BillsObserver Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Marv Levy was on WGR550 this morning. I'm sure they have the audio segment in their "audio vault." He basically reaffirmed his support for Dick but also admitted that at the end of the day, you are judged by wins and losses and he believes this season is a critical one for Dick. He re-stated why they brought Dick in and after seeing him in action, Ralph and Marv agreed he was everything they thought he was and greater (as far as being a teacher, a leader, high character man, etc..). As for Trent, he believes he will be an excellent quarterback but he needs a defense and some wide receivers. Marv admitted he didn't watch every game, but caught the few he could on TV, attended a few, and watched the play-by-play on the internet for the games that weren't on TV. Apparently he doesn't have the NFL package on DirecTV. Nothing new basically but I thought you'd all like to hear that MARV STILL BELIEVES.
Buftex Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Marv Levy was on WGR550 this morning. I'm sure they have the audio segment in their "audio vault." He basically reaffirmed his support for Dick but also admitted that at the end of the day, you are judged by wins and losses and he believes this season is a critical one for Dick. He re-stated why they brought Dick in and after seeing him in action, Ralph and Marv agreed he was everything they thought he was and greater (as far as being a teacher, a leader, high character man, etc..). As for Trent, he believes he will be an excellent quarterback but he needs a defense and some wide receivers. Marv admitted he didn't watch every game, but caught the few he could on TV, attended a few, and watched the play-by-play on the internet for the games that weren't on TV. Apparently he doesn't have the NFL package on DirecTV. Nothing new basically but I thought you'd all like to hear that MARV STILL BELIEVES. Wow, inspiring... even Marv has become a dispassionate (sometime) observer...
Bill from NYC Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Apparently he doesn't have the NFL package on DirecTV. To be fair, he might not know it exists.
BillsVet Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 One thing I'll say for Marv: he was guilted into taking the GM job after TD failed. I really think at that point Ralph had run out of options. And so he turned to a man who was part of the team's recent glory days, if 15+ years ago counts for recent. Marv wasn't suited for the GM job, either in mind or in experience. And when it mattered, poor decisions were made all too frequently. He's a bright guy, but wasn't all that savvy when it came to crunch time. Marv was not a successful GM. He tried to build consensus with inferior front office characters. He could not duplicate Polian because the guys behind the scenes aren't there anymore. I'm talking about Butler, AJ Smith, Dwight Adams, et al. In their sted were John Guy, Tom Modrak, and a certain HC who should be no more than a DB coach.
billsfreak Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 One thing I'll say for Marv: he was guilted into taking the GM job after TD failed. I really think at that point Ralph had run out of options. And so he turned to a man who was part of the team's recent glory days, if 15+ years ago counts for recent. Marv wasn't suited for the GM job, either in mind or in experience. And when it mattered, poor decisions were made all too frequently. He's a bright guy, but wasn't all that savvy when it came to crunch time. Marv was not a successful GM. He tried to build consensus with inferior front office characters. He could not duplicate Polian because the guys behind the scenes aren't there anymore. I'm talking about Butler, AJ Smith, Dwight Adams, et al. In their sted were John Guy, Tom Modrak, and a certain HC who should be no more than a DB coach. He might not have been the greatest GM, but he is the best we have had since the Polian/Butler regime, no question.
C.Biscuit97 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 One thing I'll say for Marv: he was guilted into taking the GM job after TD failed. I really think at that point Ralph had run out of options. And so he turned to a man who was part of the team's recent glory days, if 15+ years ago counts for recent. Marv wasn't suited for the GM job, either in mind or in experience. And when it mattered, poor decisions were made all too frequently. He's a bright guy, but wasn't all that savvy when it came to crunch time. Marv was not a successful GM. He tried to build consensus with inferior front office characters. He could not duplicate Polian because the guys behind the scenes aren't there anymore. I'm talking about Butler, AJ Smith, Dwight Adams, et al. In their sted were John Guy, Tom Modrak, and a certain HC who should be no more than a DB coach. But he certainly isn't as bad as you make him out to be. Whitner looks question at his draft slot but he is a pretty good player who still is only 23. McCargo was a bust as were most of his FA signings. Still after the mess of TD, we almost had to build an entirely new team. Marv focused on rebuilding the o-line and we have our best since the Super Bowl year. He traded an overrated, malcontent running back for 3 draft picks in what is one of hte better trade this franchise has ever had. One of those draft picks maybe a franchise QB (who Marv selected in the 3rd round). Another of those draft picks led to bringing Stroud in here. We are in great shape capwise. All in all, Marv's positives definitely outweigh his negatives.
cale Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 But he certainly isn't as bad as you make him out to be. Whitner looks question at his draft slot but he is a pretty good player who still is only 23. McCargo was a bust as were most of his FA signings. Still after the mess of TD, we almost had to build an entirely new team. Marv focused on rebuilding the o-line and we have our best since the Super Bowl year. He traded an overrated, malcontent running back for 3 draft picks in what is one of hte better trade this franchise has ever had. One of those draft picks maybe a franchise QB (who Marv selected in the 3rd round). Another of those draft picks led to bringing Stroud in here. We are in great shape capwise. All in all, Marv's positives definitely outweigh his negatives. I love Marv, it's probably why I am a football fan. But Marv was just a little more than a figurehead when he was brought in as GM. He was just steering and letting people under his supervision do their jobs and build consensus. Unfortunately those people haven't done very good jobs. Marv's error was presuming that the rest of the personnel in the organization were the same kind of people he had when he was with the Bills the first time around. Thereby allowing him to delegate and maintain a hands off approach. Unfortunately, that was not the case. C
Fan in Chicago Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 He might not have been the greatest GM, but he is the best we have had since the Polian/Butler regime, no question. Thats not really saying much now is it ?
