Thurman Thomas on who are next DC will be

[BillsWin]

According to Thuman Thomas' twitter it will be either Jim Bates or Gunther Cunningham.

[NOT THE DUDE...]

id rather have gunther cunningham but i want a 34 defense, or at least a true nt...

[Dr. Pepper]

so it wont be either of them.

[hydro]

Gunther wasn't too happy about our former coaching staff after running up the score against KC. Guess he won't hold that against the Bills organization.

[The Spaz]

Can't deny Gunthers passion for the game but his game calling is suspect.

[BillsWin]

I've heard Gunther is insanely animated at practice and on the sidelines. Heard he is an angry man.

[justasportsfan]

According to a September 16, 1996 Sports Illustrated article titled "The Beat Goes On", Gunther holds the unofficial NFL record for most times the word "****" was used in a 40-minute practice. The record stands at 118 times.

[BoyILuvLoznStupidly]

According to Thuman Thomas' twitter it will be either Jim Bates or Gunther Cunningham.


He was guessing

<LI id=status_8042496007 class="hentry u-thurmanthomas status hover" done351="24" jQuery1264125450990="21" done193="24" done45="155" done44="155" done43="155" done42="160" done41="155" done40="160" done39="155" done15="155" done14="155" done13="155" done10="155" done7="155" done11="19" nodeIndex="19">
<LI id=status_8042496007 class="hentry u-thurmanthomas status hover" done351="24" jQuery1264125450990="21" done193="24" done45="155" done44="155" done43="155" done42="160" done41="155" done40="160" done39="155" done15="155" done14="155" done13="155" done10="155" done7="155" done11="19" nodeIndex="19"> (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/) (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/)
@ (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/)DraytonFlorence (http://twitter.com/DraytonFlorence) my guess wld be Jim Bates or Gunther cunningham (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/)about 4 hours ago (http://twitter.com/thurmanthomas/status/8042496007)from (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/)Echofon (http://echofon.com/) (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/)in reply to DraytonFlorence (http://twitter.com/DraytonFlorence/status/8041765389) <LI id=status_8042496007 class="hentry u-thurmanthomas status hover" done351="24" jQuery1264125450990="21" done193="24" done45="155" done44="155" done43="155" done42="160" done41="155" done40="160" done39="155" done15="155" done14="155" done13="155" done10="155" done7="155" done11="19" nodeIndex="19"> (http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/)

[BillsWin]

haha nice stat there. I guess he really is an angry man.

[BILLSROCK1212]

so is this a guess or fact??....i want gunther either way, hopefully he brings derrick johnson with him...he'd also be good for us with kawika cas he either developed him or thinks nothing of him so we'll have that problem solved

[patmoran2006]

I dont have any real information on either of them in regards to the job.

From a personal perspective, IF true (and I have doubts) I really hope its not Bates.

Bates is going to equal a lot more of the same, I promise with the exception of maybe a little beef up front.

Bates LOVES and I mean LOVES speedy undersized LBs

[Michael82]

:rofl: I love that stat! We have needed that. Practice is too quiet lately. :(

[Mike in Syracuse]

I dont have any real information on either of them in regards to the job.

From a personal perspective, IF true (and I have doubts) I really hope its not Bates.

Bates is going to equal a lot more of the same, I promise with the exception of maybe a little beef up front.

Bates LOVES and I mean LOVES speedy undersized LBs

Pat,

Can you help me understand where you're coming from when you say this? When you say Bates "LOVES speedy undersized LBs" where are you getting that from.

For me, I think all the talk of Tampa 2, Cover 2, 4-3, 3-4, 4-6 etc... is irrelevant if the defense takes care of their assignments and actually plays the way it's supposed to. Every variant of every defensive alignment has won a championship so why is one preferable? Are smaller, faster LB's really worse than huge slow LB's?

Not to mention we don't have half the personnel to run a 3-4 :(

[WeAreArthurMoates]

so it wont be either of them.

Hahaha, I thought the same.

[Raptor]

I dont have any real information on either of them in regards to the job.

From a personal perspective, IF true (and I have doubts) I really hope its not Bates.

Bates is going to equal a lot more of the same, I promise with the exception of maybe a little beef up front.

