During his annual State of the NFL news conference at the Super Bowl, Commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the NFL’s future in Toronto.  The question wasn’t specific to the Bills, but the answer may make Bills fans feel a little better about speculation that the Candadian city is trying to steal the team.

The question was specifically asked about Toronto as an expansion market or a possible spot for a relocated team.

“As you know, Toronto is a great market. The Bills are playing up there on an annual basis in a regular season game, and then every other year with a preseason game. I think we want to continue to service that market. We have great fans there. I think it’s a great city. I think they are going to be facing, and I’ve talked to some of the leadership up there, potentially a stadium issue that is going to have to be addressed. Their current stadium, as you know, is a multi-purpose stadium and has a relatively small capacity by NFL standards. So I think there are some issues that would have to be addressed up there, but it’s a great market.”

 All along, since the Bills experiment began, the Rogers Centre has been an issue.  It is not ready to host an NFL team on a full time basis.  So any talk of buying/moving the Bills will have to be tied to a new stadium.  How quickly that will happen is directly related to how long the Bills would stay in Buffalo.

I’ve said this before, even when Ralph Wilson dies, moving the Bills is not going to be quick or easy. Toronto needs a stadium.  Los Angeles needs a stadium.  Where else?  Plus, the NFL will need a lot of convincing that Buffalo is a dead market.  So relax Bills fans, at least for now.

Jabari Greer & Anthony Hargrove (AP)

There are plenty of connections to Buffalo football heading to South Florida for Super Bowl XLIV.  So local fans do have something to watch for on February 7.

No Buffalo connection will get more TV time than Saints defensive coordinator and former Bills head coach Gregg Williams.  He’s got the job of trying to stop Peyton Manning.  Williams N.O. defense is good at takeways, but not always so good at shutting teams down.  That could mean trouble against the Colts.

One of Williams’ key guys is cornerback Jabari Greer.  The former Bills undrafted free agent has been playing well.  When he was hurt late in the season, the Saints defense was bad.  He should get locked-on Reggie Wayne.

Remember Anthony Hargrove?  The troubled former Bills defensive lineman?  He’s with the Saints, playing in their rotation and playing very well.  He was a big part in beating up Brett Favre.  Former Bills safety Pierson Prioleau, who seems to follow Williams from team to team, is a backup and special teamer for the Saints.  Gregg’s son, Blake, who played football at Clarence HS, is a coaching assistant.

Jamey Richard (61)

The Colts connections to Buffalo are obvious, with Bill Polian the team’s president and his son Chris (a St. Francis grad) the general manager.

Frank Reich is the quartebacks coach, and Pete Metzelaars is the assistant offensive line coach.

The Colts also have to U.B. connections.  Jamey Richard is a backup offensive lineman who plays on special teams.  Drew Willy, the record-setting former Bulls quarterback, is on the practice squad.

Colts personnel guy Tom Telesco is a WNY native and also a St. Francis grad.

So Buffalo football fans have someone to root for in the big game.

Sandro DeAngelis

Former St. Joe’s players and WNY Player of the Year Sandro DeAngelis had a workout Friday with the Dallas Cowboys.  DeAngelis, who kicks for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL, worked out for the Dallas front office, including head coach Wade Phillips and owner/GM Jerry Jones.  The 28-year old native of Niagara Falls, Ontario is the CFL’s most accurate kicker.  He kicked in college at Nebraska after leaving St. Joe’swhere he was also a running back.  He is a former winner of the Connolly Cup.

Dallas struggled this past season with kickers Nick Folk and Shaun Suisham.  DeAngelis hit 42/49 field goals this past season, and his career FG percentage in the CFL is 84%.

The Cowboys are expected to decide next week whether to sign him to a contract.