Dawgg Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 But he certainly isn't as bad as you make him out to be. Whitner looks question at his draft slot but he is a pretty good player who still is only 23. McCargo was a bust as were most of his FA signings. Still after the mess of TD, we almost had to build an entirely new team. Marv focused on rebuilding the o-line and we have our best since the Super Bowl year. He traded an overrated, malcontent running back for 3 draft picks in what is one of hte better trade this franchise has ever had. One of those draft picks maybe a franchise QB (who Marv selected in the 3rd round). Another of those draft picks led to bringing Stroud in here. We are in great shape capwise. All in all, Marv's positives definitely outweigh his negatives. In your warped view of the world, yes. In reality, Marv screwed up pretty badly. Rebuilding the o-line as the best since our Super Bowl year? So you're essentially saying that the line is better than awful -- hardly high praise. Anyone can go out and spend $100M to bring in lineman. That doesn't take skill, nor does it take foresight. The question is how did Marv spend those dollars: spending $100M on Dockery and Walker was just plain stupid.
DrFishfinder Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Marv Levy was on WGR550 this morning. I'm sure they have the audio segment in their "audio vault." He basically reaffirmed his support for Dick but also admitted that at the end of the day, you are judged by wins and losses and he believes this season is a critical one for Dick. He re-stated why they brought Dick in and after seeing him in action, Ralph and Marv agreed he was everything they thought he was and greater (as far as being a teacher, a leader, high character man, etc..). As for Trent, he believes he will be an excellent quarterback but he needs a defense and some wide receivers. Marv admitted he didn't watch every game, but caught the few he could on TV, attended a few, and watched the play-by-play on the internet for the games that weren't on TV. Apparently he doesn't have the NFL package on DirecTV. Nothing new basically but I thought you'd all like to hear that MARV STILL BELIEVES. Let's assume for a minute, that Marv now believes that hiring Jauron turned out to be a flop (it has). Since Jauron is under contract for next season and since Marv hired him, of course Marv is going to put a positive spin on things.
Paup 1995MVP Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I thought Marv died. At least he looked that way in the pressbox during the Monday night fiasco against Dallas. Taking a 5'9" safety with the 8th pick of the 2006 draft was a horrific decision.
BillsVet Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I love Marv, it's probably why I am a football fan. But Marv was just a little more than a figurehead when he was brought in as GM. He was just steering and letting people under his supervision do their jobs and build consensus. Unfortunately those people haven't done very good jobs. Marv's error was presuming that the rest of the personnel in the organization were the same kind of people he had when he was with the Bills the first time around. Thereby allowing him to delegate and maintain a hands off approach. Unfortunately, that was not the case. C I really don't think some people realize how thin the margin of error is in a NFL front office. No one should demand perfection, but you've got to make the right personnel move in a smaller market more frequently than Marv did. Whiffing on McCargo and signing Tripplett, Royal, Fowler, P. Price, Dockery, and Walker to excessive contracts are too many failures over the course of two seasons. And ultimately, hiring DJ was the biggest failure. You are spot-on about Marv's principle error being that he trusted the front office to act like Polian's version did years ago. Unfortunately, when you have a thin margin due to financial restrictions and hire a joke of a HC, it's going to be hard to succeed.
