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Wild First Week Of The Offseason As Marrone Quits
Marrone Didn't Like Watkins Pick: Adam Schefter reported on ESPN this morning that the discontent between Doug Marrone and the front office began during the draft. Marrone reportedly was unhappy with trading up for Sammy Watkins. He only wanted to give up next year's first round pick for a quarterback. He reportedly either walked or stormed out on draft day when they made the move. Jason LaCanfora reports that Marrone is a heavy favorite to land with the Jets. He interviewed there yesterday.
Coaching News: Adam Schefter reports a new name as a candidate for the Bills job as the team reportedly has asked permission to speak to Lions DC Teryl Austin. Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports reports the Pegulas still want to bring in a football czar but the short term plan is to get a head coach. He also reports that the Bills are meeting with Seahawks DC Dan Quinn today, there were reports they were going to meet with him last night. The Bills reportedly denied the Redskins permission to talk to Jim Schwartz about the same position in Washington. Others on the Bills list of potential candidates so far include Frank Reich who they are reportedly interviewing today, Broncos OC Adam Gase, Seahwawks OC Derrell Bevell, Patriots OC Josh McDaniel, Mike Shanahan, Bengals OC Hue Jackson, Colts OC Pep Hamilton, and Schwartz. There were reports they were going to meet with Bevell this weekend as well. The window to interview Seahawk coaches end tomorrow. The Bills will have a small window to interview Jackson or Hamilton next week if their team advances to the next round. Reports say McDaniels is not likely to interview with the Bills since he wouldn't want to go to a division rival. We have a handy coaching search tracker box on our homepage.
Saturday January 3, 2015
Colts OC, Shanahan In The Mix: The Bills coaching search gets underway in earnest this weekend. The latest news according to Adam Schefter, is that they have asked permission to speak to Colts OC Pep Hamilton and are in the process of setting up an interview with Mike Shanahan. The team reportedly is interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase Seahawks DC Dan Quinn today and they also reportedly will sit down with Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell today as well. The interview with Frank Reich takes place Sunday in San Diego and may want to speak to Rex Ryan. They also checked in with Bill Cowher who said he's not returning to coaching. They have reportedly asked permission to speak to Josh McDaniel, Jim Schwartz is expected to be a candidate as well. Check out the coaching search tracker on the right side of the homepage.
Friday January 2, 2015
Other Coaching Candidates Emerge: Mike Rodak of ESPN reports that the Bills have seeked permission to speak to Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reports that Terry and Kim Pegula will join Russ Brandon and Doug Whaley in the interviews for the next head coach. The new coach whoever he is will report directly to Terry Pegula according to Graham. Adam Schefter reports they will interview Quinn on Saturday night. Many reports say they will interview Frank Reich in San Diego on Sunday before he meets with the Jets. The Bills are also reportedly interested in speaking with Rex Ryan about the job.
Dareus, Mario Honored: Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams were each named first team All-Pros by the Associated Press. Kyle Williams and Jerry Hughes also received votes as the entire Bills defensive line received strong consideration.
Whaley Leading Search: Tim Graham of the Buffalo News is reporting that GM Doug Whaley is leading the coaching search and the team will interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase on Saturday. Whaley leading the search is interesting, it likely means his job is safe and it may mean they have given up bringing in a football czar. They have reportedly asked permission to speak to Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Many feel he is the favorite to land the job but that was also when Bill Polian was expected to come. Graham also reports that Jim Schwartz is a candidate for the job as well which will make sense. To keep up with the coaching search check out our tracker box on the right side of the homepage.
What Just Happened? Tony Bogyo tries to make heads and tails of what happened on New Year's Eve that led to Doug Marrone opting out of his contract. Where do the Bills go from here? Fans are definitely feeling dazed and confused with the latest news coming out of One Bills Drive. Complete Story.
Thursday January 1, 2015
Bills In The Coaching Search: Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the Bills have now started their search for a coach to replace Doug Marrone. They have reportedly asked the Broncos for permission to speak with their highly soughted offensive coordinator Adam Gase. To keep up with the coaching search check out our tracker box on the right side of our homepage.
Polian Not Coming: 24 hours ago it was a forgone conclusion that Bill Polian was coming on board to run the football operations. That was before Doug Marrone got involved and trashed the organization on his way out the door. Polian informed the Pegulas that he is staying at ESPN and will not be joining the Bills. Sources told Tim Graham of the Buffalo News that Polian was all set to join the team until talking to Marrone who helped talk him out of joining the team. Polian told Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News that the job changed and that is why he did not take it. Instead of it being something fun and light it turned into a heavy lifting job that would include a coaching search and perhaps the redevelopment of a scouting staff.
Front Office Page Launched! We have launched our 2015 Front Office Page! It is your one stop shopping for all the transactions, contract signings, free agent lists, and other moves the Bills will make this year. Front Office Page.
