Rico Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Sorry if already posted Might former Buffalo Bills team president/general manager Tom Donahoe, dismissed by owner Ralph Wilson last week, be heading south to resume his career? Perhaps. It is believed that the Atlanta Falcons are interested in talking to Donahoe, who remains respected in NFL circles and who would be an asset to just about any organization. The Falcons never filled the assistant general manager vacancy created by the departure of Tim Ruskell to become Seattle Seahawks team president last year. Nor did the Falcons hire a replacement for Ron Hill, the former vice president of player personnel, who was dismissed last summer. There were indications this week that Falcons president and general manager Rich McKay, who wears a lot of hats and who also devotes considerable time to his role as co-chairman of the NFL's powerful competition committee, might want to talk to Donahoe about a position in the Atlanta front office. At least one other NFC team, a franchise that figures to undergo a front-office reorganization in the offseason, has interest in Donahoe. The former Bills front-office boss isn't certain yet how he wants to proceed, but he's too good a football man not to be in the league. ======================================= There's no doubt that family considerations played a part in Mike Mularkey's stunning decision to resign as Buffalo Bills head coach on Thursday evening. But his family's well-being, and their ability to live comfortably in what has become a shockingly toxic environment, is only part of the reason Mularkey walked away from the final three years on his contract. There is a sense now in the league that Buffalo, long one of the NFL's most respected organizations, is somewhat directionless and that the revamped front office simply won't work. It's a feeling that some people believe struck Mularkey when he stepped back, took a long look at owner Ralph Wilson's makeover handiwork, and decided the situation wasn't a good one. In part, what Mularkey saw was the lack of a solid support group. Wilson and his corporate people live in Detroit. Assistant general manager Tom Modrak, a terrific talent scout who will have more sway in all personnel areas, is going to live in Florida. And new general manager Marv Levy, despite being maybe the sharpest 81-year-old man alive, has been out of the league since 1997. No matter how closely Levy has watched the game, he still doesn't know personnel and certainly does not know the salary cap. In fact, Levy has already informed the Bills' front office that he will not be involved in negotiating contracts or in cap maintenance. It doesn't appear to be a recipe for success and, seemingly, it left Mularkey with a bad taste. =========================================== • Maybe the people most interested in Mularkey's resignation reside in the New Orleans Saints' front office. Or, more accurately, in the ownership suite. Not that the Saints have any designs on hiring Mularkey to fill their current head coach vacancy. His departure from Buffalo, though, could pave the way for deposed Saints head coach Jim Haslett to land the Bills' position, a move that would get New Orleans owner Thomas Benson off the financial hook a bit. As a component of their mutual divorce, the Saints agreed to pay Haslett his entire salary for 2006, believed to be $3.3 million to $3.7 million. But when the Saints agreed to that deal, they figured Haslett would find another job, so part of the cost to them would be offset. Simply put, an "offset" clause in a contract means that, if a coach finds a new job, his salary is subtracted from what he is owed by his former employer. In recent days, however, Benson and the Saints were starting to fret that Haslett might not land another position and that they would be liable for his entire 2006 salary. Haslett interviewed with two teams, Detroit and the New York Jets, and is not regarded as the front-runner with either franchise. With Mularkey's taking a hike, the Saints' liability situation might be alleviated, and Benson might be spared a couple million bucks. Then again, the maybe in this case, is still a large one. Haslett's patron in Buffalo, where he played as a linebacker, is Modrak. He will have input into who succeeds Mularkey, but so will Marv Levy. And it might be a question of who has more of owner Ralph Wilson's ear. So Haslett isn't quite the slam dunk some people think he is, even if Tom Benson hopes his former coach lands the Bills spot. By the way, some Buffalo veterans are urging the team to take a serious look at former Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, fired by the Minnesota Vikings this week. Some others hope that Wilson and Levy will step outside the envelope a little bit and consider current special teams coach Bobby April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Sorry if already postedIn fact, Levy has already informed the Bills' front office that he will not be involved in negotiating contracts or in cap maintenance. 566081[/snapback] WTF is he going to be involved with? This gets more bizarre by the minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obie_wan Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 WTF is he going to be involved with? This gets more bizarre by the minute. 