You’ve taken the first important step to vastly improving your team, Buffalo Bills. Firing Rex Ryan wasn’t just your best move, it was your only move. Like wrapping up a chess game when all you have left is your king and a pawn. Somebody’s got to go.
But much like the philosopher poets in the band Disturbed teach us in their latest magnum opus, sometimes darkness can show you the light. So just consider me the torch bearer today.
First off, there’s the matter of a new head coach. For those of you, like me, who thought Tom Coughlin would never coach in the NFL again, the man is evidently the hot commodity for two of the three teams currently searching for a captain to guide them through the stormy NFL seas. Not only is Coughlin the apparent top choice in Buffalo, the Jaguars have already interviewed him. Who’s he going to pick? Jacksonville. I don’t see any way a man of Coughlin’s age wants to spend the last years of life standout outside in a upper New York icy hellscape when he could live in Florida with his kids. Yes, that’s right. His kids are already there.
As far as I’m concerned Coughlin is off the table. So are the young guys like Kyle Shanahan and Josh McDaniels. The Rams, unless they pull Sean Payton over from the New Orleans Saints, will hire one of those guys. My money is on Shanahan if Payton doesn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean McDaniels will automatically take the Bills as a consolation prize. There are more job openings coming.
Based on people Terry Pegula talks to regularly, top candidates for #Bills HC: Teryl Austin or Tom Coughlin with OC Anthony Lynn staying
— Jason Cole (@JasonCole62) December 27, 2016
San Diego is going to fire Mike McCoy and if I’m McDaniels, that’s my top landing spot after the Rams. And, again, if the Rams hire Payton, New Orleans is open too. They would be smart to snap up Shanahan or McDaniels, capitalizing on a rising young offensive playcaller like they did when they hired Sean Payton in the first place.
And there’s always a surprise opening too. Don’t forget that the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Chicago Bears all have legit reasons to part ways with their current head coaches. So who do I think will take over in Buffalo? Probably Darrell Bevel, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks would be my top choice. Todd Haley from the Pittsburgh Steelers could be interested too, but he’ll need assurances that the team will land (via trade, draft or free agency) a legitimate NFL quarterback. Like the Rams and the Jaguars, the Bills need an offensive-minded coach.
Anthony Lynn is the sixth #Bills head coach of my son's life. My son is 7.
— Mike Schopp (@Schopptalk) December 27, 2016
Once they’ve got the head coach sorted out, they need to look at their roster and, hooo boy, do they have some issues. What works for Rex Ryan doesn’t always work for other, more traditional coaches and there are a lot of decisions to be made. Buffalo seems to have already made one of them, benching Tyrod Taylor for this Sunday’s game and holding him out of practice. With Taylor off the roster the Bills should have $39.51 million in available cap space to upgrade their roster. And while that might look fantastic if you’re playing Madden 17, in reality we know the Bills are going to have to overpay some free agents to get them in Buffalo.
Todd Haley should be a candidate for the vacant Bills' head coaching job https://t.co/ubLPF3ClnJ
— Touchdown Wire (@TheNFLWire) December 28, 2016
Plus, the Bills have 35 pending free agents this season. That’s right, more than half the team is without a contract in 2017. The new coach may let them all walk, since of those 35 only five are starters. The biggest loss would be Stephon Gilmore, but unless the Bills want to use the franchise tag on him, he’s history.
In the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bills have a nice compliment of picks. They pick straight up at their spot in Rounds 1-3, skip round four, then have two fifth round picks, two sixth round picks and no seventh rounder.
How would I build this team? With veteran free agents and the draft. Bruce Arians depended too much on vets and didn’t invest the draft picks at quarterback and receiver he should have to keep his team rolling in Arizona, but the template for a third-tier NFL franchise is there. I’d really concentrate my efforts on solid vets from cold weather teams. They’re used to playing in the elements and will be much more willing to give Buffalo a chance, especially if you’ve got the right head coach in their ear.
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