybin --Eric Wood --(Chan Gailey) 2010 CJ Spiller How is it that the scouts for this team still have their jobs after ten years of this BS, particularly the VP of college scouting Tom Modrak who has been with the team since 2001, and is semi retied, and yet scouts from his home in Florida... Want further proof? simply look at the latest hires in top positions making millions of dollars a year to do jobs they clearly aren't qualified for, the owner hires a GM who is 71 years old and has never been a GM previously, so no GM experience. That GM hires a man who was fired in his last job as coordinator and promotes him to Head coach. Let me get this straight, the guy was fired at his last job and then gets hired AND promoted by the Buffalo Bills My take is ...the owner has a kind heart and likes to promote from within the org, he like to promote loyalty, he likes to hire people he thinks he can trust. The BIGGGEST problem is that the owner should be a ruthless business owner and hire ONLY top QUALIFIED people, and if they don't perform....then fire them like he did Tom Donahoe. The NFL is filled with very bright young people who actually know how to do their jobs,(instead of a guy who states he is going to get some sleep as free agency opens) there are about 6 top GM's in the league right now I can think of who could change this franchise from a perennial loser into a perennial winner in less then 3 years if given the chance. Hire one of those men and promote them to president, at 90+ years old this owner needs to retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. This is the main thing about Chan and Buddy that has given me hope about them. They have done the exact opposite so far (with the exception of George Edwards, but one year on a bad team changing from 4-3 to 3-4 with injuries and personnel who don't fit the scheme gives them and him a pass as far as I'm concerned). They pulled the trigger on several guys like Trent Edwards who was long overdue to be let go. There are others that will be next but so far they have been pretty methodical and smart in their approach and decisions. The message so far has been clear. Perform at the NFL level and work hard or find a new job. McCargo? Maybin? Kelsay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. o You fire Polian (well documented) and then promote Butler who spent the team into cap hell. o You bring on Ol' Whitey: never worked again in the NFL that I am aware of. o You then bring back Marv to pseudo G.M., which was a disaster. o Marv leaves and you go without a G.M. Great move. o You promote people seemingly every year, and every year you are a losing team. o They finally dumnped John Guy last year, but how is Modrak still employed after ALL the losing? Ralph doesn't get it and time has run out, unfortunate for us. Those are some great points but there is one other that is so simple and basic it disgusts me when I think about it. Buffalo's #1 problem is not keeping talent. Plain and simple. When we do actually get lucky and draft or develop a good player we never hold on to them. We let them walk and go on to excel and go to pro bowls and other accolades elsewhere. Some players you can't and shouldn't keep (Nate Clements) others you should (list too long to mention). Good teams keep their talent and acquire more. Bad teams refuse to pay market value for their talent and instead grossly overpay for mediocrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Those are some great points but there is one other that is so simple and basic it disgusts me when I think about it. Buffalo's #1 problem is not keeping talent. Plain and simple. When we do actually get lucky and draft or develop a good player we never hold on to them. We let them walk and go on to excel and go to pro bowls and other accolades elsewhere. Some players you can't and shouldn't keep (Nate Clements) others you should (list too long to mention). Good teams keep their talent and acquire more. Bad teams refuse to pay market value for their talent and instead grossly overpay for mediocrity. This is tough because ultimately Ralph is definitely to blame...He hired the dunces... But IMHO the direct reason The Bills are in as bad shape as they are today is due to the Levy/Jauron debacle...Not only were those two almost completely clueless when it came to talent evaluation, they allowed a Scouting Staff to develop that would recommend players like Whitner, Maybin, McLovin, etc., over far more deserving Prospects...I do realize that in the end it was Jauron breaking any potential ties...That was the way Levy set it up...But they also insisted these 1st Round Picks represented a consensus between GM, HC, and the Scouting Department...Think about the incompetence it takes for all those supposed Football minds to agree that Donte Whitner will be a better Pro than Ngata!!! Or that Maybin will be better than Matthews! That's SO ridiculously bad I have a hard time blaming the old man...There's no way you can foresee that kind of ineptitude by men who have dedicated their lives to Pro Football...Just no way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalScotts Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I think the biggest problem with the Bills is Ralph putting people in place and then not replacing them regardless of performance. This is the main thing about Chan and Buddy that has given me hope about them. They have done the exact opposite so far (with the exception of George Edwards, but one year on a bad team changing from 4-3 