A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectified

[Night Train]

Out with the Wilson leftovers, unless the parting of the red sea occurs over the next 3 weeks and the Bills make the playoffs.

The first off-season for the Pegulas. Don't listen to the self serving Brandon babble. Get the 'to be determined' outside consultant to come in and review all the offices outside the stadium.

I completely understand that constant change isn't a good thing... but a unique situation with the sale of the Franchise just happened. A billionaire fan with the football acumen of my cat is the new owner and needs help. He sat on his hands with the Sabres and 2-3 years of competative hockey was lost. Lesson learned...we hope.

There are still too many games where we look good in spots but can't beat the good teams. Marrone doesn't seem to have a grasp of personnel on game day (ex. Hughes ) and is too loyal to a kid OC who has no business calling plays. He looks outcoached.

The player needs are obvious...QB, OG(2), various depth and strong coaching that can think quick in critical moments during the game. We have a lot of very good players, especially on the D side of the ball... so a major rebuild isn't needed.

There is no salary cap on GM's. coaches, asst. coaches, scouts etc. Show them the $$ and you won't believe the people interested in coming here. Football people are well aware of the Bills recent purchase price and know Pegula is loaded with $$. No more cheap options with limited ideas.

Sitting on our hands gets us another 5-8 win season in 2015. That won't make me want to buy tickets.

A rare opportunity knocks. Seize it.

[better days]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

Brandon is not responsible for wins & losses.

In fact since the Pagula's bought the team, Brandon has no input at all on the football side of things.

It is the HC & the Coaches under him that are responsible for wins & losses.

[Night Train]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

Although Brandon may no longer figure in future football decisions, many of his hires are all over that adm. bldg as a loyal Wilson soldier. He's going to defend his work.

Oakland wanted him as an executive and I'm hoping he leaves for that. Bills wouldn't miss him and I'm starting to view him like I did Larry Quinn with the Sabres.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

Brandon is not responsible for wins & losses.

In fact since the Pagula's bought the team, Brandon has no input at all on the football side of things.

It is the HC & the Coaches under him that are responsible for wins & losses.

Give Marrone one more year as the team has shown much improvement under him. However, the caveat is that he must fire Hackett.

[Typ0]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

The one question I have about this is how any course of events over the next three weeks should change anything? We are where we are at today and that is not going to change. We get ONE big win this week and we can easily finish 10-6. That is a lucky break or two for a change away from a win this week ... then to beat Oakland and the Partiots with their first an second string players on the bench. I will not at all be surprised to see us shut out the patriots in week 17.

If that happens....I say we go yippee and lose the following week with grace then clean house like you say. I'm sick of the agony.

[BillsImpossible]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

The one question I have about this is how any course of events over the next three weeks should change anything? We are where we are at today and that is not going to change. We get ONE big win this week and we can easily finish 10-6. That is a lucky break or two for a change away from a win this week ... then to beat Oakland and the Partiots with their first an second string players on the bench. I will not at all be surprised to see us shut out the patriots in week 17.

If that happens....I say we go yippee and lose the following week with grace then clean house like you say. I'm sick of the agony.

10-6 and you still want them all canned!! Beating Green Bay, and the Patriots who you know won't be resting anyone week 17 isn't good enough?

Tough crowd here.

If the Bills finish at 10-6, playoffs or not, they're not firing anyone.

[better days]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

10-6 and you still want them all canned!! Beating Green Bay, and the Patriots who you know won't be resting anyone week 17 isn't good enough?

Tough crowd here.

If the Bills finish at 10-6, playoffs or not, they're not firing anyone.

I agree with this post.

But I think for the Bills to finish 10-6 this year is BillsImpossible.

[YardRat]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

Brandon will leave of his own accord.
Whaley should stay, his hits outweigh his misses IMO.
Marrone I'm on the fence about, he's probably safe for another season, and I'm OK with that, but if he truly is the 'mastermind' behind some of the personnel fubars I'd rather see him leave. One factor to consider with that, though, unless Schwartz is promoted he's gone also.
Hackett needs help, or be shown the door.
Morris definitely has to go...priority #1 staff-wise should be getting a real oline coach.
I honestly thin we're one player (OG) and one ass't coach (oline) away from being a contender.

