Twitter rumors about Bills new structure, fate of Rex/Whaley

[GaryPinC]

 

If the talented player is a disruption on the field and in the locker room, you get rid of him.

 

Whether or not the fans agree with the strategy, Rex is putting in his system that doesn't rely on petulant superstar players. Funny how everyone is slamming Rex for not being Belichick, but imagine how Bill would handle Mario if he thought that Mario was dogging it on the field, and worse in the locker room?

I'm not sure that Bill would even be in the same situation because I think he sets a much more disciplined, structured, team-first approach then Rex.

[The Big Cat]

I'm not sure that Bill would even be in the same situation because I think he sets a much more disciplined, structured, team-first approach then Rex.

 

 

I'm not sure that Bill would even be in the same situation because I think he sets a much more disciplined, structured, team-first approach then Rex.

He also doesn't pay $100M for documented divas.

[papazoid]

i think it very telling when Pegula's son is using social media to take a shot at the bills defense.

 

Translation = shot at Rex

 

kids hear things.....it's not out the question Pegula's rath will include firing Rex.

Edited December 21, 2015 by papazoid

[jahnyc]

I really liked the way that Rex embraced the community and our history. I was fine with hiring Rex, in part because I thought he would be able to assemble an excellent coaching staff and run a great defense. I think he wants to win here for all of the right reasons, but this has been a very disappointing season, and maybe the worst part of it is happening now with all of the speculation about internal disagreements and player dissatisfaction.

 

It has been 16 years of not making the playoffs. Something is not right with this team and the front office, and while there would be huge short term damage to the reputation of the franchise and interest in players wanting to come here, hiring a czar and/or a new GM and a new head coach may be best for the long-term interests and prospects of the franchise.

Edited December 21, 2015 by jahnyc

[Bob in STL]

How does a GM take a lesser role?

Nice way of demoting him into leaving. ?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

If the talented player is a disruption on the field and in the locker room, you get rid of him.

 

Whether or not the fans agree with the strategy, Rex is putting in his system that doesn't rely on petulant superstar players. Funny how everyone is slamming Rex for not being Belichick, but imagine how Bill would handle Mario if he thought that Mario was dogging it on the field, and worse in the locker room

 

That's one philosophy. It reportedly drove the trade of Marshawn Lynch to the Seahawks for a bag of used footballs and some popcorn. How did that work out for us?

 

Tip: the best coaches manage to take malcontent talented players and turn them into performers.

 

I would agree with any strategy that resulted in winning. I would be willing to tab Mario as a "chief malcontent" if the rest of the team were displaying discipline or drive. BUT THEY AREN'T. We see undisciplined play and stupid penalties all across the D and ST, consistently, game after game. Rex's system appears to rely on undisciplined crap, I'm sorry to say. When the nail sticks out, you hammer it down. When the board is full of nails sticking out every which way, you ask if you've got a functional hammer.

 

This reeks to me of "scapegoating" a "name" player and it sounds rotten.

[May Day 10]

Ugh.

 

I honestly don't know if I like the idea of a #Czar but I understand that things need changing. And I don't really understand what the difference is between a Czar and a GM. What GM would want to be second guessed by a Czar? Just hire a new GM if you aren't happy otherwise it's just going to lead to confusion. Something needs to be done and the Pegulas don't know/understand how the NFL works. Unfortunately this isn't as easy as just tanking and grabbing Eichel/Reinhart/et al. The NFL is about identifying talent. The top players in the NFL draft aren't always the best players as it is in the NHL.

 

I think a director of football or "Czar" will build the football program and oversee all aspects. Look into every detail to get this organization on a winning page. Choose a GM with the same vision. They choose a head coach with the same vision. They all assemble the rest of the staff.

 

Right now, and for the past number of years, there seems to be too many cooks, the cooks are sloppy and pull in different directions. You have Pegula, Brandon, Whaley, and now Rex.

 

The Jets were very smart in hiring 2 of them in Casserly and Wolf, blocking the Bills

Edited December 21, 2015 by May Day 10

[LabattBlue]

Welcome, Czar!

[Wayne Cubed]

 

I think a director of football or "Czar" will build the football program and oversee all aspects. Look into every detail to get this organization on a winning page. Choose a GM with the same vision. They choose a head coach with the same vision. They all assemble the rest of the staff.

 

Right now, and for the past number of years, there seems to be too many cooks, the cooks are sloppy and pull in different directions. You have Pegula, Brandon, Whaley, and now Rex.

