If Bills go 5-11, does Buddy get fired?

[GeorgeEdwardsTeeth]

If we had a REAL owner....yes a 9 game losing streak shows that there is something very wrong with the system and he would clean house. As evidenced in the past, there's even a chance that George Edwards will be our DC next year....sad

[Hsp08]

I think RW is still paying Jauron (less any amounts he is being paid by the Browns), so I doubt he would fire Nix and Gailley and incur those additional costs on top of paying a new GM and coach.

 

Ralph should just take a page out of the late Al Davis' business plan. Fire and not pay them for the reason of non performance. See you in court instead. But in second thought, the truth would come out in court about who really makes the personnel decisions.

[hamtenp]

If Edwards get fired, it will be difficult for Gailey to hire a proven DC since Gailey will have no job security. Unfortunately I don't think Buddy will be gone till Ralph dies. I think the most likely scenario is that Edwards is fired and Waanstadt become DC. Hopefully this will involve a switch to a 4-3 defense.

How can u fire your Buddy? Have u no sense of scruples???

[Mr_Blizzard]

If Edwards get fired, it will be difficult for Gailey to hire a proven DC since Gailey will have no job security. Unfortunately I don't think Buddy will be gone till Ralph dies. I think the most likely scenario is that Edwards is fired and Waanstadt become DC. Hopefully this will involve a switch to a 4-3 defense.

 

I don't see anyone (other than Edwards) getting fired at the end of this season. Sounding like a broken record here, but the talent cupboard was empty at the end of last season and we only filled some of the holes this past offseason. We need some more impact players

 

I should condense this and make it my new signature.

[benderbender]

I'm not sure Ralph knows he owns a football team

[thewildrabbit]

You are assuming he is a bigger fan of football than he is of making money.

I'm not sure he even likes football.

 

I think he loves the NFL, his fans, and HIS football team. He would just rather be 100% certain he will make a profit.

 

You look at other football franchises like the Raiders and Al Davis who spent a ton on players. He was forced to sell part of the team, as were the Dolphins and other teams.

 

RW plays it close to the vest and while he won't ever have to share his team while he lives, it will never win again either.

[thewildrabbit]

I have no problem getting rid of George Edwards, but I think Nix & Gailey are valuable to keep.

 

Getting rid of the GM & Head coach to start all over would be ridiculous.

Not if the Bills were to hire someone like Bill Cowher and let him do both jobs like Jauron did, that would be a way to make him worthy of a big paycheck.I can only dream about stuff like this, the Bills building a power running team and super defense like the Ravens-Jets. Along with a decent O line that would allow Fitz to throw deep. Chan Gailey as OC with Cowher as HC would have been a great combo

 

 

 

OR... hire a HC like Joe Philbin who has been the Packers OC since 07, the man groomed Aaron Rodgers and that high scoring offense into what it is today. The one thing the bills would need to do with this hire, is hire some scouts away from the Packers as they have the best talent in the NFL ATM.Finding and hiring a top DC would also be key.

Edited December 6, 2011 by Fear the Beard

[Trader]

If Edwards get fired, it will be difficult for Gailey to hire a proven DC since Gailey will have no job security. Unfortunately I don't think Buddy will be gone till Ralph dies. I think the most likely scenario is that Edwards is fired and Waanstadt become DC. Hopefully this will involve a switch to a 4-3 defense.

I have not been impressed with Buddy Nix to date but... It's too early to fire him. You have to give him another draft and free agency period. Especially because the rest of the front office and ownership is so pittiful inept and incompetent. Nix and Gailey were hired by default because the Bills leadership is one of the NFl's worst. No one of note wanted this situation. If Nix get's run off too early it will send another negative message.

 

That being said they really need to crank up efforts on all fronts to do better. They have to hit on 80% of their draft choices and sign two meaningfull free agents. They need to resign Johnson and Jackson or get better value in return. If they work out deals. They also need to get more

[Justice]

It depends on which Buddy Nix you're talking about. The Buddy Nix I like is the one that says all the right things, like:

 

"We're gonna build a team suited for the city of Buffalo".

 

Did he actually do that? Yes and no is the answer to this question. He brought in some big guys on defense, like Carrington, Dareus, and Merriman, but at the same time he's got an undersized NT in Kyle Williams and Troup. If you're gonna run a 34 defense, you need to be bigger than that at the nose.

 

On offense, this team is the furthest thing from being built to play in Buffalo. A finesse offense that can't punch nobody in the mouth? Give me a break, this is Buffalo, we need to be tough and gritty.

 

"If we think we can bring a guy in from free agency to make our team better, we'll do that".

 

Once again, saying all the right things, but never really living up to it. Buddy Nix claims that RW is willing to spend the money and that he's the one that tells RW to calm down on that. Well if that's true, which I don't believe it is, than BN is an idiot. The best way to turn this team around is via free agency. I don't care what some of you might say about Daniel Snyder and that you can't buy a championship, when you constantly miss on draft picks you need to supplement the roster via free agency. Plain and simple. Break the bank in free agency, once and for all. Make a huge splash. We need it!!!

 

What's left for us now is to take a look at Nix's resume. His last two drafts have been horrible. I'm just a football fan, but I never would have drafted Aaron Williams, Sheppard, Spiller, Troup, Carrington, Johnny White, Wang, Easley, Chris White, etc etc etc.

 

As for free agency, I like the Barnett pick-up, but that's where it ends. The rest haven't panned out.

