Prediction: Holmgren is coming in

[Mudflap1]

I have a hunch. Let's see what happens. I think Holmgren is brought in as GM to run football operations, ala what Parcells is doing in Miami. Just throwing it out there.

[Demon]

He'll be hired by Cleveland by the weekend, i think.

[Pinkerton Security]

I have a hunch. Let's see what happens. I think Holmgren is brought in as GM to run football operations, ala what Parcells is doing in Miami. Just throwing it out there.

i know Holmgren might not be the most popular option but he has accomplished more in his career than all of the people currently working for the Bills combined.

[BillsWin]

Russ is said to be after a good football mind to run football operations so could be that we get in a bidding war with the Browns.

[kernowboy]

Holmgren has been a failure when asked to undertake a GM role

[RockStar36]

Holmgren has been a failure when asked to undertake a GM role

Wasn't he also the coach though? Maybe if he were just the GM he would serve the role a little better.

[Mudflap1]

Holmgren has been a failure when asked to undertake a GM role

GM AND Head Coach role. That is hard to pull of at the same time. You really need to pick one or the other. There aren't enough hours in a day to do both jobs.

[Mr. Pink]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Cleveland-Browns-owner-talking-to-Mike-Holmgren-?urn=nfl,203302

"Jim Brown, who is an executive advisor to the club, kind of spilled the beans at a luncheon yesterday when he told the crowd that Lerner was interviewing somebody right then for the job: "At this moment, right now Randy Lerner is meeting with one of the great football minds in this country," he said. "And if things work out, that person will come in to run the football side of the Browns." When someone asked if it was Holmgren, Brown supposedly said, 'You said it ... and I heard it.' "

[mybills]

I have a hunch. Let's see what happens. I think Holmgren is brought in as GM to run football operations, ala what Parcells is doing in Miami. Just throwing it out there.
Be careful making predictions, a Pats fan will call you an idiot if you do.
:D

[Mudflap1]

We all know Cleveland is interested. There are some issues there though. One, you have to deal with Eric Mangini. Cleveland owes something like $20 million to past GMs and coaches not on the staff. If you fire Mangini, you add to that. Mangini doesn't get along with everyone. So Holmgren will probably be encouraged to try to work with Mangini. Plus, with all of the back pay owed, that's less money to be offered to Holmgren.

On the plus side for the Bills, they have no head coach, so Holmgren can have the run of the place. Also, depending on what Dick's buyout ultimately is, he will be owed a heck of a lot less than what Cleveland owes its backpay guys. So if Ralph is serious about spending money, he probably can go toe to toe or beat Cleveland.

Also, if something really is going down today, then maybe Holmgren interviewed yesterday with Cleveland, and is in Buffalo today?

[Mudflap1]

Be careful making predictions, a Pats fan will call you an idiot if you do.
:D

Someone who cheers for a franchise of cheaters shouldn't be calling anybody out.

[kelly2reed4six]

Holmgren has been a failure when asked to undertake a GM role

He went to the superbowl, and should have won if not for a terrible officiating. I wouldn't call that a failure. And besides, we have had Williams, Mularkey, and Jauron as our coaches for the past decade; as well as Donahoe, Levi, and NOONE as our GM for the past decade.

Beggars cannot be choosers!

[Captain gameboy]

I believe that Holmgren is known to be a very, very difficult guy to work for, so it may impact assistants.

I have that from a friend who's best friend/college roomy was an assistant of his.

[trapezeus]

now we need to get our limo contacts all squared away because holmgren's limo, cowher's limo, gruden's limo are all inevitably going to be spotted. ;-)

[Mad Bomber]

He went to the superbowl, and should have won if not for a terrible officiating. I wouldn't call that a failure.

Exactly.

[Night Train]

The great Mike Holmgren as GM in Seattle 1999-2002, was so bad the President stripped him of those duties. He had Ron Wolf as his GM in Green Bay, when he won a SB as a coach.

