Pete Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 I hope Polian recommends that the Bills give Rex the axe
mannc Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 While I may not agree with his assessment that the OL is old or aging, he is spot the F*CK on when he describes them as nonathletic! Wood sucks, too small and evidently not very strong either. Both runs we try from the one he gets blown up in a big way. Nothing new when our OL goes up against big physical DL. RG, RT are young and not NFL ready. Urbik is a marginal emergency fill-in. The left side is better but nothing to write home about; although RI was a great signing. As I said last year and the year before, we need to draft athletes at the OL positions (Big, strong, quick) and stop reaching for guys other teams passed on. Koujo, Richardson, Henderson, strike one, two and three. This has been a serious problem for a long long time predating 2009. ESPN: "A decent amount of pressure rests on the young shoulders of Eric Wood and Andy Levitre. The Buffalo Bills need these rookies to perform straight away for an offensive line thats going through a serious overhaul slathered with skepticism. Were going to have five guys probably playing in new positions up front for the Bills, Wood said ....Wood and Levitre are projected to be the starting guards, positions they werent known for in college." Some people on this board nearly cried when Levitre wasn't resigned and the Titans signed him to a six-year, $46.8 million contract that included a $10.5 million signing bonus and $13 million in guaranteed money.The Titans then traded Levitre to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2016 6th round draft pick. Why? Not big enough, not tough enough (6'2" 305 or same size as Wood)... Sign a free-agent OG (Lupati was a miss for us at 6'5" and 330lbs with good agility) is critical as is a RT. Draft a C who either beats out Wood or develops behind him for a season. Yeah, I know I'm living in the past. But the past is the current and likely the future if they don't build from the OL out. TT, Shady, Karlos, etc... look much better behind a premier OL. Agreed. As much as the lack of a real QB, below average offensive line play has been a hallmark of the last 16 years of failure. Unfortunately, Whaley has demonstrated so far an inability to identify and draft quality OL. It's a serious problem and one that is largely ignored here.
billsfan_34 Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 This x100. Havent had outside eyes to assess this organization in forever and they are mired in neutral. Putting Polian's record and accomplishments against the entire Bills organization combined, I cant believe anyone wouldnt welcome his advice. I am 100 percent on board with a full system re-boot if needed. Heck throw a new hard drive and processor in there while we are at it!
nucci Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 because if TT gets injured the season is OVER !! that can't be said about any other player or position. Backup QB is not why this team failed this year. Just saying there are more important things to fix...plus not a lot of great QBs available
BillsVet Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 What the consultant first needs to tell Terry and Kim is to stop the meddling between the HC and GM. That their hierarchy is flawed (promotes dissent and backstabbing) and that it has poisoned two regimes in a row. The GM needs full autonomy in the football operations and that means having the head coach answering to the GM. Your job as owners and president is to gauge the organization ONLY through the GM. Pete Carroll has a solid relationship with GM John Schneider in Seattle and doesn't report to the latter. Bill Belichick runs it all in NE with assistance from Floyd Reece running personnel. The issue isn't ensuring the GM has control, it's the personalities involved and clearly Doug Whaley doesn't get along with HCs. I would agree the org chart isn't suitable primarily because the owner isn't there supervising the GM and HC. That then raises the subject of a football "Czar", a position somewhat new to the NFL but one brought on by the changing nature of the NFL. The league has advanced tremendously the past decade and a classic org chart of HC reporting to GM and GM to owner may not work any longer. Seattle, New England, and a few others have embraced the change is have succeeded with it.
D. L. Hot-Flamethrower Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Isn't that what 90% of this board already thought needed to happen? The wisdom of crowds......https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wisdom_of_Crowds
26CornerBlitz Posted December 24, 2015 Author Posted December 24, 2015 @SalSports Here are my thoughts on the Bill Polian story, and my "Night Before Buffalo Sports Christmas," all from this AM: http://media.wgr550.com/hosting/media/wgr550/1268190/112074844/1224-sal-capaccio-gives-his-take-on-bill-polian-reports-112074844.mp3
jahnyc Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Many posters were calling for a consultant to be brought in years ago. It would have made so much sense to have retained a consultant or football czar last year when the Pegulas bought the team and Marrone left. The need continues and has grown, and we really need a fresh look at the football operations.