566098[/snapback] he is going to curse at the refs- same as he always did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCBoston Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 WTF is he going to be involved with? This gets more bizarre by the minute. 566098[/snapback] I'm sure he meant that Jim Overdorf would remain the Bills cap-czar. I would bet dollars to donuts that TD, while taking credit for the cap situation, never negotiated the minutae of players contracts, and he certainly wasn't the team's salary cap accountant. Frankly, I'm puzzled by this "lack of direction" feeling. With the exception of the chief talent scout living outside of Buffalo, this is exactly how the team was run in the pre-TD era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted January 14, 2006 Author Share Posted January 14, 2006 This is the part I found interesting: Haslett interviewed with two teams, Detroit and the New York Jets, and is not regarded as the front-runner with either franchise. With Mularkey's taking a hike, the Saints' liability situation might be alleviated, and Benson might be spared a couple million bucks. Then again, the maybe in this case, is still a large one. Haslett's patron in Buffalo, where he played as a linebacker, is Modrak. He will have input into who succeeds Mularkey, but so will Marv Levy. And it might be a question of who has more of owner Ralph Wilson's ear. So Haslett isn't quite the slam dunk some people think he is, even if Tom Benson hopes his former coach lands the Bills spot. I'm pretty sure Marv has Ralph's ear more than Modrak does... and IIRC, Marv has no ties to Haslett, as JH was gone before Marv came in 1986. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgun Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 This is the part I found interesting:I'm pretty sure Marv has Ralph's ear more than Modrak does... and IIRC, Marv has no ties to Haslett, as JH was gone before Marv came in 1986. 566124[/snapback] Mr. Wilson has HUGE f'n ears.... take a look at a pic of him standing next to Marv. Kind a like the size of citizen kane's fireplace!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Saying we do hire Haslett, is there any reason that we wouldn't pay him a salary of $1 for his first year, then whatever we can negotiate out between us? I mean, unless he's demanding more than that $3.3-$3.7 million, why don't we just let that money come from Benson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfladave Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Frankly, I'm puzzled by this "lack of direction" feeling. With the exception of the chief talent scout living outside of Buffalo, this is exactly how the team was run in the pre-TD era. 566108[/snapback] Actually Modrack has been living outside of Buffalo for his entire time here. Last week Wilson said that Modrack would be in Buffalo much more than he has been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfladave Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Saying we do hire Haslett, is there any reason that we wouldn't pay him a salary of $1 for his first year, then whatever we can negotiate out between us? I mean, unless he's demanding more than that $3.3-$3.7 million, why don't we just let that money come from Benson? 566359[/snapback] Because what goes around comes around in this league. Not good timing for an owner who is trying to get larger market teams to share in their marketing income outside of the TV deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Frankly, I'm puzzled by this "lack of direction" feeling. With the exception of the chief talent scout living outside of Buffalo, this is exactly how the team was run in the pre-TD era. 566108[/snapback] Tom M. never moved to Buffalo - he was in Philladelphia and then Florida the whole time. Nothing has changed but do not confuse them with facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCBoston Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Tom M. never moved to Buffalo - he was in Philladelphia and then Florida the whole time. Nothing has changed but do not confuse them with facts. 566462[/snapback] Ummm, isn't that what I said? If you don't consider Modrak, isn't the setup just like it was before Donahoe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdelma Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Should the bills have kept MM. Give me a break. How much do they watch bills football and really understand what the bills fans have been thru in the last 5 years. These writers can all go screw. When the bills get he coaching situation straight these guys will be back on the bandwagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted January 14, 2006 Author Share Posted January 14, 2006 Ummm, isn't that what I said? If you don't consider Modrak, isn't the setup just like it was before Donahoe? 566466[/snapback] It's exactly what you said... but "don't confuse the facts." I agree, other than TM, the set-up is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Ummm, isn't that what I said? If you don't consider Modrak, isn't the setup just like it was before Donahoe? 566466[/snapback] Yep I agree. That is why I said don't try to confuse them (the people who originally complained about current distributed management) with the facts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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