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From ProFootballTalk Rumor Mill:
From ProFootballTalk Rumor Mill:
GRUMPY OLD MEN PUSHED MULARKEY
The talk in league circles this morning that Bills owner Ralph Wilson and new G.M. Marv Levy opted not to fire coach Mike Mularkey, but to instead bust the whipper-snapper's balls until he walked away on his own.
The reason? They wanted him out, but they didn't want to have to pay him for the final three years of his contract.
And the prime target to replace him, we're told, is former Bills Pro Bowler Jim Haslett.
Of course, there's only one minor glitch in that regard.
The Rooney Rule, which requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for each head coaching vacancy.
Maybe that's why defensive coordinator Jerry Gray wasn't fired last week with the rest of his staff. Maybe Wilson wants to interview Gray for the head coaching job . . . and then fire him. Or maybe Gray gets consideration to remain with the team as part of Haslett's staff if Gray agrees to interview for the vacancy.
And maybe that's why former Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell is also being mentioned as a possible candidate for the job.
Regardless of how anyone feels about the Rooney Rule, the reality is that it must be complied with. Wilson, however, recently shrugged off the league's stated preference that the spirit of the rule also be applied when hiring a General Manager. The only man considered for that job in Buffalo was Levy.
The other potential glitch in the Wilson and Levy plan is that Haslett is getting genuine consideration for vacancies with the Lions and the Jets, where some league insiders believe that the supposed leading candidates (Russ Grimm and Eric Mangini, respectively) really aren't. Thus, by waiting a week to clear out Mularkey in order to save a few bucks, it's possible that Wilson and Levy have made it harder (and more expensive) to get the guy they apparently want.
The talk in league circles this morning that Bills owner Ralph Wilson and new G.M. Marv Levy opted not to fire coach Mike Mularkey, but to instead bust the whipper-snapper's balls until he walked away on his own.
The reason? They wanted him out, but they didn't want to have to pay him for the final three years of his contract.
And the prime target to replace him, we're told, is former Bills Pro Bowler Jim Haslett.
Of course, there's only one minor glitch in that regard.
The Rooney Rule, which requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for each head coaching vacancy.
Maybe that's why defensive coordinator Jerry Gray wasn't fired last week with the rest of his staff. Maybe Wilson wants to interview Gray for the head coaching job . . . and then fire him. Or maybe Gray gets consideration to remain with the team as part of Haslett's staff if Gray agrees to interview for the vacancy.
And maybe that's why former Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell is also being mentioned as a possible candidate for the job.
Regardless of how anyone feels about the Rooney Rule, the reality is that it must be complied with. Wilson, however, recently shrugged off the league's stated preference that the spirit of the rule also be applied when hiring a General Manager. The only man considered for that job in Buffalo was Levy.
The other potential glitch in the Wilson and Levy plan is that Haslett is getting genuine consideration for vacancies with the Lions and the Jets, where some league insiders believe that the supposed leading candidates (Russ Grimm and Eric Mangini, respectively) really aren't. Thus, by waiting a week to clear out Mularkey in order to save a few bucks, it's possible that Wilson and Levy have made it harder (and more expensive) to get the guy they apparently want.
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