Bills owner may be looking to shake up coaching staff, front office
Changes might not stop with Jauron. Following the loss to the Dolphins in Week 14, Wilson, deeply troubled by his team’s demise, attributed the struggles in part due to a talent gap between the Bills and their competition. It was a subtle pointing of the finger at his personnel department, which was shaken up following the retirement of GM Marv Levy last offseason. Instead of hiring a general manager to replace Levy, Wilson chose to promote his college scouting director, Tom Modrak, and pro scouting director, John Guy, into what amounted to a joint GM role. But their inability to outfit the team with adequate player personnel could tempt Wilson into tabbing a single individual — somebody currently outside the organization — for the team’s top personnel job. Wilson has cast an envious eye toward the job Bill Parcells has done in his first year as the Dolphins’ executive VP of football operations, molding a roster that was 1-15 in 2007 to the brink of the postseason in ’08. He may be looking for his own Parcells.
However, a change in the front office doesn’t appear to be as imminent as a coaching change, in part due to Wilson’s fear of appointing another Tom Donahoe, the Bills’ GM from 2001-05. A Buffalo outsider, Donahoe’s epic failure was marked by personnel disasters in addition to alienating himself from the organization and the community.
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Ralph Wilson can’t take it anymore. That’s the belief of many in Buffalo, who anticipate the Bills’ 90-year-old owner will be giving the ax to coach Dick Jauron after the season. Although Wilson has been silent on the matter, the silence is seen as a sign that he indeed is leaning toward making a change. The Bills are mired in a tailspin that shows no signs of slowing, having lost six of their last seven.
The fall from grace has been as sudden as it’s been severe. After Buffalo got out to a 5-1 start, Jauron reportedly signed a three-year extension through 2011, although the team has never confirmed the deal. Even if the contract was signed, the prospect of buying out the new deal isn’t likely to be a big enough deterrent to keep Wilson from making a move if he indeed feels it is necessary. Club sources say Jauron recognizes his fate, as his customarily even-keeled persona has dipped into more of a demeanor of resignation.Changes might not stop with Jauron. Following the loss to the Dolphins in Week 14, Wilson, deeply troubled by his team’s demise, attributed the struggles in part due to a talent gap between the Bills and their competition. It was a subtle pointing of the finger at his personnel department, which was shaken up following the retirement of GM Marv Levy last offseason. Instead of hiring a general manager to replace Levy, Wilson chose to promote his college scouting director, Tom Modrak, and pro scouting director, John Guy, into what amounted to a joint GM role. But their inability to outfit the team with adequate player personnel could tempt Wilson into tabbing a single individual — somebody currently outside the organization — for the team’s top personnel job. Wilson has cast an envious eye toward the job Bill Parcells has done in his first year as the Dolphins’ executive VP of football operations, molding a roster that was 1-15 in 2007 to the brink of the postseason in ’08. He may be looking for his own Parcells.
However, a change in the front office doesn’t appear to be as imminent as a coaching change, in part due to Wilson’s fear of appointing another Tom Donahoe, the Bills’ GM from 2001-05. A Buffalo outsider, Donahoe’s epic failure was marked by personnel disasters in addition to alienating himself from the organization and the community.
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