[stuckincincy]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

Brandon will leave of his own accord.
Whaley should stay, his hits outweigh his misses IMO.
Marrone I'm on the fence about, he's probably safe for another season, and I'm OK with that, but if he truly is the 'mastermind' behind some of the personnel fubars I'd rather see him leave. One factor to consider with that, though, unless Schwartz is promoted he's gone also.
Hackett needs help, or be shown the door.
Morris definitely has to go...priority #1 staff-wise should be getting a real oline coach.
I honestly thin we're one player (OG) and one ass't coach (oline) away from being a contender.

I can see some FO folks being axed as the usual course of business when a company gets purchased from an outside buyer - he certainly isn't going to gut all positions. Coaches...dunno. The club is still in the hunt at the 2nd week in December. I'd think those decisions come after top FO position changes. And there is contract $ buyout costs to eat for many of those.

[better days]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

I can see some FO folks being axed as the usual course of business when a company gets purchased from an outside buyer - he certainly isn't going to gut all positions. Coaches...dunno. The club is still in the hunt at the 2nd week in December. I'd think those decisions come after top FO position changes. And there is contract $ buyout costs to eat for many of those.

We are talking about Terry & Kim, not Ralph.

I doubt they are concerned about eating some dead salary money.

I'm pretty sure that is a tax write off that the Pegulas would be happy about.

[YardRat]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

IMO some are extremely over-confident about the amount of money they expect the Pegula's to continue to invest in the team. They already over-paid for the franchise out of pocket, and obviously are moving forward with stadium plans that are most likely going to require another large investment. They certainly have a fat bank account, but consistently pouring tens (or hundreds) of millions of dollars into an investment from the personal stash without eventually getting a financial return to overcome the burden is a good way to go broke, regardless of how much one starts out with.

Is there any evidence to dismiss the notion that the tear-down of the Sabres wasn't financially motivated to go cheap for a few years to recoup some poor spending early on, as opposed to the widely-held belief that it's all about what happens on the ice, and 'building a winner the right way'?

[better days]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

IMO some are extremely over-confident about the amount of money they expect the Pegula's to continue to invest in the team. They already over-paid for the franchise out of pocket, and obviously are moving forward with stadium plans that are most likely going to require another large investment. They certainly have a fat bank account, but consistently pouring tens (or hundreds) of millions of dollars into an investment from the personal stash without eventually getting a financial return to overcome the burden is a good way to go broke, regardless of how much one starts out with.

Is there any evidence to dismiss the notion that the tear-down of the Sabres wasn't financially motivated to go cheap for a few years to recoup some poor spending early on, as opposed to the widely-held belief that it's all about what happens on the ice, and 'building a winner the right way'?

Like I said, expenses are a tax write off.

[Typ0]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

10-6 and you still want them all canned!! Beating Green Bay, and the Patriots who you know won't be resting anyone week 17 isn't good enough?

Tough crowd here.

If the Bills finish at 10-6, playoffs or not, they're not firing anyone.

Because the game management isn't there. Too many bad decisions over and over and over again. I like Marrone a lot but he is not good on gameday and that is required of the head coach. The timing and use of the clock is a critical factor in the play. Last week he didn't even know our best player wasn't on the field to do something about it. He's just not sharp enough about what's going on out there I'm sorry to say and that's not going to change. Why prolong the agony and wait until it just makes things worse?

[GreedoII]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

Brandon is not responsible for wins & losses.

In fact since the Pagula's bought the team, Brandon has no input at all on the football side of things.

It is the HC & the Coaches under him that are responsible for wins & losses.

You're fooling yourself if you believe that. it's his coach and his decisions more than you realize....

Marrone can stay if he gets rid of that clueless dolt Hackett as well as the O-line coach.

[better days]

Re: A Football Team With A Front Office Problem - This Off-Season, It Can Be Rectifie

You're fooling yourself if you believe that. it's his coach and his decisions more than you realize....

Marrone can stay if he gets rid of that clueless dolt Hackett as well as the O-line coach.

Brandon did have imput on that when Ralph owned the team.

He no longer does. He is the marketing/business exec under Pegula & I will be surprised if he gets fired from that job.

I would prefer to see Marron fired myself. But at the least, Hackett & the OL Coach need to be fired.