to 3-4 with injuries and personnel who don't fit the scheme gives them and him a pass as far as I'm concerned). They pulled the trigger on several guys like Trent Edwards who was long overdue to be let go. There are others that will be next but so far they have been pretty methodical and smart in their approach and decisions. The message so far has been clear. Perform at the NFL level and work hard or find a new job. I'm not sure you can watch what's taking place and not be encouraged. Nix and Gailey are completely different than what we have seen in the front office of the Bills in quite a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 This is tough because ultimately Ralph is definitely to blame...He hired the dunces... But IMHO the direct reason The Bills are in as bad shape as they are today is due to the Levy/Jauron debacle...Not only were those two almost completely clueless when it came to talent evaluation, they allowed a Scouting Staff to develop that would recommend players like Whitner, Maybin, McLovin, etc., over far more deserving Prospects...I do realize that in the end it was Jauron breaking any potential ties...That was the way Levy set it up...But they also insisted these 1st Round Picks represented a consensus between GM, HC, and the Scouting Department...Think about the incompetence it takes for all those supposed Football minds to agree that Donte Whitner will be a better Pro than Ngata!!! Or that Maybin will be better than Matthews! That's SO ridiculously bad I have a hard time blaming the old man...There's no way you can foresee that kind of ineptitude by men who have dedicated their lives to Pro Football...Just no way... I hear that man. Inability to identify talent in the draft is a HUGE problem as well. I guess we could say problem 1A and 1B however you stack them up. In combination they have produced the product we see on the field today. Imo this goes beyond the Levy/Jauron era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 I'm not sure you can watch what's taking place and not be encouraged. Nix and Gailey are completely different than what we have seen in the front office of the Bills in quite a while They did sprint to the podium in record time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Tom Donahoe did draft some decent players during his tenure, but then he also drafted a complete bust in LT Mike D Williams in 2002 which set the team back years at that position, even the current Bills still seem reluctant to draft an offensive tackle early because of that bust. I think Nix doesn't value the OT position and would rather spend his picks on 5 tech DE's and of course RB's. How is it that the scouts for this team still have their jobs after ten years of this BS, particularly the VP of college scouting Tom Modrak who has been with the team since 2001, and is semi retied, and yet scouts from his home in Florida... I don't care for Modrak, but I recall Tim Graham mentioning that many college scouting directors do not work out of the team headquarters. But relative to Modrak, how can anyone blame him for not being located in Buffalo? Then again, RW probably calls him 3 times a day. My take is ...the owner has a kind heart and likes to promote from within the org, he like to promote loyalty, he likes to hire people he thinks he can trust. The BIGGGEST problem is that the owner should be a ruthless business owner and hire ONLY top QUALIFIED people, and if they don't perform....then fire them like he did Tom Donahoe. The NFL is filled with very bright young people who actually know how to do their jobs,(instead of a guy who states he is going to get some sleep as free agency opens) there are about 6 top GM's in the league right now I can think of who could change this franchise from a perennial loser into a perennial winner in less then 3 years if given the chance. Hire one of those men and promote them to president, at 90+ years old this owner needs to retire. I think the owner acts like a man who's 90+ years old. His world is smaller and he only wants people he trusts regardless of their skill or acumen. Unfortunately, his decisions and desire to hire people he personally knows have seriously harmed the franchise and as a result, he couldn't hire a top qualified GM, personnel execs, or HC if he wanted to. When you add it all up, the Bills are managed by inferior people who predictably make bad decisions more often than the teams who succeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 They did sprint to the podium in record time. But they used a designated runner to avoid the risk of falling and breaking a hip... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike oxhurtz Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 Ralph did say during the year that it will take about three years for the Bills to turn around, and he doesn't expect to be around for it. So, does this mean there is a transition plan in place? Does Ralph make his niece the new owner of the Bills (or someone else)? IMO, once Ralph is no longer the owner of the Bills, it's possible more good/quality FA's will want to come here. Right now, it's hard to attract anybody good given Ralph's reputation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raleighbillsfan78 Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 The Biggest problem with The Bills? In 50 years, they have sucked for 40+ years.. Thats a prettty big problem Go Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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