More Reports About Polian: Jason LaCanfora reports for CBS Sports that Bill Polian will indeed be coming back to Buffalo as a football czar/president but it will not happen or be announced until the end of January. The general feeling is he wants to wait until after the Hall of Fame voting to not hinder his chances of getting in. He is on the ballot in the new contributor category and is expected to have a good chance at getting in this year. If Polian is coming back that leads to the speculation that Frank Reich will be the next head coach. Besides his connections to the Bills from playing here for a decade, he also has very strong ties with Polian. Most reports cite the uncertainty of the front office structure as the reason for Doug Marrone to quit. Reports also say that he was very unahppy with the Buffalo media asking if he should be brought back after beating the Packers. The CBS report also says that Buddy Nix will not get a new contract. He is still with the team as a consultant and that contract expires soon.
Wednesday December 31, 2014
Marrone Opts Out: Doug Marrone is no longer the head coach of the Buffalo Bills. He took advantage of his opt out clause and has ended his contract. Terry Pegula released this statement, "we are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization, we thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives. We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans." Word came almost immediately that the Jets are interested in hiring Marrone. Frank Reich is reportedly at the head of the line to replace him. Adam Schefter reports Marrone walks away with 2015 salary of $4 Million and there is no pay back if he signs with another team. ESPN reports that Marrone was negotiating a contract extension and had two years left on his current deal. He was concerned about the uncertainty over potential organizational changes and that reportedly influenced his decision.
Bills Sign Two More: The Bills signed two more players to reserve/futures contracts bringing the total to 12 new contracts given out since the season ended. The newest Bills are former Canisius basketball player Chris Manhertz and former UB fullback Corey Knox. Manhertz is an intriguing signing who projects as a tight end in the NFL. He was with the Bills for a tryout last spring. Knox played for the University of Buffalo back in 2011.
Tuesday December 30, 2014
Bills Make Futures Signings: The Bills took care of some bookkeeping yesterday by signing 10 players to reserve/futures contracts. They signed the entire practice squad with the exception of DE Ikponmwosa Igbinosun who is now a free agent. WR Caleb Holley who was on the practice squad injured reserve list was also signed to a futures contract.
Winning Season Not Cause For Celebration: Tony Bogyo breaks down where the Bills go from here after winning the finale against the Patriots. You would think he would be excited after the first winning record in 10 years but Tony is more depressed than ever with the prospects of finding a franchise quarterback. Complete Story.
Monday December 29, 2014
End Of Season Press Conference: Doug Whaley and Doug Marrone held a season ending press conference this afternoon. Both men said they were surprised that Kyle Orton told them he was retiring today. Marrone said if he knew in advance it may have changed what he did at quarterback yesterday. Whaley says they will add one to two quarterbacks in the offseason and that they will look at EJ Manuel with a fine tooth comb to see if they can figure out if he's a franchise quarterback. The coach will look at the performance of the offense over the season and see how they can improve. He said looking at the offense takes precedence over the other units. They are done with the players now and than they will all sit down and discuss everything including the coaching staff. They will evaluate everything and it will take a couple of weeks to get all the information together. Marrone likes the offensive line and expects growth from Cyril Richardson and Cyrus Kouandjio. Whaley said he's happy with Sammy Watkins play this year and they looking for bigger and better things from him in the future. Regarding giving up the draft pick, he said there are other ways to acquire players not just the draft. The GM said he's encouraged that they took a step forward but not satisified with the results. Everyone has to strive and get better to get to the playoffs. The coach said he was hoping Orton would be back with the team next year while Whaley respects that his heart wasn't in it anymore. Whaley said the media can "assign blame" wherever they want for the EJ Manuel pick but it was an organization decision. The GM said they will do everything they can to re-sign both Jerry Hughes and C.J. Spiller they like the offensive weapon that Spiller is.
Orton Retires: Kyle Orton has informed the Bills that he has announced his retirement from the NFL. He had a player option that he could have exercised to make the Bills make the decision on his future. The announcement allows him to leave under his own terms and forces the Bills to do what fans want them to do, search for a new quarterback. In a statement released on the team's website Orton said, “I just have been going at it for 10 years and it’s just a family decision and I’ve decided to get home and be a dad and call it a day. I think I’ve been away from my parents since going to college, so 14 years,” he said. “Anytime you have a chance to end on a good note and go home and spend time with family that’s really important to me and my wife and we’re just excited to move on.”
Marrone Has Out Clause: Pro Football Talk reports that Doug Marrone has in out clause in his contract that he is not expected to activate. He reportedly has three days to decide if he wants to terminate his contract. This clause was put in by him in the event of an ownership change. The report also says that Marrone is expected back with the Bills in 2015 as the Pegulas reportedly want him to return.
2015 Opponents: Now that the regular season is over we now knew who the Bills will play and where just not when yet. Besides the usual home and away games with their division rivals the Bills will host Indianapolis, Houston, Cincinnati, Dallas, and the N.Y. Giants. They will travel to play Washington, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Tennessee, and they will play Jacksonville in London.
Locker Cleanout Day: The players got back to Buffalo last night and will have an early visit to the office today. There is no victory Monday when the season ends as players, coaches, and media will gather at One Bills Drive at 8:30am for locker cleanout day. The players will meet with the coaches and get instructions as we head into the offseason.
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