BuffaloBillsForever Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) Pete Carroll has a solid relationship with GM John Schneider in Seattle and doesn't report to the latter. Bill Belichick runs it all in NE with assistance from Floyd Reece running personnel. The issue isn't ensuring the GM has control, it's the personalities involved and clearly Doug Whaley doesn't get along with HCs. I would agree the org chart isn't suitable primarily because the owner isn't there supervising the GM and HC. That then raises the subject of a football "Czar", a position somewhat new to the NFL but one brought on by the changing nature of the NFL. The league has advanced tremendously the past decade and a classic org chart of HC reporting to GM and GM to owner may not work any longer. Seattle, New England, and a few others have embraced the change is have succeeded with it. It's not the same hierarchy as the Bills. Belichick is the GM as well as head coach and Carrol is the Vice President as well as head coach. It is more defined than the Bills. Under the Bills structure you have subordinates (Rex and Marrone) dictating to the owners. Edited December 24, 2015 by BuffaloBillsForever
Al Czervik Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Pete Carroll has a solid relationship with GM John Schneider in Seattle and doesn't report to the latter. Bill Belichick runs it all in NE with assistance from Floyd Reece running personnel. The issue isn't ensuring the GM has control, it's the personalities involved and clearly Doug Whaley doesn't get along with HCs. I would agree the org chart isn't suitable primarily because the owner isn't there supervising the GM and HC. That then raises the subject of a football "Czar", a position somewhat new to the NFL but one brought on by the changing nature of the NFL. The league has advanced tremendously the past decade and a classic org chart of HC reporting to GM and GM to owner may not work any longer. Seattle, New England, and a few others have embraced the change is have succeeded with it. Hey BV....one caveat to that might be has Whaley as GM been able to actually hire a HC solely of his own choosing yet? I mean without Nix/Brandon/Pegs making the choice for him? I'm just thinking perhaps he doesn't get along with HC's who were forced on him who are of different ideologies. Who knows what the real behind scenes truth is, but its seems Whaley taking over and running as the GM reins hasn't been a normal progression. The Nix transition wasn't clean cut and smooth, and from what I've read the new owners had much influence in the choosing of the 2nd coach he's had. Anyway just thinking out loud.....I'd like to see Whaley stay and I am on board with you for a football czar/consultant as well.
Not at the table Karlos Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 He's rather clueless about the O-line. Not a good sign. look at his o-lines in indy. The more I think about this the more I don't like it. Everything outside of 5 players their team wasn't good at all.
papazoid Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Wolford - Richter - Hull - Davis - Ballard
Not at the table Karlos Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Wolford - Richter - Hull - Davis - Ballard completely different era. And steroids are illegal.
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 I hope Polian recommends that the Bills give Rex the axeI suspect this is a part of the plan that polian did not make public.
GRHater69 Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Let's not forget that this is the same Bill Polian who never really addressed the defensive short comings of the 90s teams. I don't buy his take on the O Line either, the only old guy is Incognito who has been their best player this year.
machine gun kelly Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Why is backup QB so important and constantly mentioned? There are many more important things to be concerned about. Good question Nucci - I believe Polian is referring to TT is 6'1" and smaller in stature, and is a running QB so the liklihood of him going out temporarily injured is a likely possibility. Having said that, a guy like Hasselback (not him but just using him as an example) is so important to keep the train on the tracks for a two game stint while TT is nursing an injury and we don't chalk up to 0-2. A back up at the least should give us a split. I'm sure you know that, but I do agree in free agency we find a reliable back up and we draft someone of value.
BillsVet Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) Hey BV....one caveat to that might be has Whaley as GM been able to actually hire a HC solely of his own choosing yet? I mean without Nix/Brandon/Pegs making the choice for him? I'm just thinking perhaps he doesn't get along with HC's who were forced on him who are of different ideologies. Who knows what the real behind scenes truth is, but its seems Whaley taking over and running as the GM reins hasn't been a normal progression. The Nix transition wasn't clean cut and smooth, and from what I've read the new owners had much influence in the choosing of the 2nd coach he's had. Anyway just thinking out loud.....I'd like to see Whaley stay and I am on board with you for a football czar/consultant as well. I've always found it curious that both Brandon (as managing parter in 2013) and Pegula in 2015 seemed to make the final call on a HC when they needed to hire one. Whaley at a minimum was in the room for interviews and most likely contributed but did not get to make the decision himself. Whaley came from Pittsburgh which seems to have a more classic type front office, although others can speak to that better than I. Perhaps his issue has been not having authority commensurate with his what he knew in his Steeler days. In Buffalo, he's dependent on the HC's employment of picks, and if reports are correct, there's been dissatisfaction with how players are used. Yet, he doesn't supervise that HC, which has to rankle him. Either way it's not been very smooth transitioning from one regime to another over the past few years. Edited December 24, 2015 by BillsVet
Wayne Cubed Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 It's all that simple is it? So, does he have recommendations about who these OL are and who the backup Qb and Qb of the future are?
BuffaloBillsForever Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) I've always found it curious that both Brandon (as managing parter in 2013) and Pegula in 2015 seemed to make the final call on a HC when they needed to hire one. Whaley at a minimum was in the room for interviews and most likely contributed but did not get to make the decision himself. Whaley came from Pittsburgh which seems to have a more classic type front office, although others can speak to that better than I. Perhaps his issue has been not having authority commensurate with his what he knew in his Steeler days. In Buffalo, he's dependent on the HC's employment of picks, and if reports are correct, there's been dissatisfaction with how players are used. Yet, he doesn't supervise that HC, which has to rankle him. Either way it's not been very smooth transitioning from one regime to another over the past few years. There isn't a single NFL franchise that I know of besides the Bills that has this type of structure. Edited December 24, 2015 by BuffaloBillsForever
Delete This Account Posted December 24, 2015 Posted December 24, 2015 Polian offering his services publicly seems strange, but it'd be hard for Pegula from a PR perspective to decline. I know a lot of fans love Doug Whaley, but there's clearly a major conflict between the GM and HC as evidenced by some personnel decisions during and just after camp. What's needed is an honest assessment of the team and personalities involved building the roster and Polian is someone Pegula clearly trust. Regardless, something needs to change at OBD because there's so much negative energy right now. Don't be so sure this is gonna happen. And there is no clear or major conflict between Doug and Rex. Polian might be trusted, but only to a degree by Pegulas. The only real negative energy emanating from the locker room seems to be from a player who is on his way out. jw
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