Russ Brandon - keep him or fire him?

[TSOL]

Without Russ this team would not be where it is today

[Augie]

Without Russ this team would not be where it is today

Buffalo?

 

That could very well be true.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Augie

[oldmanfan]

I understand what his official job title is. But look around OBD right now.... Brandon has more experience as a GM than anyone else in the building right now. I don't think it's realistic to think he won't have any say in football decisions going forward. Here's a portion from an article written by John Kryk just last week:

Whaleys worst personnel decision, by far, came during his first draft as GM in 2014.

With the enthusiastic backing, if not the forceful urging, of recently appointed team president Brandon -- only one month after the death of founding Bills owner Ralph Wilson -- Whaley traded away Buffalos first- and fourth-round 2015 draft picks, merely to move up from No. 9 overall to No. 4.

This, to select a player Whaley and his scouts believed to be a rare NFL talent: wide receiver Sammy Watkins. This, even though for months every draftnik and his brother had been touting the 2014 wide-receiver class as the deepest and perhaps most talented yet.

We thought it was a calculated risk, and a risk we were willing to take, Whaley said of the Watkins trade-up at the time. The high cost of not making the playoffs is something we weighed in, and we thought this guy was going to get us to the playoffs.

It wasnt Whaleys unwise gamble alone. In his defence, it must be pointed out that Brandon -- in his second year as final decision-maker on all matters involving the Bills franchise -- had been hard-selling a new club mindset that the Bills, under his vision and leadership, had to become a forward-thinking, progressive and attacking organization.

Said an ecstatic Brandon moments after the Watkins trade-up: We went into this draft saying we were going to be bold, and we made a bold move.

Yet however much Brandon might have urged that trade-up -- and print and video reports from that day clearly suggest he was deeply involved -- its Whaleys now to wear.

 

I understand the decision was ultimately Whaley's and not Brandon's. But if Brandon had no part in the decision making process AT ALL can you really say there's no chance we wouldn't have wound up with OBJ (or any of the other very talented players still on the board at #9) and an extra 1st instead of a WR we spent 2 1sts and a 4th on that may not even be a Bill this time next year? Can you say for sure without Brandon's advice that Rex Ryan would have still been our head coach the last two years? And more importantly who over at OBD now has enough knowledge/experience that they won't need to lean on Brandon's opinion going forward? The rookie head coach? The new owner? Their senior capologist? It only makes sense they'll lean on Brandon's experience the next time a big decision needs to be made. I realize NONE of this is fair to Brandon who I'm sure is a really nice guy and is very talented at the job he's actually being paid to do. But I would feel better about the Bills' chances going forward if he were no longer a part of the organization. I don't believe it's possible to keep Brandon at OBD and keep him fully separated from all football decisions. They've been saying for years now he has no say in football operations anymore when he clearly does and likely will going forward. Not having the final say is different than not having any say at all.

You are talking pre-Pegula history. You need to accept that they changed his job.

 

Brandon is the company president, so he oversees all of the business side, including tickets/marketing. The Exec VP of Marketing reports to him. But there's more to running a business than marketing, even without the football side of things.

Correct. His job is much more than people make it out to be.

[CookieG]

You are talking pre-Pegula history. You need to accept that they changed his job.

 

Correct. His job is much more than people make it out to be.

And yet..in the Pegula's first major "football side" personnel decision...there he was...sitting in on interviews and locking the doors to OBD to keep Rex in.

[oldmanfan]

And yet..in the Pegula's first major "football side" personnel decision...there he was...sitting in on interviews and locking the doors to OBD to keep Rex in.

Again, as I recall Rex made a positive impression on Terry, and when Terry thought he was his guy Russ told if so to not let him leave.

 

Terry recognized his mistake and from all things I've seen he had nothing to do with the McDermott decision.

[CookieG]

 

as an Owner i keep him as far away from the any decision making that affects gameday. He was an awful GM but likely overloaded helping Ralphs interests.

I do not see him going anywhere as he is too embedded in the business via Pegulas. just stick to business Mr Brandon

 

I think the question is not whether he will stay, but whether he should stay. But maybe I'm wrong.

 

I'll give him this though...the guy has survival skills.

 

Evn the Teflon Don's slippery coating eroded faster than Russ' has.

[Adam727]

You are talking pre-Pegula history. You need to accept that they changed his job.

 

 

 

Except Rex Ryan was hired after the Pegulas took over and "changed" his job. And they've already said that he'll be part of the next GM search that is currently happening now. This article titled "Russ Brandon Still Looms over Bills Football operations" was published in 2017.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/03/russ-brandon-still-looms-over-bills-football-operations/

 

I believe he does still have a say in football operations, in large part because that is what is being reported, and that is what has been said by Terry Pegula himself as recently as last week. (And again to be clear, i'm not saying he has final say over anything. Or that his job "title" isn't strictly related to the business side of things. I just think it's hard to fully separate the two especially with the lack of experienced people at OBD. Of course they are going to lean on Brandon's opinion. Who else are they going to ask?)

 

If I believed he no longer had a say on football decisions then I'd agree with the rest of what you said. But no one is going to be able to convince me that's the case because that statement runs counter to everything that's been reported for the last several years.

