BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan
01-01-2008, 01:07 AM
Posted by: Ed Kilgore, Sports Director
Created: 12/31/2007 8:47:24 PM
Updated: 12/31/2007 10:59:11 PM
By Ch2 Sports Director
Ed Kilgore
The proverbial ink may not even be dry as this is written before the story changes, but the Bills are now shopping for a general manager, and the bet here is that Ralph Wilson will continue the course of action that makes him most comfortable at this stage of his life, which is to stay with someone he knows and trusts.
Trust me, I know that isn't what long-suffering and frustrated Bills fans want to hear after coming off a second straight 7-9 season, but there won't be a Bill Parcells-type story this time around at One Bills Drive.
Give the 82-year old Hall of Famer Levy the credit he deserves for doing what Ralph wanted, and not what HE wanted, when he signed on as gm for two years in 2005. It was pretty obvious Levy still wanted to be on the sidelines, but Ralph was firm about the fact he needed an engineer who could put the train back on the tracks again.
While not everyone agrees, yet anyway, that Levy's hiring of Dick Jauron was a successful hire, I believe Jauron was the right man for the job in this situation. One reason for that is obvious; Jauron kept his team focused through an unusual rash of injuries and a quarterback controversy, and just missed finishing with a .500 record against the toughest schedule in the NFL. He was 6-1 against sub-.500 teams, but 1-8 against teams .500 or better.
Jauron is also the right man, because his ego is such that he'll not demand a bigger role in the Bills future. He will work well with whomever steps into the gm role, which as I mentioned, I think will be somebody already in the organization. The reasons for that are fairly obvious; the Bills already have two excellent personnel men in place who won't bolt if they don't get the gm tag in Tom Modrak and John Guy, and they have two men who are extremely bright and capable and well-known to Wilson who would not disrupt the direction of the franchise.
Some might think this is the real #1 reason -- both men are already on the payroll -- but we'll give Ralph the benefit of the doubt on that one.
They are: Russ Brandon, the Executive VP of Business Operations who is credited with spearheading the Bills progress in regionalizing the franchise, and Jim Overdorf, the VP of Football Administration. Although Brandon is the higher profile of the two, and has been with the Bills eleven years, don't count out Overdorf as the eventual choice.
Although Overdorf has been with the Bills over 20 years, has a law degree and is a whiz at understanding the NFL's complicated salary cap system, he has also served some time as a Bills' scout. That's a pretty interesting combination, and there's no doubt in my mind he and Jauron would work well together, and the continuity in the organization would not change. Overdorf is not a guy who likes the limelight, and I'd envision him staying much in the background as Levy did the past couple seasons, unlike Tom Donahoe before him.
Brandon is the guy who'd make a better presidential candidate. He's personable and charismatic, and from what I hear, has been spending a lot of time with the scouts and coaches watching film and learning about evaluating talent, etc. Brandon was also an athlete, lettering four years in both football and baseball at St. John Fisher College. He would also work well with Jauron, but I'm not sure he could be the gm while continuing to mold the Bills ever-more challenging marketing problems.
Then again, maybe they could somehow split the position, which is unlikely, because you need a BOSS. Not a dictator, as some gm's tend to be, but a person who can make a decision when everybody doesn't totally agree.
While there's always the chance an "outside" candidate or two will emerge, I just don't see that as something Wilson will do at this stage of the game. The last thing he wants now is a disruption. Levy helped him repair an often uncomfortable atmosphere that surrounded the Donahoe era, bringing in a coach with class and intelligence, who in turn is surrounding himself with players who also fit that description.
Overdorf or Brandon wouldn't disrupt any continuity whatsoever, and while fans and many media folks would prefer a "name" with some instant credibility, I don't see that happening. Wilson was burned badly by going outside for what appeared to be a can't-miss choice in Donahoe, and it just seems in character for him to stay with the people he knows and trusts.