 

The Jets were very smart in hiring 2 of them in Casserly and Wolf, blocking the Bills

 

I think a Czar and GM is too many cooks.

 

And what "Czar" is out there that has a proven track record of turning around NFL Franchises? What talented GM is out there that wants to play second fiddle to a Football Czar? Surely a good GM wouldn't want to have to answer to some other football guy and have him second guessing his decisions.

[FireChan]

He was the leading receiver on our team up until his injury.

 

And as a usage rate, let's take a look:

 

Clay 13 games, 80 targets: 6.15 targets per game... 32.6% of passes the Bills attempt go towards Clay.

 

Chandler 16 games, 70 targets, 4.375 targets per game... 12.1% of passes the Bills attempted went towards Chandler.

 

Gronk 13 games, 107 targets, 8.23 targets per game... 31.2% of passes the Pats attempt go towards Gronk.

 

Conclusion: Clay is significantly more important to our offense than Scott Chandler was.

Targeted more. Awesome. How do his numbers compare to Scott? You don't win games with targets, but completions and yards and TD's.

[BuffaloHokie13]

Ugh.

 

I honestly don't know if I like the idea of a #Czar but I understand that things need changing. And I don't really understand what the difference is between a Czar and a GM. What GM would want to be second guessed by a Czar? Just hire a new GM if you aren't happy otherwise it's just going to lead to confusion. Something needs to be done and the Pegulas don't know/understand how the NFL works. Unfortunately this isn't as easy as just tanking and grabbing Eichel/Reinhart/et al. The NFL is about identifying talent. The top players in the NFL draft aren't always the best players as it is in the NHL.

Imo, when I hear the Czar term for us I envision that the structure is nearly identical to the structure currently in place except the Pegulas are replaced at the top by someone more established in Football. So the HC and GM both report to the Czar, who has final say over all operations. Pegula is a very smart businessman, and I believe it is his philosophy that part of being successful is allowing people who are more qualified than you to do things for you. They got caught up in Rex's bravado and charm and made a quick decision that isn't really panning out right now. They probably do not want that to happen again.

[Buftex]

Uh Charles Clay? Look at his contract.

And how often do guys who sign these monster contracts actually get the numbers that are reported? I would say almost never. Mario Williams has already retired from the Bills, a full year before his contract runs out, because he knows he isn't getting that final year. In perspective of how disappointing this season has been, I think Clay was a good signing, and a good fit. I might argue that the seldom used fullback was a worse signing...but I don't put that on Whaley.

 

You can criticize Whaley for "over-valuing" players, but don't forget, he also wasn't snookered into giving Byrd a monster contract...which looks pretty smart now, despite all the **** he took for it.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Buftex

[PromoTheRobot]

 

I often don't agree with you, but you're spot on here. Tyrod is exciting. He has carried the team to a win sometimes. I love watching him at times. He has also failed to spot the open guy or the easy throw consistently, especially over the middle of the field. I also may be alone here, but while he doesn't often throw INTs, he seems to achieve this at the cost of hanging onto the ball too long, leading to a lot of fumble-inducing hits and sacks. Fumbles concern me big time whether they're recovered or not. At best they change momentum and put us in long down and distance, at worst they change possession.

 

The Bills need to act as though they don't have a QB until it's obvious to everyone through every game that they do.

 

 

Erm, at the position where Karlos Williams was drafted, any player is a lottery ticket. He may contribute (Winning ticket!), he may not.

 

The Bills have historically taken your view and been very sparing of how often and where they use draft picks on QB. How has that worked for us?

Ha, sure, maybe a scratcher where the odds of winning are 1 in a hundred. Finding a franchise QB is more like hitting the Powerball.

[May Day 10]

 

I think a Czar and GM is too many cooks.

 

And what "Czar" is out there that has a proven track record of turning around NFL Franchises? What talented GM is out there that wants to play second fiddle to a Football Czar? Surely a good GM wouldn't want to have to answer to some other football guy and have him second guessing his decisions.

 

The Bills desperately need someone from the outside to come in and fix this. The organization is broken. 16 years of no playoffs, with a coach who has a huge deal and high-paid players chirping at him through the media. We have obvious pushing of agendas from the FO in the media. It isnt going to get better like this. Its going to hit the rocks

 

I feel like the Bills are stuck in the stone age and someone needs to bring them into the times.

 

Casserly and/or Wolf would have been good. Someone who is smart, knows the current NFL, well respected, has a lot of contacts, and has been involved in winning. TBH if its a challenge he would be interested in, Bill Cowher might be good.

