My new regime...

[Sen. John Blutarsky]

Head Coach - Josh McDaniel: current OC New England

Why? McDaniel has taken a New England offense that has lost Lawrence Maroney, Tom Brady, Lamont Jordan, Sammy Morris for most of the year, and kept them productive despite being given a QB in Cassel that hadn't started a game since high school and a beaten up offensive line. Talent wise, New England's offense is not more talented than ours. They are better prepared and have a much better plan of what they will do to a defense week to week. We bemoan the fact that we can't get the ball to our WRs because they are too small, etc. Wes Welker leads the league in receptions because Mr. McDaniel understands how to make a concerted effort to get somebody the football.

 

Choice #2

Steve Spagnolo - DC New York Giants. Do I need to explain this one?

 

Defensive Coordinator - Mike Nolan: Former DC Baltimore Ravens and former HC San Francisco

As a HC he was mediocre at best and struggled to find a QB. As a DC there was no mistaking his talent. His schemes are aggressive and he will get to the QB. He's used to having to coach defense with no offense on the field from his days in Baltimore. No margin for error

 

Choice #2 - Romeo Crennel: Current HC Cleveland Browns. Another terrible HC who was a very good DC.

 

Offensive Coordinator - Russ Grimm: Offensive Line Coach, Arizona Cardinals

Russ has been a candidate for multiple HC positions including the Bears and Steelers. He's been the architect of the renaissance of the AZ Cardinals O-line. They have gone from a sieve to playoff caliber in short order. My primary reasons for choosing Grimm is, you know he will run the football. I do not trust a former QB to run an offense. In football as in life, when push comes to shove and the chips are down you will do what you are most comfortable doing. QBs want to pass when the game is on the line, they want to have the control and the ball in their hand. O-Lineman want to run. They hate pass blocking in general and would much rather beat a defense to death than throw 50 times. Russ Grimm would bring a power offense back to Buffalo that can win close games and play in bad weather which is something we lack entirely right now. It would also protect Nolan's defense by keeping them off the field. I also have faith that Grimm can bring a good O-line coach with him

 

Sadly, none of this will come to pass as all of these gentlemen will be tremendously expensive. Most liklely we see year four of Skeletor, possibly with another, uninspired, choice of OC. Fewell hans't been awful and the defense tries hard. I just believe that his fundamental premise is flawed. Unless you have a GREAT offense, your defense needs to make plays for you in the way of sacks and turnovers. Otherwise it becomes death by 1000 cuts. I also don't believe that a small fast defense can survive a season. That has born itself out in the number of injuries we see from the pounding the littler guys take. Ideally I'd like to see a 3-4 back here because I think the biggest problem the 4-3 has is getting good DTs. You need to find 2 (which really means 4) that are big and fast. These are probably the hardest things to find because there just aren't that many humans who are built that way. In a 3-4 you only need to find one (2 for depth) huge guys to take up space and they don't really need to run or be all that quick. Be huge, be strong, don't allow yourself to be moved. At LB it's always much easier to find an undersized college DE with pass rush skills to play OLB than an actual OLB with prototypical OLB measurables. What you find more is the beefed up safety types like Ellison. Equally, it's harder to find the big MLB that can still run like Patrick Willis, it's much easier to find 2 guys like Poz. You can get them later in the draft and they are cheaper.

 

Our current personel wouldn't be that hard to flip to a 3-4. Honestly, Kelsay and Denney are 3-4 ends already. They give good effort, take up space but aren't dynamic pass rushers. Stroud really isn't a NT but he could play 3-4 end as well. At LB we have Poz for ILB and Mitchell at OLB. There are plenty of guys like Chris Gocong out there who can rush the passer but aren't given the opportunity to in their current scheme. You can get them for a song and say go kill QBs. As I said, it's also much easier to find a smallish DE in the draft that you can teach to stand up. There are also colleg LBs every year that don't run the ideal number but are insane and will run through a wall for you and are perfect for ILB in a 3-4. This year think of James Laurinaitis. He's a player but he's not really fast enough to play OLB in a 4-3 and he's too small for MLB. Put him inside next to Poz and RBs beware. The secondary is relatively unaffected either way. We need a better FS and more heat from the front 7 will help the CBs. So, the way I see it if we can get a NT, an ILB and a pass rushing OLB we can do this next season. As it is we're shopping for an OLB and DL anyway. It's just a matter of which type of guys we pick.