OK, I know.  It’s not the sexy move.  It’s not the guy many Bills fans were looking for.  I have yet to hear anyone say…”Chan-tastic.” Ten years of frustration will do that to a fan base.  You can’t really blame them, the loyal fans of the Bills, for looking at the today’s move with a jaudiced eye.
  They wanted a big splash–the Bills made a ripple.They wanted an “A-lister”–the Bills dropped down to an A-minus. maybe a “B”They wanted a home run–the Bills look like they hit a double.
 But consider this–The Bills made a good faith effort to reach out to the “A-listers.”  Think of it.  They reached out to Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, Bill Cowher, and Jim Harbaugh.The only one from that list who’s going to work in the NFL next season is Shanahan.  And he went to the Redskins where the owner spends wildly on free agents.
 Gruden–not in the league.  Cowher–not coaching this year.  Harbaugh–gonna stay at Stanford.  The Bills swung for the fences and missed. 
 Would you feel better if the Bills had not reached out to the top coaches??How much better would you feel if the Bills hired an untested coordinator??  Brian Schottenheimer, Leslie Frazier. Russ Grimm—nobody knows if they’ll be succesful head coaches someday.  They might be.  We don’t know.
 We’ve talked to a half-dozen NFL insiders over the last day or so about Chan Gailey.  Former or current coaches, GMs, scouts.  They say hiring Chan Gailey is a solid move–a logical move.  They say he’s a good coach.  That’s NFL people saying that.  Not me.  Not other reporters, bloggers, or opinion makers.
  Will Chan Gailey be a success as the Bills head coach?  I don’t know.  It’s a tough job. He admitted it today.  Theyve got quarterback issues and a lot of other holes to plug on both sides of the ball.  But he is a solid choice.  A logical choice.  A realistic option.
   He’s just not real sexy.

Russ Grimm (AP Photo)

With the news Monday of the Bills requests to interview Russ Grimm and Brian Schottenheimer, comes word that neither may be interested in the job.  Sources have told News 4 that Grimm likes Arizona too much, and may not feel the Buffalo’s job is a good fit for him.  Schottenheimer, speaking last week, said he’s happy in New York and isn’t focused on being a head coach.

So, does anybody want this job?

Add Bill Cowher’s rejection and Ron Rivera declining an interview, and you start to wonder who the Bills can get, and will they have to settle for a lower-level candidate?

The reasons why these guys may be avoiding Buffalo haven’t changed since it came up in regards to Mike Shanahan:  Unsure future of ownership, lack of a solid front office, limited finances, lack of a quarterback, the rebuilding job and Buffalo’s weather. 

But it is one of just 32 jobs  as NFL head coaches.  I can’t believe that doesn’t trump all other concerns. 

But, with coordinators making so much money now, the raise in pay is not such a big factor.  The confidence of the young assistants, who believe that they WILL get a head coaching spot, allow them to be more selective.

So where does that leave the Bills?  I think they’ll either have to settle for a retread (Jim Fassel, Brian Billick) or indentify a young assistant who is driven to be a head coach.  That assistant may not be a coordinator yet, or a coordinator not on the hot lists (think Mike Tomlin).  It will take some serious work and research by Buddy Nix to indentify those people.

But it is a little discouraging that almost every name we hear, doesn’t seem as excited about the job as we are.

Garrett Gilbert (AP Photo)

I’m a little late with this, but I think it will interest long-time Buffalo Bills fans.  Garrett Gilbert, the Texas quarterback who replaced Colt McCoy in the BCS Championship game, is the son of former Bills backup quarterback Gale Gilbert.  Gale was the #3 QB behind Kelly and Reich on the Super Bowl teams.  Following Super Bowl 28, Gale joined the Chargers and played in Super Bowl 29.  That makes him the only player in NFL history to play in five consecutive Super Bowls.

Garrett, who was born in Buffalo, was the USA Today National Offensive Player of the Year as a high school senior in Austin, TX.  He is the heir apparent to McCoy, and will be the Longhorns starting QB in 2010. 

When Gilbert was briefly hurt, I wondered who’s the Longhorn’s #3 QB?  Billy Joe Hobert Junior?

It’s the same old talk from the same old guys. The word came out Tuesday  that Majestic Realty Company, the group trying to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles, has targeted the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars as the first teams they’ll try to relocate. Great. What’s the matter real estate boys?   No more two bedroom bungalows in Rancho Cucamonga to sell?

Targeting the Bills and the Jaguars?

Here we go again.  For the fourth time in the last ten years, the Buffalo Bills are searching for a new head coach.  They are early in the process, and there’s no shortage of speculation about who might get the job.  What follows, in alphabetical order, is a list of ten potential candidates for the job, and their pros and cons:

Brian Billick

  PROS  Has head coaching experience that GM Buddy Nix is looking for, plus experience on the offensive side of the ball   CONS:  Despite offensive expertise, never developed a QB in tenure as Ravens Head Coach

Cam Cameron

 PROS  Offensive experience, head coaching experience with Dolphins, ties to Nix from SD Chargers    CONS:  Brutal year as head coach of Dolphins (1-15) would make him a tough sell to fans

Bill Cowher

  PROS:  Biggest name available, Super Bowl championship with Steelers, tough, hard-nosed image that would play well with fans   CONS:  Is he interested in the job?  Does he need more authority than Nix and Brandon will allow?   Is he waiting for Carolina job to open?