Bates LOVES and I mean LOVES speedy undersized LBs


I dont think it will be the same, Bates defense is really nothing like what we are running now

[casdhf]

Speedy, undersized LBs are ok, as long as we have some big bodies to keep the lineman off them.

[Michael82]

I dont think it will be the same, Bates defense is really nothing like what we are running now

No, but it helps that we have most of the pieces. Someone posted this on Buffalo Range...


This is basically what you need for the Bates defense

-2 run stuffing DT's who's primary goal is
+Stop the run first and foremost
+Stop the QB from stepping up into the pocket
+Occupy as many blocker as possible to free up blitzers and let the DE's get one on ones
+This defense expects little to zero pass rush from its DT's

-Speed rushers at the DE spot that can get pressure from the outside, beat one on ones, push him down to the waiting DT's, or flush him out(i.e. Jason Taylor in Miami)

-Speed and size at the OLB spot. These guys have to be good blitzers and have to be able to cover a lot of ground as the main goal is for them to push running plays back to the inside to the ILB

-ILB must be a very good tackler as a lot of the running plays will be pushed to him

-CB's must have good man on man skills and must be able to tackle

-S's pretty standard requirements

[patmoran2006]

Pat,

Can you help me understand where you're coming from when you say this? When you say Bates "LOVES speedy undersized LBs" where are you getting that from.

For me, I think all the talk of Tampa 2, Cover 2, 4-3, 3-4, 4-6 etc... is irrelevant if the defense takes care of their assignments and actually plays the way it's supposed to. Every variant of every defensive alignment has won a championship so why is one preferable? Are smaller, faster LB's really worse than huge slow LB's?

Not to mention we don't have half the personnel to run a 3-4 :(


I have never thought we were going to run a 3-4 defense, despite what Gailey said at the press conference.

I hope that we do, I really do and I certainly don't know anything more about our DC seach than of you do, it's just my opinion.

The reason? Our offense is already such a reclamation project I can't fathom him making our defense the same.

If we switched to a 3-4, you're talking about needing at the minimum one DT, one DE and at least OLB, and that's assuming Maybin is good enough to start at LB.

Combine that with the offense when you need at the very least a LT, WR and very possibly a QB, that's an awful lot to have to go out and get and/or draft.

If we switched to a 3-4 tomorrow, you can say goodbye to Keslay, Schobel and Stroud on the DL. Williams could play DE in a 3-4 but Kelsay and Schobel are woefully undersized to play end there, and Stroud isn't a 3-4 DT and never has been.

At LB you can put Poz and Mitchell inside, ASSUMING Mitchell gets back to 100% and hopefully Maybin at one of the spot.. The fourth is flexible as Poz or Mitchell could be moved outside if we found a good inside guy.

I just see that as an awful lot of extra building. But having said that, I would do it in a second as this team is no "one year" fix.

As for Bates, from what I've heard he is a stickler to his scheme, and cover two of base 4-3, LBs like Keith Ellison fit him perfectly.

I don't want that.

[CoolBreeze]

I have never thought we were going to run a 3-4 defense, despite what Gailey said at the press conference.

I hope that we do, I really do and I certainly don't know anything more about our DC seach than of you do, it's just my opinion.

The reason? Our offense is already such a reclamation project I can't fathom him making our defense the same.

If we switched to a 3-4, you're talking about needing at the minimum one DT, one DE and at least OLB, and that's assuming Maybin is good enough to start at LB.

Combine that with the offense when you need at the very least a LT, WR and very possibly a QB, that's an awful lot to have to go out and get and/or draft.

If we switched to a 3-4 tomorrow, you can say goodbye to Keslay, Schobel and Stroud on the DL. Williams could play DE in a 3-4 but Kelsay and Schobel are woefully undersized to play end there, and Stroud isn't a 3-4 DT and never has been.

At LB you can put Poz and Mitchell inside, ASSUMING Mitchell gets back to 100% and hopefully Maybin at one of the spot.. The fourth is flexible as Poz or Mitchell could be moved outside if we found a good inside guy.

I just see that as an awful lot of extra building. But having said that, I would do it in a second as this team is no "one year" fix.

As for Bates, from what I've heard he is a stickler to his scheme, and cover two of base 4-3, LBs like Keith Ellison fit him perfectly.

I don't want that.