[PistolPeaTear]

I would love to throw Rex Ryan in there, I do not think he gets enough credit, he's making a guy like Jim Leonhard look good

[Sen. John Blutarsky]

I would love to throw Rex Ryan in there, I do not think he gets enough credit, he's making a guy like Jim Leonhard look good

I dunno if I want Rex or Rob Ryan as a HC though. DC is their niche and they are very successful, kinda like Buddy. Great DC, sucky HC. Now if I could get Rex as HC and Rob as DC I'd be all for that because I think we might kill every QB in the league but Emperor Palpitain, err, Al Davis won't let that happen because he won't fire Rob and DC to Dc is a lateral move which he can block.

[murra]

Ultimately your ideal coaching scheme would cost way too much for Ralph, and would result in some serious leadership confliction after one or two losses.

[BUFFALOTONE]

Agree 100000% on McDaniel. What else do you need to see?Plus he wont be too expensive as he has never had a head coaching gig. Bring him in to run the offense and Nolan to run the D.

[Sen. John Blutarsky]

Ultimately your ideal coaching scheme would cost way too much for Ralph, and would result in some serious leadership confliction after one or two losses.

I disagree entirely. I believe what you need today is to have an offensive HC and a defensive HC with the HC playing the CEO role of oversight, stratetigic planning, acquisitions and motivation. So long as the HC you put in has a strong personality there's nothing wrong with having strong leaders as your subordinates. Actually it points to a poor leader who is uncomfortable having strong subordinates. He who must be the smartest, most powerful man in the room will ultimately hire those whom he can dominate and control, not those who will lead and innovate. We all kvetch now because we waste time outs to make decisions. hire stronger cooridnators who don't have to defer to make a decision. Decision making is more crisp and the players know from where the call will be made. They don't have that deer in the headlights look when the OC suddenly turn to the HC to make the key decision as the play clock is ticking down. A good HC made the decision befor he previous play was over and the coordinators knew what they were going to do in advance. You ever see Parcells have that befuddled look? He wasn't always right, but he was decisive. decisiveness breeds confidence. The offense hears go for it on 4th and 1 and the play comes right in it tells them, hey we got this go get it done. If you hem and haw and call timeout you tell the offense, i'm not sure you got this, let me think about it.

 

Furthermore, you need to grow a QB who isn't beholdant unto the OC all the time. How many time have we watched the BIlls have a close play only to dawdle, give the opposition time to look at it and challenge successfully. I watch Roethlisberger get everyone up to the line, call a play, run it, and gain yards before TV could sho a replay after whatw as probably a drop. You have to build that into a player. if you make everythign "check with me" you create children who require instruction, not men who can take actions. That, in a nutshell, is our biggest problem.

[billybob]

"Furthermore, you need to grow a QB who isn't beholdant unto the OC all the time. How many time have we watched the BIlls have a close play only to dawdle, give the opposition time to look at it and challenge successfully. I watch Roethlisberger get everyone up to the line, call a play, run it, and gain yards before TV could sho a replay after whatw as probably a drop. You have to build that into a player. if you make everythign "check with me" you create children who require instruction, not men who can take actions. That, in a nutshell, is our biggest problem."

