DON’T GET ME STARTED reads and hears how the Buffalo Bills will be on the sidelines when the NFL free agents begin searching for teams. The Bills have serious salary cap problems.
Art Wander
I watched a pair of teams over the past year, the Bills and Eagles, to see how they were going to get into the playoffs and, hopefully, to the Super Bowl.
The Buffalo Bills selected Rex Ryan as coach; he changed a top rated defense into mush; his won-lost record was worse than the year before. His big entrance into Western New York brought promises and hope. He brought in a slew of his buddies from the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens. Rex Ryan’s Bills gave new meaning to “penalties.” Ryan then hired his brother to be the assistant head coach/defense.
We could go on and on with other moves that certainly have fans scratching tneir heads with many predicting a 5-11 season, especially if tackle Glenn and guard Incognito bolt to other teams.
Then I watched the moves by the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite having a winning record in his couple years, Chip Kelly was dismissed. The Eagles then made some daring moves.
First, unlike in Buffalo, the Eagles decided on an offense minded head coach and whisked Doug Pederson from his position as offensive coordinator with Kansas City and made him the head coach in Philadelphia. The first thing that Pederson did was bring in former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in the same position. Immediately, Schwartz said his Eagles will go to a 4-3 defense – something that Ryan changed in Buffalo.
A year ago Bills fans were hopeful that maybe the Pegulas and Russ Brandon would bring in an offensive mind, like Frank Reich, as head coach but – no – they gave it to Ryan with a huge contract.
Pederson then went west to pluck the former Bills great Reich to be his offensive coordinator. Bills fans, familiar with Schwartz and Reich certainly feel that Pederson really made good moves.
NOW……..the Philadelphia Eagles draft in the 13th position in the NFL draft. And several mock drafts have the Eagles taking Paxton Lynch with their first pick. Lynch, 6’7″ 245 pounds with a rocket arm, accuracy and great mobility. It would be a battle between Bradford and Lynch for the starting position if they, indeed, draft Lynch.
The Eagles Pederson then hired some top assistant coaches giving Eagles fans the hope, joy, and the probability that they will win the NFC East and advance in the playoffs.
I wish that these moves could have been made by the Bills but it didn’t happen. I feel that at the end of the 2016 season, Bills fans will be saying, “Why couldn’t that be us” on Don’t Get Me Started/
Filed under: Don't Get Me Started
Tagged with: Buffalo Bills, Doug Pederson, Frank reich, Jim Schwartz, Philadelphia Eagles, Russ Brandon, Terry Pegula
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