 

Let's give Nix another year and if things don't change then we have to bring in someone else.

 

The truth is there isn't an easy answer to your question. Who knows how well the Bills would have been had they stayed healthy, but what we do know is things aren't going to change around here until the Bills' FO and ownership change some of their ways.

[tennesseeboy]

nine wins and they stay. Less and they go.

[sweatpantsjoe]

I'm willing to bet they get at least another year. Another lousy season next year and I think you'll see Nix "resign" and ride off into the sunset on his horse, which they'll probably promote Whaley, and he'll give Gailey another year.

[Trader]

I'm willing to bet they get at least another year. Another lousy season next year and I think you'll see Nix "resign" and ride off into the sunset on his horse, which they'll probably promote Whaley, and he'll give Gailey another year.

Agreed!

 

I think the Bills will need an outstanding offseason to sell tickets next year. My sense is that the fans have run out of patience with this franchise.

[DDD]

I'm not sure Ralph knows he owns a football team

 

[mattsox]

Less then 2 seasons and we are already talking complete overhaul AGAIN?

 

Good thing the Bills front office isn't as Knee-Jerk as the fans. You can't keep changing the front office everytime the Bills have a losing season. Donahoe was given almost a decade to run the team into the ground, They are here for a few more years

 

Didn't realize 2001-2005 constituted a decade for Donahoe. It's more like 5 years, get your math right.

 

Yes to throwing Buddy under the Bus. Time to go Florida Grandpa so someone can be up 12am on the day Free Agency begins and start signing talented players. What a joke top to bottom...

[billsfreak]

I have no problem getting rid of George Edwards, but I think Nix & Gailey are valuable to keep.

 

Getting rid of the GM & Head coach to start all over would be ridiculous.

What is so valuable about Nix? In my opinion it is one of the worst hires that Ralph has made to this point. He has almost totally blown his first two drafts, with a couple players still having a little light at the end of the NFL tunnel at best. He made it known that when free agency started last year he was going to be home sleeping. No team nowadays can be built entirely by the draft, especially when you don't know how to draft. Call me crazy but normally a personnel genius doesn't get his first big break at the tender age of 70. Ralph is a big problem in this organization, we all know, but he isn't going any where until he passes. Nix is the next big stumbling block in this organization, he has made so many personnel blunders in under two years, he might be the worst GM in franchise history already.

[Astrojanitor]

I see Edwards getting the boot. Chan has at least another year, maybe two, and Buddy will be in charge until the day after new owners take over

[Marv's Neighbor]

I think we're too eager for heads to roll!

 

Considering all of our injuries, what can we expect? If the NFL expands the season it will get worse.

 

Back to the injuries....it begs the question of the success of our Strength and Conditioning Program. Even that can be somewhat rationalized by the late start of this year's season due to the ofetn forgetten labor situation.

 

5-11 is what it is. It's not acceptable going forward, but before we start firing people we need to be absolutely sure that we have someone better to bring in, and we didn't have a lot of takers when we were trying to fill our last Head Coach opening!

[dpberr]

Edwards must go. I've seen what coaching can do for a defense. See what Wade Phillips did to the sieve of a Texans defense between this year and last.

 

Part of me says Gailey and Nix should stay and the "money men" go. However, those money men have made the Bills the class of the NFL in terms of how to financially run an NFL franchise as a business. That, in part, has played an important role in keeping the Bills in Buffalo all these years. The team makes money and has no debt. The finances don't "make" ownership sell or get into dangerously adversarial relationships with the voters and municipality over stadiums and money.

 

I'd probably only fire Edwards.

 

I do think the Bills need to change the way they invest....and start investing in acquiring depth...and that means resigning your veteran half decent players while drafting your blue chips. You have to think about your team like an NBA roster...you have your starters, but you need your good sixth man and a competent "B" unit.

[BobChalmers]

the Bills building a power running team and super defense like the Ravens-Jets. Along with a decent O line that would allow Fitz to throw deep.

 

Prior to the OL injuries and the loss of Freddy, the Bills were at or near the top of the league in running the ball - and their OL is massive and Freddy is a violent runner between the tackles, so I don't really see what "power running" game you were looking for and not finding? Is it really that big a deal to you how often they use a FB or go spread when the results were so good???

 

They added some good pieces to the defense this off-season, but lost their best player from the previous season (and KW was injured the whole time and never really himself). They still needed OLB/pass-rush help - particularly w/o Merriman working out.

 

KW comes back healthy (hopefully) and they add two OLBs who can get after a QB and this team looks good - perfectly capable of playing Jets/Ravens level of defense, of not yet consistently, since they will be very young.

 

What is so valuable about Nix? In my opinion it is one of the worst hires that Ralph has made to this point. He has almost totally blown his first two drafts, with a couple players still having a little light at the end of the NFL tunnel at best.

 

 

What in Hades is wrong with their last draft class in your mind?

 

Dareus looks good - you can't expect a lot of stats out of him while he's filling in at NT.

 

Williams has looked very good when healthy.

 

Sheppard is coming along well.

 

Justin Rodgers looks like a great late add.

 

The "White brothers" have both played well in situations.

 

 

In what possible sense was this a "blown" draft??

[billsfreak]

It depends on which Buddy Nix you're talking about. The Buddy Nix I like is the one that says all the right things, like:

 

"We're gonna build a team suited for the city of Buffalo".

 

 

Did he call the city of Buffalo a bunch of losers? That is the team he is building.