Jim Fassel

  PROS:  Offensive background, had success with Giants, leading them to Super Bowl   CONS:  Interviewed once for Bills job and didn’t get it, has been on the sidelines for awhile

Perry Fewell

   PROS:  Knows organization, has demonstrated an upbeat, positive demeanor during impossible 7-game interim stint with Bills   CONS;  Would not answer the fans’ desire for an overhaul of the football department

Leslie Frazier

  PROS:  A finalist and runner up for several head coaching positions in recent years, played for 1985 Bears Super Bowl Champions    CONS;  Lack of head coaching experience, defensive background

Russ Grimm

  PROS:  Offensive background, tough-hard nosed demeanor that would play well with fans.  Former Redskins hog    CONS:  No head coaching experience, some question whether he has sufficient organizational skills for head  job

Jim Haslett

   PROS:  Head coaching experience, success with Saints before Katrina debacle.  Has WNY ties from Bills and family, and understands the Bills organization and their fans      CONS  Experience is on defense, not offense.  Why did the Rams choose not to retain him last year?

Ron Rivera

  PROS:  Some connection to Nix from SD Chargers, finalist for head coaching jobs in recent years      CONS:  Experience on defense, no head coaching experience

Brian Schottenheimer

   PROS;  Offensive experience, has worked in AFC East, ties to Nix from Marty Schottenheimer’s days with the Chargers    CONS:  Lack of head coaching experience, mixed success with Jets offense

If I’m making the decision, I want to talk in depth with Fassell, Frazier, Grimm and Haslett.  I’d have different questions for each one of them, but I’d be especially interested in their thoughts on quarterbacks, those on the roster and those who may available via the draft or free agency.  I’d try to sort that list of four down to two, probably Grimm and Haslett.  And I’d think long and hard about how much emphasis I wanted to place on prior head coaching experience. 

It’s early.  It’s a process.  Let’s hear what you think.  Are we missing any prominent names?  Let us know.

I can’t believe we all had to watch the Sabres first period against the Senators.  They were outshot 19-1 (17-0) at one point.  It was ugly, and the fans at the Arena rightly booed them off the ice.  The look on Lindy Ruff’s face said it all.  Why does this seem to happen too often?  Why don’t the Sabres come to play?  Is it that hard?  Even with emotional leaders like Grier and Rivet, there are too many players who coast through too many periods?  Sometimes they’re talented enough to overcome those putrid periods, and maybe they will be tonight.  But that doesn’t excuse them from failing to show up too often.

It’s been a rough ten years, maybe the worst ten years in Bills history. No playoff appearances-just one winning season. The Bills have two games left this season with no shot at a winning record. And they may be forced to go with Brian Brohm at quarterback this week with both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards hobbled with ankle injuries.If he plays, don’t look for Brohm to act as a savior. He’ll be faced with the same handicap Fitzpatrick and Edwards have battled–a terrible offensive line. 

For that matter, don’t be surprised if Brohm fails. He would join a long list of quarterback failures this decade for the Bills–Johnson..Bledsoe..Losman..Edwards..Fitzpatrick. How can it be that the Bills could be stuck with such a string of subpar quarterbacks?

Well maybe, it’s not the quarterbacks who are at fault.

Maybe the Bills have set up their quarterbacks to fail this decade–not providing them with offensive line support, a strong running game, good game-day coaching-decisions–any number of factors.

For that matter, their coaches have been set up to fail. Without a strong football man in charge the last several years, Bills coaches have had to make do with questionable draft picks, overpaid free agent linemen, and rosters dangerously thin at key positons.

That’s why the process of finding and hiring the next football man for the franchise is so critical.

Just like they did at the end of the 1970s, the Bills need a strong football figure to take over–Chuck Knox was the answer in 1978. Bill Polian and Marv Levy were the key figures in the early 90s. Now, it’s time for a new regime.

Here are my picks for the football department–Charlie Casserly as general manager.  Russ Grimm as head coach. Bring ‘em on.  Turn ‘em loose And let’s get started on a new decade.