The closer you look, the more it's crystal clear why Terry Pegula, Brandon Beane and the Bills replaced Sean McDermott with Joe Brady. We take you inside the interview process at Go Long.
This for a buffalo bills fan ties a lot of loose ends together here. I’m hoping this story gets some more traction because they’ve planted the owners and management is a bad light. But truth be told!!
Awesome story Tyler. Really appreciated the behind the scenes details of the interview process. It has to be a refreshing reset for the entire team. Leave the past behind, go play fast and loose and win the whole damn thing!
Great insight from inside the OBD board room. It appears that Beane really drove the search and hiring decision more than Pegula which is good to hear. This is now much more Beane's team and he sounds like he's owning that too. We finally have a more aggressive, offensive-minded HC who is dynamic, youthful and positive. Most importantly he appears to be a much better fit with Josh's fiercely competitive persona and I look forward to seeing the plans for the offense unfold over the next few months. The acquisition of a legitimate top tier WR1 is an essential part of the path to victory in my opinion.
All this talk about aggressive and getting nervous, when is the last time GM did something aggressive?
2020 when he traded for Diggs. Here we are 6 years later and has he done anything aggressive? He's been pretty passive. Hard to read him saying all this when he's just McDermott in a different seat.
I agree it's time for him to step up. It was obvious prior to the trade deadline that they needed WR help and that, at minimum, Jakoby Meyers could be had but that odds are you could have added AJ Brown to really put this team over the top.
Hell even the Steelers added Adam Thielen to at least try to add a bit of juice. If AJ is available you have to go after him as he is a true game changer.
Signing a 34 year old Von Miller to what looked like a huge deal, but truthfully wasn't actually that big, was mildly aggressive. Imagine if they did the exact same thing with Bosa, but for 2 more years, would we call that aggressive? Von's last double digit sack season was 4 years before he was signed with us.
Great story but still a terrible mistake hiring Brady. I’m betting that in two years we will be regretting not going with an outside hire like Kubiak or Udinsky. Beane can curse all he wants but he has to know he will be done if we don’t make a SB in 24 months.
I think there’s certainly merit to the notion that McDermott was hyper focused on controlling the narrative and messaging both inside and outside of the building. Today’s news that the organization will be ending their partnership with WGR550 signals to me that this was not solely a quirk unique to McDermott. Thankfully we have more state-sponsored media from within OBD to look forward to pregame and postgame, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into. Don’t you dare speak critically of the team!
Outstanding insight and great clarity on the Bills approach. I was actually excited to see my subscription renewal come through as it is writing JUST LIKE THIS that keeps me pumped up after the season ends.
Thanks for translating the passion we have for NFL football from the field (and team offices) to the interwebs!
Bills fans are going to eat this up. I'm not as sold on Brady as the new HC as I am the reasons McDermott got fired: no accountability, no alignment, weak game management, poor playoff defenses, and most importantly, the players lost faith that they could win it all. At least Brady and Beane seem to be saying the right things. Now they just have to do all the little things well enough to win on the margins.
There's still the question of whether the team has enough talent. Buffalo has a lot of good to very good players and not so many holes that they can't be filled in one good off-season. However, the team doesn't have many blue chippers other than Allen. Cook. A healthy Kincaid. Who else is at least a top-5 starter in this league? It's the elite talent that usually makes the difference in the playoffs.
OTOH, the freaking Patriots are going to the Super Bowl. Do they have more talent than I can see there, is elite talent overrated, or is this just a fluky year?
Vrabel taking Maye to the SB in year 1 vs McDermott failing 7 times to take Allen to the SB (with superior talent than NE has) sums up the situation perfectly for me.
Greatly appreciate you all reading.
Thank you so much.
Going to be one hell of an offseason in Orchard Park, NY.
This for a buffalo bills fan ties a lot of loose ends together here. I’m hoping this story gets some more traction because they’ve planted the owners and management is a bad light. But truth be told!!