I don't think Poz or Mitchell are quick enough to play OLB in 3-4. I am wondering if Maybin could play LB, why didn't he this yr? I think Scott would be a better LB in a 3-4 compared to Maybin. Maybe he can't. I think Kelsay would be ok (not great), but I agree most of the D-Line would not fit in that system. If a switch to 3-4 is made, then the #1 pick must be someone like Terrance Cody. It all starts with the NT. Green Bay is the best example. B.J. Raji is a beast.

[patmoran2006]

Isn't Cody projected to be a top three pick?

[Jaybird]

I don't think Poz or Mitchell are quick enough to play OLB in 3-4. I am wondering if Maybin could play LB, why didn't he this yr? I think Scott would be a better LB in a 3-4 compared to Maybin. Maybe he can't. I think Kelsay would be ok (not great), but I agree most of the D-Line would not fit in that system. If a switch to 3-4 is made, then the #1 pick must be someone like Terrance Cody. It all starts with the NT. Green Bay is the best example. B.J. Raji is a beast.

B.J. Raji did not play Nt for the packers this season. He was playing DE!

[Jaybird]

Isn't Cody projected to be a top three pick?

NO chance. At least 3 better DT in the draft If not more. Cody is a run stuffer and thats about it. He wont penetrate much and he won't be on the field in obvious passing situations.

[Ickybaluky]

According to Thuman Thomas' twitter it will be either Jim Bates or Gunther Cunningham.

I guess he doesn't realize that Cunningham already is DC for the Detroit Lions. I doubt they would be willing to let him leave after a season for a lateral move.

[CoolBreeze]

Isn't Cody projected to be a top three pick?

Most mocks have him from 12-28. Most have it going Clausen, Suh, Eric Berry, Bradford, McCoy, Davis, Baluga, Trent Williams and McClain as the top 9. I think Cody is a top 3 pick, but that's me. Most mocks I've seen have us taking either Davis or Baluga. All of them before Gailey hire

[Michael82]

I guess he doesn't realize that Cunningham already is DC for the Detroit Lions. I doubt they would be willing to let him leave after a season for a lateral move.

Maybe he meant this guy....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clancy_Pendergast

[CoolBreeze]

B.J. Raji did not play Nt for the packers this season. He was playing DE!

I pretty sure he played quite a bit of NT. Packers DE Johnny Jolly and Cullen Jenkins, Justin Harrell, and Jarius Wynn. Pickett was NT as well. There was quite a bit of rotation, so I'm sure he played some DE.

[CoolBreeze]

NO chance. At least 3 better DT in the draft If not more. Cody is a run stuffer and thats about it. He wont penetrate much and he won't be on the field in obvious passing situations.

The job of a NT in 3-4 is to suck up 2-3 OL, and stop the run. Freeing up LB's. If he does get into the backfield, that's a bonus.

[patmoran2006]

NO chance. At least 3 better DT in the draft If not more. Cody is a run stuffer and thats about it. He wont penetrate much and he won't be on the field in obvious passing situations.

Yeah my bad.

I was thinking of McCoy

[WeAreArthurMoates]

Maybe he meant this guy....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clancy_Pendergast

Ya definatly think he meant Clancy, and if it was between the two I'd go Clancy.

[HopefulBillsFan]

so it wont be either of them.

QFT! LMFAO


I want Gunther though.

[Ickybaluky]

Ya definatly think he meant Clancy, and if it was between the two I'd go Clancy.

Really?

Because who wouldn't want a guy that was fired as DC by two head coaches in less than a year.

[Demon]

Jim Bates interviewing with the Bills --


RT @drocksthaparty (http://twitter.com/drocksthaparty): Jim Bates is inteviewing in Buffalo for DC! http://bit.ly/7oBt8g according to 1090 in SD

Per Adam Schefter twitter

http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter

[NorthCarBills]

I've heard Gunther is insanely animated at practice and on the sidelines. Heard he is an angry man.

LOL I think it was one of those Hard Knock shows on HBO ... maybe the Chefs. Anyway, he was a part of that team and man is he a crazy, foul mouth SOB. Funny as hell and those yellow glasses always gave him an extra stigma of mystery!

[streetkings01]

Why would anyone want Gunther Cunningham? His defenses haven't been good since the mid 90's.....the Lions(2009) and Chiefs(2008) had some of the worst defenses in the NFL!