Or maybe someone like Polian. Pay him, waltzes in, fixes the thing, and steps out, allowing the GM to run the show.

Edited December 21, 2015 by May Day 10

[Buftex]

The extent to which people go to defend him is amusing too. I get that Rex has been a disappointment, but to hear some of you talk one would think he'd taken over a dominating squad rather than a glorified .500 team.

So, you'll cut Rex some slack, but not Whaley? Whaley is assembling an entire roster, which, admittedly does have some holes. Rex's claim to fame is being an "elite defensive mind"...he did inherit a dominating defense that, more or less won about 7 of 9 games for the Bills the previous season. An improvement on offense, and that same 9-7 team of Marrones, could have been a 11-5, or 12-4 team. So, Rex comes in, makes a good OC hire, improves the offense, but lets the defense fall to pieces. I think your letting Rex off way too easy.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Buftex

[Sisyphean Bills]

 

If the talented player is a disruption on the field and in the locker room, you get rid of him.

 

Whether or not the fans agree with the strategy, Rex is putting in his system that doesn't rely on petulant superstar players. Funny how everyone is slamming Rex for not being Belichick, but imagine how Bill would handle Mario if he thought that Mario was dogging it on the field, and worse in the locker room?

 

Belichick would cut him. Absolutely no question about it.

[PromoTheRobot]

i think it very telling when Pegula's son is using social media to take a shot at the bills defense.

 

Translation = shot at Rex

 

kids hear things.....it's not out the question Pegula's rath will include firing Rex.

Those Pegula kids are terrible at keeping secrets.

[Bob in STL]

I really liked the way that Rex embraced the community and our history. I was fine with hiring Rex, in part because I thought he would be able to assemble an excellent coaching staff and run a great defense. I think he wants to win here for all of the right reasons, but his has been a very disappointing season, and maybe the worst part of it is happening now with all of the speculation about internal disagreements and player dissatisfaction.

 

It has been 16 years of not making the playoffs. Something is not right with this team and the front office, and while there would be huge short term damage to the reputation of the franchise and interest in players wanting to come here, hiring a czar and/or a new GM and a new head coach may be best for the long-term interests and prospects of the franchise.

 

I too liked the way Rex started out, I fell for the marketing schmaltz as he embraced our community, our Bills History, and our fan base. I bought in into it.

 

I very quickly became concerned about the quality of the product on the field. All the little things that decide close games --- penalties, clock management, use of signals and head sets, two minute drills, third down performance, special teams, and half time adjustments ---- we took a big step backwards and actually have not improved in any of these phases of the game. I do put this on Rex. Attention to details .. it is the HC's job to see these things are covered.

 

The players have a lot of freedom, and I guess that is the way it is for modern players, they like to express themselves. Problem is there is no accountability on this team. Rex publicly takes the blame for everything when we know his players are underperforming. They underperform because of the country club atmosphere and the buddy-buddy relationship they have with him.

 

Heck, even the picking of captains is a problem. It is an honor to be a captain of an NFL Team. A honor that should not be taken lightly. You need the REAL LEADERS to represent the team. Rex uses the Team Captains as some kind of inside joke side show and it really irks me. IK "what's his name" a captain against the Jets? Our entire underperforming OL the captains against the Jags? Shady McCoy the ONLY captain against the Eagles?

 

No accountability among the players, no real leadership. Easy to see why when you look at it.

 

 

 

 

Clearly a few veterans, like Mario, do not like the way the club is being run.

[mannc]

 

The only czar they should be looking for is a Quarterback czar. That czar is responsible for gathering intelligence on all QB's in the next three drafts and reports directly to Whaley.

 

While we're at it, can we get Whaley an offensive line czar? He is incapable of evaluating these guys.

[TPS]

 

Which came first, the egg or the chicken?

 

Players know when they're being asked to execute roles that don't suit their skills in ineffective schemes. Think about how Mario played under Wannstache. Would everyone prefer a guy with Mario's physical skills and football talent and Kyle Williams' lunchpail mentality and work ethic, Yes. But most everyone would take a guy with Mario's physical skills and football talent and just put him in a role that suits him in a scheme that works.

 

Getting rid of talented players then drafting to fill holes used to be looked down upon around here.

That's a good point. Look at the differences between this year and last year: Last year Mario is a key player in the Schwartz scheme, and Lawson is marginalized; this year, it's the other way around. Which player should be a focal point on the D?