I like the change to Russ but I do take a lot of his talk with a grain of salt

[X-Era]

Remember Russ announcing the trade for Stroud and the signing of Spencer Johnson? I remember him saying that the signing of Spencer Johnson shows the commitment that the Bills have to winning... the caliber of player... Signing a career backup shows the commitment? When he started talking tough on the podium yesterday I couldn't help but flashback to that.

He's a salesman. That's what he does. I don't fault him for it. It's a good thing when you're the head of a team that needs to sell the community and fans that you're a viable NFL team.

But, if he wants to have fans seriously believe it's a new day, you show it with the Head Coach you hire.

You don't come out of the "new" gate and hire a retread like Whisenhunt and sign a retread like Alex Smith. Could it work? Sure. But is that how you will convince the fans you're serious?

Cowher, Gruden... And then you let them get a guy. If Cowher or Gruden gets Alex Smith I feel a helluva lot better than if Whisenhunt does.

Make a splash, show the fans you're for real. Get the big namer to bring legitimacy back to this team.

[RedEyE]

I agree with this X. I honestly don't trust him any farther than I can throw him. I do believe he has the organizations best interest at heart in making this a thriving money making franchise. I don't, however, believe his interests and ideas will make this a winning franchise. But, if this is what it ultimately takes to get Wilson out of the decision making process and eliminate him from meddling with football related decisions, then I'm forced to except it. But I do feel the same way as you do - sleazy salesman.

[BLeonard]

Agree 100%. Like I have said in other threads, who they end up hiring as Head Coach is going to tell me a lot about how much has really changed.

Brandon said "leave no stone unturned." So, I expect people like Gruden, Reid, Holmgren, Cowher, Billick and Schottenheimer (Marty) to be at least offered an interview.

If Brandon is really in charge, Ralph being "uncomfortable" with Schottenheimer shouldn't matter.

If Brandon really has "full control," then money shouldn't be an issue and neither should roster control.

If Brandon is really "good friends with Jon Gruden," as he says he is, an interview with a Super Bowl winning coach who wants to get back into coaching should be a no-brainer.

Even if you don't particularly care for some (or all) of the coaches listed above, they should all be contacted, if Brandon is really serious about "no stone unturned."

If they end up hiring a guy like Whisenhunt, Cam Cameron, or some other retread coach with no record of success, then yesterday's dog and pony show was exactly that, a show.

-Bill

[jpdex12]

Very good topic to choose for a thread after hearing the "passing of the torch" news.

I don't know whether to be happy or pissed off about this Brandon promotion. I want to be optimistic about this change but there are just too many damn red flags that pop up and the common sense of the whole situation just stinks of more BS to get us to bye in for a few more years...suckers!

Listening to Brandon's presser, he was asked in a couple different ways, "how is you running the show and calling the shots now really any different than before?" I really don't know if his answer was more BS or not. Was he just hiding the fact that Wilson still made too many of the dumb final calls on personnel the last decade and that is why we have sucked for the past 13 years or is this just a cover up for some of Brandon's poor calls and Wilson spoke to him to tell him he had one more shot before he cleans house inside the second story of OBD? Its like having a person that doesn't show a great tolerance for pain and they whimper at the slightest pain then you don't know when they are really hurt. Leaves you with that doubt either way...

I agree with some of you that the process we are seeing for the next HC hire will tell a lot. If we end up landing a big name coach with a big time contract, I know I will start to listen a little closer. If we see Russ retain LeVitre and Byrd, then I will listen even closer. These are two topics we have crapped the bed on in the last 13 years that helped us in the downward spiral. Hiring third rate coaches on the cheap and letting good FAs walk out the door to become better elsewhere. We'll know a lot more in the next few weeks. I sure didn't feel that much better only seeing Chan and his coaches shown the door. I thought we surely would have seen Whaley promoted to GM and maybe a few top croanies released.

I really would like it if one of our Buffalo reporters would do a complete story on the organizational structure and history of the Bills since the 1980's so we could see some of the footprint that led us to the pile of **** that we are as a team right now. There has never seemed to be much turnover at the top for Buffalo and maybe that is the biggest problem. You see GMs and coaches turnover but no one else. If we fail again with this latest attempt to revive Buffalo then I expect Russ, Overdorf, Littman and the rest of them should be gutted.

[Historian]

Agree 100% X.

Not holding my breath though.

We'll probably end up with St John Fisher's tight ends coach.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I agree to some degree. However we have also seen big splash signings that didn't work out. Washington tried this for years, from getting Joe Gibbs out of retirement to Steve Spurrier, from signing all the big name guys like Deion Sanders and Jeff George and Bruce Smith, and what did they have to show for?

I don't want retreads either but I don't want to get a big name guy just for the sake of the big name.

[Historian]

Agree 100% X.

Not holding my breath though.

We'll probably end up with St John Fisher's tight ends coach.

Damn....I wasn't that far off on this one.

And I was just kidding, lol!