 

 

very good point

[murra]

I disagree entirely. I believe what you need today is to have an offensive HC and a defensive HC with the HC playing the CEO role of oversight, stratetigic planning, acquisitions and motivation. So long as the HC you put in has a strong personality there's nothing wrong with having strong leaders as your subordinates. Actually it points to a poor leader who is uncomfortable having strong subordinates. He who must be the smartest, most powerful man in the room will ultimately hire those whom he can dominate and control, not those who will lead and innovate. We all kvetch now because we waste time outs to make decisions. hire stronger cooridnators who don't have to defer to make a decision. Decision making is more crisp and the players know from where the call will be made. They don't have that deer in the headlights look when the OC suddenly turn to the HC to make the key decision as the play clock is ticking down. A good HC made the decision befor he previous play was over and the coordinators knew what they were going to do in advance. You ever see Parcells have that befuddled look? He wasn't always right, but he was decisive. decisiveness breeds confidence. The offense hears go for it on 4th and 1 and the play comes right in it tells them, hey we got this go get it done. If you hem and haw and call timeout you tell the offense, i'm not sure you got this, let me think about it.

 

Furthermore, you need to grow a QB who isn't beholdant unto the OC all the time. How many time have we watched the BIlls have a close play only to dawdle, give the opposition time to look at it and challenge successfully. I watch Roethlisberger get everyone up to the line, call a play, run it, and gain yards before TV could sho a replay after whatw as probably a drop. You have to build that into a player. if you make everythign "check with me" you create children who require instruction, not men who can take actions. That, in a nutshell, is our biggest problem.

 

I get what you're saying, and it makes sense: pointing out our problem. What I'm trying to relay to you is a combination of two things:

 

One, this will not happen because as proven by the Buffalo Bills franchise we do not bring in the premier coordinators aroudn the league to serve as the head coach. We find Tennessee's defensive coordinator after a decent year...or Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator after a year when the answer for them was trick plays and hand-offs to Bettis.

 

I see what you're gunning for, but I'm sticking by my opinion that your regime is nothing more than a fantasy. We're never getting Crennel and Nolan when we we're telling you right now we're content with upgrading from Fairchild to Schonert. We're only going to make parallel, cost effective leaps.

 

Secondly, The Buffalo Bills have more issues than coaching. I get it, we suck at challenges, and we never ever ever ever rush up to the line with a play because our coaches look confused. What you're asking for is to re-gut the entire system, and the way our fans are right now, it's probably better to stick with our system and sqeeze into the playoffs in the next two years, than if we re-gut it and have to wait another three, by which point the fans will abandon entirely and refuse to continue on. Honestly, unless you can prove me personnel changes can bring immediate results, I say !@#$ it...we're stuck with this team and coach, and I would rather give Jauron another go before we get another unproven sack of sh*t to re-!@#$ up the whole system.

 

 

I really do like what you're saying, and wish it were true. But I'm trying to bring along the burden of reality...You mine as well be wishing for Levy, Walsh, with a twist of Lombardi...because it's not happening.

[Quester74]

Mark me down for Spagnolo, Nolan and Grimm.. especially, Grimm.

[bschmoove]

The sad thing is that there will be more than five, possibly nine coaching vacancies this year and Buffalo has got to be the last place anyone would come to - they won't get paid.

Good luck with Dick!

[1billsfan]

The sad thing is that there will be more than five, possibly nine coaching vacancies this year and Buffalo has got to be the last place anyone would come to - they won't get paid.

Good luck with Dick!

 

I know, that's why I've been promoting Raheem Morris. The time to get a guy like Spagnuolo was last year (which I was promoting back then of course, lol). The Bills are far down the list of the top coaching prospects. I really hope they interview Morris, he's just enough under the radar that the Bills would have a real chance at him.

[Sen. John Blutarsky]

Honestly, unless you can prove me personnel changes can bring immediate results, I say !@#$ it...we're stuck with this team and coach, and I would rather give Jauron another go before we get another unproven sack of sh*t to re-!@#$ up the whole system.

I know that won't happen. Actually I think I said so in the post.

 

Re: personnel changes making a big difference in year one see also:

 

Miami Dolphins 1-15 to 8-5 and tied for 1st in the division. They brought in a retread QB and a new staff. That's about it.

2006 New York Jets - 4-12 to 10-6 with playoffs.

[murra]

I know that won't happen. Actually I think I said so in the post.