Time to polish off an old "Marv-ism":
"If you keep listening to the fans, soon enough, you'll be sitting with them."
So what. That is just a cliche. Beane has been horrible the last two years. One of the worst GM’s of all the contending teams.
Awesome story Tyler. Really appreciated the behind the scenes details of the interview process. It has to be a refreshing reset for the entire team. Leave the past behind, go play fast and loose and win the whole damn thing!
Great insight from inside the OBD board room. It appears that Beane really drove the search and hiring decision more than Pegula which is good to hear. This is now much more Beane's team and he sounds like he's owning that too. We finally have a more aggressive, offensive-minded HC who is dynamic, youthful and positive. Most importantly he appears to be a much better fit with Josh's fiercely competitive persona and I look forward to seeing the plans for the offense unfold over the next few months. The acquisition of a legitimate top tier WR1 is an essential part of the path to victory in my opinion.
A consequential decision and the most consequential article about said decision. Great article.
All this talk about aggressive and getting nervous, when is the last time GM did something aggressive?
2020 when he traded for Diggs. Here we are 6 years later and has he done anything aggressive? He's been pretty passive. Hard to read him saying all this when he's just McDermott in a different seat.
I agree it's time for him to step up. It was obvious prior to the trade deadline that they needed WR help and that, at minimum, Jakoby Meyers could be had but that odds are you could have added AJ Brown to really put this team over the top.
Hell even the Steelers added Adam Thielen to at least try to add a bit of juice. If AJ is available you have to go after him as he is a true game changer.
Signing Von Miller was an aggressive move. It just didn't work out.
Signing a 34 year old Von Miller to what looked like a huge deal, but truthfully wasn't actually that big, was mildly aggressive. Imagine if they did the exact same thing with Bosa, but for 2 more years, would we call that aggressive? Von's last double digit sack season was 4 years before he was signed with us.
Great story but still a terrible mistake hiring Brady. I’m betting that in two years we will be regretting not going with an outside hire like Kubiak or Udinsky. Beane can curse all he wants but he has to know he will be done if we don’t make a SB in 24 months.
I think there’s certainly merit to the notion that McDermott was hyper focused on controlling the narrative and messaging both inside and outside of the building. Today’s news that the organization will be ending their partnership with WGR550 signals to me that this was not solely a quirk unique to McDermott. Thankfully we have more state-sponsored media from within OBD to look forward to pregame and postgame, if that’s the kind of thing you’re into. Don’t you dare speak critically of the team!
Now let's see Beane pull off a big trade for Jefferson or Harrison, Jr!
Such a great read! I gave my cousin a gift subscription and he subscribed after reading this. Keep it up!
Not a Bills fan but that was a great read. If Go Long's goal is to "get behind the curtains", you nailed it with that article.
Outstanding insight and great clarity on the Bills approach. I was actually excited to see my subscription renewal come through as it is writing JUST LIKE THIS that keeps me pumped up after the season ends.
Thanks for translating the passion we have for NFL football from the field (and team offices) to the interwebs!
Bills fans are going to eat this up. I'm not as sold on Brady as the new HC as I am the reasons McDermott got fired: no accountability, no alignment, weak game management, poor playoff defenses, and most importantly, the players lost faith that they could win it all. At least Brady and Beane seem to be saying the right things. Now they just have to do all the little things well enough to win on the margins.
There's still the question of whether the team has enough talent. Buffalo has a lot of good to very good players and not so many holes that they can't be filled in one good off-season. However, the team doesn't have many blue chippers other than Allen. Cook. A healthy Kincaid. Who else is at least a top-5 starter in this league? It's the elite talent that usually makes the difference in the playoffs.
OTOH, the freaking Patriots are going to the Super Bowl. Do they have more talent than I can see there, is elite talent overrated, or is this just a fluky year?
Vrabel taking Maye to the SB in year 1 vs McDermott failing 7 times to take Allen to the SB (with superior talent than NE has) sums up the situation perfectly for me.