Edited May 7, 2017 by Adam727

[oldmanfan]

 

Except Rex Ryan was hired after the Pegulas took over and "changed" his job. And they've already said that he'll be part of the next GM search that is currently happening now. This article titled "Russ Brandon Still Looms over Bills Football operations" was published in 2017.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/03/russ-brandon-still-looms-over-bills-football-operations/

 

I believe he does still have a say in football operations, in large part because that is what is being reported, and that is what has been said by Terry Pegula himself as recently as last week. (And again to be clear, i'm not saying he has final say over anything. Or that job "title" isn't strictly related to the business side of things. I just think it's hard to fully separate the two especially with the lack of experienced people at OBD. Of course they are going to lean on Brandon's opinion. Who else are they going to ask?)

 

If I believed he no longer had a say on football decisions then I'd agree with the rest of what you said. But no one is going to be able to convince me that's the case because that statement runs counter to everything that's been reported for the last several years.

And Tim Graham put up an article that says Brandon is not involved. But believe what you want. Brandon will be head of PSE until and unless the Pegulas see a negative impact in their business.

[3rdand12]

Give him more time, could be a sleeper

excellent avatar.

Some develop slower than others. Thats for sure

Buffalo?

 

That could very well be true.

yep. there is some national opinions he absolutely saved the Franchise during Ralph's last years and the Transition.

After Mr Wilson passed , i might bet he was trusted to carry on the wishes. For all we know he was the one that lured the Pegulas into the trap.

Smart man. I dont have a problem with him any longer

 

I think the question is not whether he will stay, but whether he should stay. But maybe I'm wrong.

 

I'll give him this though...the guy has survival skills.

 

Evn the Teflon Don's slippery coating eroded faster than Russ' has.

I cannot answer whether he should.

and because i cannot I will give benefit of the doubt here.

Harbor no ill will

And Tim Graham put up an article that says Brandon is not involved. But believe what you want. Brandon will be head of PSE until and unless the Pegulas see a negative impact in their business.

but it was Tim Graham who wrote the opinion piece? LOL

But I agree. Hard to see him moved off his spot

Edited May 7, 2017 by 3rdand12

[wiskibreth]

I'd like to see him fired just so people would quit talking about him like he makes any difference whatsoever. Yeah, he's made and influenced some bad football decisions in his 20 years with the Bills. Virtually anyone else in his position would undoubtedly have made similar errors, maybe even worse so.

[Steve Billieve]

I wish they'd fire him simply for the fact I'm so sick of always hearing about the guy

yeah i voted keep him, but i agree now that you mention it.

[Estro]

http://www.buffalobills.com/assets/images/imported/BUF/photos/clubimages/2014/05-May/tempCM6_6476--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.JPG

 

The only man in this room that still has a job is the one with his fist held high.

 

"But he has no say over the football dept., he's just on the business side" - says those who don't have eyeballs.

[LabattBlue]

I don't like Russ, and I think he weaseled his way up to the top of not 1 but 2 major league sports franchises. That being said, this thread is pointless, Russ is not going anywhere until...

 

1 - He kicks the bucket

 

2 - He retires

 

3 - He does something stupid in the eyes of the Pegula's, and they fire him.

 

No matter which option I look at, he isn't going anywhere for a long long time.

Edited May 7, 2017 by LabattBlue

[YoloinOhio]

http://www.buffalobills.com/assets/images/imported/BUF/photos/clubimages/2014/05-May/tempCM6_6476--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.JPG

 

The only man in this room that still has a job is the one with his fist held high.

 

"But he has no say over the football dept., he's just on the business side" - says those who don't have eyeballs.

that was 3 years ago, when the team's owner had just passed away and he was filling in while the team was for sale... he was involved in everything at that time. And he is partly to thank for the team still being in Buffalo. Edited May 7, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

I figure if you're going to clean house, clean house.

 

 

all remnants from the old guard should be gone?

 

 

 

 

 

edit: after some thought and what I've read here, he must be money to the pegs and the city of buffalo?

Edited May 7, 2017 by DaBillsFanSince1973

[Augie]

that was 3 years ago, when the team had no owner and he was filling in while the team was for sale...

Hey, hey, hey! Don't you know that doesn't fit the hate agenda? Stop with all that truth crap, some people don't like it. Learn to hate!

 

I figure if you're going to clean house, clean house.

 

 

all remnants from the old guard should be gone.

That makes no sense at all. So, if you found a Picasso in an old dumpy house you were going to renovate, you'd throw that in the dumpster too? I'd like to think I'd be smarter than that..... THINK, then act.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

That makes no sense at all. So, if you found a Picasso in an old dumpy house you were going to renovate, you'd throw that in the dumpster too? I'd like to think I'd be smarter than that..... THINK, then act.

 

I see where you're coming from, understood. I edited my post and understand he has a pretty big hand in the financial side of the organization. shouldn't have no affect on football operations.

Edited May 7, 2017 by DaBillsFanSince1973

[spillerhighlife]

https://youtu.be/cNX_wGyKhmM

[Rico]

That makes no sense at all. So, if you found a Picasso in an old dumpy house you were going to renovate, you'd throw that in the dumpster too? I'd like to think I'd be smarter than that..... THINK, then act.

:lol:

 

Yeah, I also THINK that Russ Brandon is like a Picasso, what a renaissance man.

[Augie]

:lol:

Yeah, I also THINK that Russ Brandon is like a Picasso, what a renaissance man.

I never said Russ was a Picasso, just that every situation should be considered on it's own merits, in response to a "since we're tossing stuff, let's toss it all" comment. I prefer thinking before acting. Some here disagree.