 

Re: personnel changes making a big difference in year one see also:

 

Miami Dolphins 1-15 to 8-5 and tied for 1st in the division. They brought in a retread QB and a new staff. That's about it.

2006 New York Jets - 4-12 to 10-6 with playoffs.

 

I'm aware of those two things...but it's not happening... Those are two rare occurrences: Parcells, and Favre.

 

Our only hope is to emulate the happening in Atlanta...But even that is a stretch.

[Fewell733]

I don't think radically changing the defense is really necessary. I do think radically changing the offense is necessary. Jauron is a defensive coach and our problems are mainly on offense. Either Jauron needs to hire a great offensive mind that has full control over the offense and bring in a new system that is both proven and flexible enough to adjust to the talent on the field, or he should be fired too. Offenses in the NFL can't afford to be so conservative or incompetent unless you have an all-time great defense.

 

I really think our offensive personnel is ideal for a West Coast offensive system.

[BhamBillsFan]

Head Coach - Josh McDaniel: current OC New England

Why? McDaniel has taken a New England offense that has lost Lawrence Maroney, Tom Brady, Lamont Jordan, Sammy Morris for most of the year, and kept them productive despite being given a QB in Cassel that hadn't started a game since high school and a beaten up offensive line. Talent wise, New England's offense is not more talented than ours. They are better prepared and have a much better plan of what they will do to a defense week to week. We bemoan the fact that we can't get the ball to our WRs because they are too small, etc. Wes Welker leads the league in receptions because Mr. McDaniel understands how to make a concerted effort to get somebody the football.

 

Choice #2

Steve Spagnolo - DC New York Giants. Do I need to explain this one?

 

Defensive Coordinator - Mike Nolan: Former DC Baltimore Ravens and former HC San Francisco

As a HC he was mediocre at best and struggled to find a QB. As a DC there was no mistaking his talent. His schemes are aggressive and he will get to the QB. He's used to having to coach defense with no offense on the field from his days in Baltimore. No margin for error

 

Choice #2 - Romeo Crennel: Current HC Cleveland Browns. Another terrible HC who was a very good DC.

 

Offensive Coordinator - Russ Grimm: Offensive Line Coach, Arizona Cardinals

Russ has been a candidate for multiple HC positions including the Bears and Steelers. He's been the architect of the renaissance of the AZ Cardinals O-line. They have gone from a sieve to playoff caliber in short order. My primary reasons for choosing Grimm is, you know he will run the football. I do not trust a former QB to run an offense. In football as in life, when push comes to shove and the chips are down you will do what you are most comfortable doing. QBs want to pass when the game is on the line, they want to have the control and the ball in their hand. O-Lineman want to run. They hate pass blocking in general and would much rather beat a defense to death than throw 50 times. Russ Grimm would bring a power offense back to Buffalo that can win close games and play in bad weather which is something we lack entirely right now. It would also protect Nolan's defense by keeping them off the field. I also have faith that Grimm can bring a good O-line coach with him

 

Sadly, none of this will come to pass as all of these gentlemen will be tremendously expensive. Most liklely we see year four of Skeletor, possibly with another, uninspired, choice of OC. Fewell hans't been awful and the defense tries hard. I just believe that his fundamental premise is flawed. Unless you have a GREAT offense, your defense needs to make plays for you in the way of sacks and turnovers. Otherwise it becomes death by 1000 cuts. I also don't believe that a small fast defense can survive a season. That has born itself out in the number of injuries we see from the pounding the littler guys take. Ideally I'd like to see a 3-4 back here because I think the biggest problem the 4-3 has is getting good DTs. You need to find 2 (which really means 4) that are big and fast. These are probably the hardest things to find because there just aren't that many humans who are built that way. In a 3-4 you only need to find one (2 for depth) huge guys to take up space and they don't really need to run or be all that quick. Be huge, be strong, don't allow yourself to be moved. At LB it's always much easier to find an undersized college DE with pass rush skills to play OLB than an actual OLB with prototypical OLB measurables. What you find more is the beefed up safety types like Ellison. Equally, it's harder to find the big MLB that can still run like Patrick Willis, it's much easier to find 2 guys like Poz. You can get them later in the draft and they are cheaper.