Is the ink on this thing dry yet?
http://www.wgrz.com/sports/columnist/AsISeeIt_article.aspx?storyid=54045
Created: 12/31/2007 8:47:24 PM
Updated: 12/31/2007 10:59:11 PM
By Ch2 Sports Director
Ed Kilgore
The proverbial ink may not even be dry as this is written before the story changes, but the Bills are now shopping for a general manager, and the bet here is that Ralph Wilson will continue the course of action that makes him most comfortable at this stage of his life, which is to stay with someone he knows and trusts.
Trust me, I know that isn't what long-suffering and frustrated Bills fans want to hear after coming off a second straight 7-9 season, but there won't be a Bill Parcells-type story this time around at One Bills Drive.
Give the 82-year old Hall of Famer Levy the credit he deserves for doing what Ralph wanted, and not what HE wanted, when he signed on as gm for two years in 2005. It was pretty obvious Levy still wanted to be on the sidelines, but Ralph was firm about the fact he needed an engineer who could put the train back on the tracks again.
While not everyone agrees, yet anyway, that Levy's hiring of Dick Jauron was a successful hire, I believe Jauron was the right man for the job in this situation. One reason for that is obvious; Jauron kept his team focused through an unusual rash of injuries and a quarterback controversy, and just missed finishing with a .500 record against the toughest schedule in the NFL. He was 6-1 against sub-.500 teams, but 1-8 against teams .500 or better.
Jauron is also the right man, because his ego is such that he'll not demand a bigger role in the Bills future. He will work well with whomever steps into the gm role, which as I mentioned, I think will be somebody already in the organization. The reasons for that are fairly obvious; the Bills already have two excellent personnel men in place who won't bolt if they don't get the gm tag in Tom Modrak and John Guy, and they have two men who are extremely bright and capable and well-known to Wilson who would not disrupt the direction of the franchise.
Some might think this is the real #1 reason -- both men are already on the payroll -- but we'll give Ralph the benefit of the doubt on that one.
They are: Russ Brandon, the Executive VP of Business Operations who is credited with spearheading the Bills progress in regionalizing the franchise, and Jim Overdorf, the VP of Football Administration. Although Brandon is the higher profile of the two, and has been with the Bills eleven years, don't count out Overdorf as the eventual choice.
Although Overdorf has been with the Bills over 20 years, has a law degree and is a whiz at understanding the NFL's complicated salary cap system, he has also served some time as a Bills' scout. That's a pretty interesting combination, and there's no doubt in my mind he and Jauron would work well together, and the continuity in the organization would not change. Overdorf is not a guy who likes the limelight, and I'd envision him staying much in the background as Levy did the past couple seasons, unlike Tom Donahoe before him.
Brandon is the guy who'd make a better presidential candidate. He's personable and charismatic, and from what I hear, has been spending a lot of time with the scouts and coaches watching film and learning about evaluating talent, etc. Brandon was also an athlete, lettering four years in both football and baseball at St. John Fisher College. He would also work well with Jauron, but I'm not sure he could be the gm while continuing to mold the Bills ever-more challenging marketing problems.
Then again, maybe they could somehow split the position, which is unlikely, because you need a BOSS. Not a dictator, as some gm's tend to be, but a person who can make a decision when everybody doesn't totally agree.
While there's always the chance an "outside" candidate or two will emerge, I just don't see that as something Wilson will do at this stage of the game. The last thing he wants now is a disruption. Levy helped him repair an often uncomfortable atmosphere that surrounded the Donahoe era, bringing in a coach with class and intelligence, who in turn is surrounding himself with players who also fit that description.
Overdorf or Brandon wouldn't disrupt any continuity whatsoever, and while fans and many media folks would prefer a "name" with some instant credibility, I don't see that happening. Wilson was burned badly by going outside for what appeared to be a can't-miss choice in Donahoe, and it just seems in character for him to stay with the people he knows and trusts.
Is the ink on this thing dry yet?
http://www.wgrz.com/sports/columnist/AsISeeIt_article.aspx?storyid=54045