The Seattle drafts under Holmgren, as written by Scout.com

Year 1999
RD 1 - Lamar King (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1308977) DE
RD 3 - Brock Huard
RD 3 - Karsten Bailey (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1975124)
RD 4 - Antonio Cochran (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=2241060)
RD 5 - Floyd Wedderburn (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=293075)
RD 5 - Charlie Rogers (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1150770)
RD 6 - Steve Johnson
Free Agents: Michael Sinclair - Resigned
Trades: James McKnight - 3rd Rd Pick
Record: 9-7
Year 2000
RD 1 - Shaun Alexander
RD 1 - Chris McIntosh
RD 2 - Ike Charlton (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3916152)
RD 3 - Darrell Jackson
RD 4 - Marcus Bell (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1751536)
RD 4 - Isiah Kacyvenski
RD 6 - James Williams
RD 6 - Tim Watson
RD 6 - John Hilliard
Free Agents: S Reggie Tongue, C Robbie Tobeck (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=2355671) (doesn't play until 2001, IR), MLB George Koonce
Trades: Joey Galloway - two 1st round picks, Ahman Green (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3661728) for Fred Vinson
Other Moves: FA Phillip Daniels signs with Bears, FA Sam Adams signs with Ravens, PK Todd Peterson Released.
Record: 6-10
Year 2001
RD 1 - Koren Robinson
RD 1 - Steve Hutchinson (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3642892)
RD 2 - Ken Lucas (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3662044)
RD 3 - Heath Evans (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3694715)
RD 4 - Orlando Huff
RD 4 - Curtis Fuller (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1600692)
RD 4 - Floyd Womack (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3733244)
RD 5 - Alex Bannister (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=2973764)
RD 6 - Josh Booty
RD 7 - Harold Blackmon
RD 7 - Dennis Norman (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3690053)
RD 7 Kris Kocurek (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=291902)
Free Agents: DT John Randle (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1444862), DT Chad Eaton (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=1600610), LB Levon Kirkland (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=307821), S Marcus Robertson (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=293063), QB Trent Dilfer (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=2985226), WR Bobby Engram (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3564449).
Trades: Matt Hasselbeck (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3564466) - 3rd & swap 1st
Other Moves: S Jay Bellamy Released, FA Jon Kitna (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3698765) signs with Bengals, DT Cortez Kennedy Released, FA Pete Kendall (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3672160) Signs with Falcons.
Record: 9-7
Year 2002
RD 1 - Jeremy Stevens
RD 2 - Maurice Morris (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3565324)
RD 2- Anton Palepoi
RD 3 - Kris Richard (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3400305)
RD 4 - Terreal Bierra
RD 5 - Rocky Bernard (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3564441)
RD 5 - Ryan Hannam (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=2492777)
RD 5 - Matt Hill
RD 6 - Craig Jarrett
RD 7 - Jeff Kelly (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=3885378)
Free Agents: CB Doug Evans (http://sea.scout.com/a.z?s=114&p=8&c=1&nid=319120), DL Brandon Mitchell, QB Ryan Leaf, QB Mark Rypien, RT Jerry Wunsch, QB Jeff George, RT Chris Terry (waivers), LB DD Lewis.
Trades: Brock Huard - 4th round pick.
Other Moves: DE Sinclair Released, MLB Kirkland Released.
Record: 7-9

The Draft
Mike Holmgren ranks as one of the worst GM's for drafting during the 1999 to 2002 seasons (see rankings below). It is widely accepted that players drafted during the first round should be at least starters on a team. The second and third rounds should provide needed depth and an occasional starter. Rounds 4 through 7 are typically unpredictable, but most assume that it is a "bonus" if any player drafted past round 3 makes the team.

Holmgren drafted 38 players during his GM years, with 6 first round picks. Of those 38 players, only 5 became consistent productive starters - Shaun Alexander, Darrell Jackson, Steve Hutchinson, Ken Lucas, and Rocky Bernard. Obviously, trying to rank the rest of the drafted players has an element of subjectivity. It would appear that the Seahawks produced a total of 8 productive draft picks (players making a significant contribution for their team, for a significant period of time), during the four years in question. This number should be much higher, especially considering the 6 first round picks. Of the 6 first round draft picks, only 2 (Alexander and Hutchinson) became consistent productive starters.