 

Our current personel wouldn't be that hard to flip to a 3-4. Honestly, Kelsay and Denney are 3-4 ends already. They give good effort, take up space but aren't dynamic pass rushers. Stroud really isn't a NT but he could play 3-4 end as well. At LB we have Poz for ILB and Mitchell at OLB. There are plenty of guys like Chris Gocong out there who can rush the passer but aren't given the opportunity to in their current scheme. You can get them for a song and say go kill QBs. As I said, it's also much easier to find a smallish DE in the draft that you can teach to stand up. There are also colleg LBs every year that don't run the ideal number but are insane and will run through a wall for you and are perfect for ILB in a 3-4. This year think of James Laurinaitis. He's a player but he's not really fast enough to play OLB in a 4-3 and he's too small for MLB. Put him inside next to Poz and RBs beware. The secondary is relatively unaffected either way. We need a better FS and more heat from the front 7 will help the CBs. So, the way I see it if we can get a NT, an ILB and a pass rushing OLB we can do this next season. As it is we're shopping for an OLB and DL anyway. It's just a matter of which type of guys we pick.

No way on McDaniel as a HC, see Romeo Crennel in Cleveland, although I agree with your choice of him as a DC. Belichick is behind ALL that goes on in NE, but he may make a decent OC.

[Sen. John Blutarsky]

I'm aware of those two things...but it's not happening... Those are two rare occurrences: Parcells, and Favre.

 

Our only hope is to emulate the happening in Atlanta...But even that is a stretch.

The 2006 Jets was Mangini, not Favre and Parcells isn't coaching in Miami, Sparano is.

[lets_go_bills]

I too am intrigued by Josh McDaniels. He's the architect behind a scary offense.

[Like A Mofo]

I for one believe we need a DC as a head coach...look at coaches around the league...a majority of the time, the ones that truly become top coaches are defensive guys (Belicheck, Dungy, Cowher, Jeff Fisher etc) Now there are guys like Couglin who were OC's and became great, but IMO stick with a defensive mind FIRST, and let's build this defense next year from the ground up

[murra]

The 2006 Jets was Mangini, not Favre and Parcells isn't coaching in Miami, Sparano is.

 

2006 Jets only made the playoffs because of a sir, Robert Royal. And if you overlook Parcells' effort in Miami than I can't trust your ideas as far as I can throw them.

[VJ91]

Head Coach - Josh McDaniel: current OC New England

Why? McDaniel has taken a New England offense that has lost Lawrence Maroney, Tom Brady, Lamont Jordan, Sammy Morris for most of the year, and kept them productive despite being given a QB in Cassel that hadn't started a game since high school and a beaten up offensive line. Talent wise, New England's offense is not more talented than ours. They are better prepared and have a much better plan of what they will do to a defense week to week. We bemoan the fact that we can't get the ball to our WRs because they are too small, etc. Wes Welker leads the league in receptions because Mr. McDaniel understands how to make a concerted effort to get somebody the football.

 

So how old is McDaniel, 20? After Mangini went to the Jets, it seems all you have to do is coach one year in New England and everyone wants to make you their head coach, even if you aren't old enough to drink yet. And you think that New England's offense is no better then Buffalo's?? So Lee Evans is just as good as Randy Moss? And Josh Reed and his 30 catches a season are just as good as Welker's 98 in your mind? And the Pats' offensive line is no better then the Bills either, right? The only difference is this Josh McDaniel genius. If he came to Buffalo, Derek Dockery would be a Pro Bowl guard, Duke Preston would be able to call out the defenses when he doesn't even know what offense he's in, and Josh Reed would lead the NFL in receptions next year. Wow. If all of that were true, Ralph had better get Brandon up to New England the minute their season ends.