cale Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I really don't think some people realize how thin the margin of error is in a NFL front office. No one should demand perfection, but you've got to make the right personnel move in a smaller market more frequently than Marv did. Whiffing on McCargo and signing Tripplett, Royal, Fowler, P. Price, Dockery, and Walker to excessive contracts are too many failures over the course of two seasons. And ultimately, hiring DJ was the biggest failure. You are spot-on about Marv's principle error being that he trusted the front office to act like Polian's version did years ago. Unfortunately, when you have a thin margin due to financial restrictions and hire a joke of a HC, it's going to be hard to succeed. Amen. I'm not sure if hiring DJ at the time was the wrong move. For a young team learning how to win and a franchise needing stability the Bills needed someone to quiet the waters, I think Jauron was fine as the father figure type. Calm demeanor, intense but pleasant. But teams evolve, and DJ hasn't adapted. Keeping him now is absolutely the wrong move. Peyton Manning continuously gives Jim Mora Sr. credit for developing him into the player he is today. But Dungy was the guy to take the franchise to the next level. Jauron short of a miracle will be fired at the end or before next season. The Bills record will be worse than this season. The other teams in our div. have vastly improved - with the exception of maybe NE. But they were great to start with. C
BillsVet Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Amen. I'm not sure if hiring DJ at the time was the wrong move. For a young team learning how to win and a franchise needing stability the Bills needed someone to quiet the waters, I think Jauron was fine as the father figure type. Calm demeanor, intense but pleasant. But teams evolve, and DJ hasn't adapted. Keeping him now is absolutely the wrong move. Peyton Manning continuously gives Jim Mora Sr. credit for developing him into the player he is today. But Dungy was the guy to take the franchise to the next level. Jauron short of a miracle will be fired at the end or before next season. The Bills record will be worse than this season. The other teams in our div. have vastly improved - with the exception of maybe NE. But they were great to start with. C I continue to believe next season will make the final year of TD seem tame. Going 7-9 three straight seasons, retaining the HC, watching the Cards in the SB, and having a game in Toronto have created an unfriendly atmosphere for Bills fans. I hope it doesn't deteriorate into bedlam, but the team is in poor shape, and arguably at the same point as when Marv inherited TD's mess. Maybe DJ was the coach the Bills needed in 06, but he's not the guy to get them into the playoffs. Buffalo needs a tactician, not necessarily a loud person, but someone with quiet confidence who can push when he has to. DJ's stoic demeanor isn't working with this team anymore. Going 2-8 down the stretch demonstrates this.
Tcali Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 I really don't think some people realize how thin the margin of error is in a NFL front office. No one should demand perfection, but you've got to make the right personnel move in a smaller market more frequently than Marv did. Whiffing on McCargo and signing Tripplett, Royal, Fowler, P. Price, Dockery, and Walker to excessive contracts are too many failures over the course of two seasons. And ultimately, hiring DJ was the biggest failure. You are spot-on about Marv's principle error being that he trusted the front office to act like Polian's version did years ago. Unfortunately, when you have a thin margin due to financial restrictions and hire a joke of a HC, it's going to be hard to succeed. Yeah if you look carefully at Marv's GM record...it is about a D. Didn't Marv bring in Billy Joe Gunrack??
GG Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Yeah if you look carefully at Marv's GM record...it is about a D. Didn't Marv bring in Billy Joe Gunrack?? No, that would have been Butler.
marauderswr80 Posted January 21, 2009 Posted January 21, 2009 Some of the problems we currently have are cause of Marv.....so it makes sense why he would have nice things to say about Jauron, he brought the guy in to coach his team.....
spartacus Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 One thing I'll say for Marv: he was guilted into taking the GM job after TD failed. I really think at that point Ralph had run out of options. And so he turned to a man who was part of the team's recent glory days, if 15+ years ago counts for recent. Marv wasn't suited for the GM job, either in mind or in experience. And when it mattered, poor decisions were made all too frequently. He's a bright guy, but wasn't all that savvy when it came to crunch time. Marv was not a successful GM. He tried to build consensus with inferior front office characters. He could not duplicate Polian because the guys behind the scenes aren't there anymore. I'm talking about Butler, AJ Smith, Dwight Adams, et al. In their sted were John Guy, Tom Modrak, and a certain HC who should be no more than a DB coach. I wouldn't get too sentimental over Marv. He had ulterior motives in taking the GM job The only reason Marv agreed to act as GM was because he thought he could finesse his way back into coaching which is what he has been trying to do since he got run out of Buffalo.
BuffaloBill Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 I really don't think some people realize how thin the margin of error is in a NFL front office. No one should demand perfection, but you've got to make the right personnel move in a smaller market more frequently than Marv did. Whiffing on McCargo and signing Tripplett, Royal, Fowler, P. Price, Dockery, and Walker to excessive contracts are too many failures over the course of two seasons. And ultimately, hiring DJ was the biggest failure. You are spot-on about Marv's principle error being that he trusted the front office to act like Polian's version did years ago. Unfortunately, when you have a thin margin due to financial restrictions and hire a joke of a HC, it's going to be hard to succeed. Not sure i agree the margin of error is any thinner in Buffalo than it is elsewhere in the NFL. What justifys this? The Bills have been profiatable, not spectacularly so, but profitable. I t is their choice not to spend more on the front office or coaching.
BillsVet Posted January 22, 2009 Posted January 22, 2009 I wouldn't get too sentimental over Marv. He had ulterior motives in taking the GM job The only reason Marv agreed to act as GM was because he thought he could finesse his way back into coaching which is what he has been trying to do since he got run out of Buffalo. I'll get destroyed for saying it, but I don't think Levy was a great coach. He was a good coach, and obviously wanted back in three years ago. During his career, he had a fine OC in Marchibroda for several years, and had Polian acquiring players for him through 92-93. Marv just needed to manage the personalities, but from a talent perspective, he had a whole lot. On his blog, Tim Graham made a point that Belichick's 3 SB winning teams will probably have only one HOFer (Brady) while Buffalo's four non-winners will have at least 3 when Bruce Smith is elected. Sure, it's different eras in comparing before and after the cap, but you have a hard time winning SB's without HOF talent. Marv is in the HOF, but if that's the case, shouldn't Dan Reeves and Bud Grant be in as welll. Both had lots of talent, made 4 SB's, and lost them all.
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