Inside The Bills

Draft experts have different job than GMs

He’s seen both sides of it now. Former Bills GM Bill Polian has run draft rooms, as the General Manager of the Bills, the Panthers and the Colts.

And for the last two years, Polian has covered the draft in his role as an NFL analyst for ESPN.

In an appearance on The John Murphy Show Monday night, the Bills Wall of Famer said he’s just come to the realization than the draft gurus on the air, like Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, and Mike Mayock, have a much different job than the team GMs in the draft rooms.

“When I was a general manager, I always used to think the analysts on television were as far off-base as it was possible to be,” Polian said. “But then, when I got to ESPN and I realized what Mel Kiper and Todd McShay do, what they’re doing is about 180-degrees opposite of what a general manager does.”

“As a GM, you’re just trying to pick the seven best players and then sign 7-10 collegiate free agents that you think are going to help your team. As the process gets closer to draft day, you have winnowed the board down to a very few players from a lot. Conversely, Mel and Todd and to a lesser degree, myself, because I had to know the players, we’re looking at everybody. That’s an almost impossible and incredibly large task. They do a great job of it.”

The entire interview with Bill Polian is available at Buffalobills.com\johnmurphyshow

Jerry Hughes “turned the corner” last year

Bill Polian used a first round draft pick on Jerry Hughes three years ago. And the former GM of the Colts and the Bills says the veteran linebacker “turned the corner” last year in terms of his development.

Polian appeared on The John Murphy Show Monday night to talk about the draft and the Bills trade for Hughes last week. After watching the former first rounder in his first three years with Indy, Polian said Hughes showed significant improvement last season.

“Last year, as I watched him in Indianapolis, I really felt that he turned the corner,” Polian said. “He became much more assertive. He was flying to the ball. He was doing all of the things we thought he could do when we drafted him. And that’s fine. He was in his third year-that’s when they should start to contribute. He did a really good job of it. I think the light went on for him, as the saying goes.”

Polian, a six time NFL Executive of the Year, believes there’s a role for Hughes to play in Buffalo’s new defensive system.

” As a rush linebacker in Buffalo’s new ¾ or hybrid defense, you got a guy who can get up the field and get to the passer, and put pressure on the passer and that’s something they need,” he said. “He was mis-cast as a ¾ outside linebacker in Indianapolis because he has a really hard time being a five-technique and setting the edge. They want their outside linebackers to be 270-pounds and to be able to bench press that tight end and set the edge, and then rush from there. They want power rushers. And that’s not what Jerry does. He is a slippery, slithery, speedy outside rusher, much like Robert Mathis. He doesn’t have quite the punch that Robert Mathis does, but that’s his style of play.”

The entire interview with Bill Polian is available at Buffalobills.com\johnmurphyshow

Polian: free agents changing systems tricky

ESPN NFL analyst Bill Polian has been through the free agency process that’s about to begin tomorrow afternoon at 4 pm all too often. In describing what an NFL GM is looking for out on the market he also outlines the dangers of projecting how well or how long it might take a new addition to adjust to a new offensive or defensive scheme with their new team.

“In free agency, you’re absolutely looking at the finished product,” he said. ”Those players are not going to get any better than they are now at 26 or 27. They’re at their peak. They’re not going to get better. They are what they are.

“So, in theory, at least, you’re able to say, ‘Okay, I can plug this guy in, and he will perform at a certain level.’ But there is the system issue.

“It’s been my experience that when a player is changing systems, it takes generally a year for him to adapt to his new surroundings to a new system, to new teammates, et cetera. They don’t come in as a general rule and instantly become successes.

“When they’re within the same system, the odds are better that they’ll perform, but there is still, you know you make it a job change. We all know when you make a job change there are issues that you have to deal with.”

Those are issues that Doug Marrone took into account when he assembled his coaching staff. He wanted all of his assistants to already have knowledge of the terminology that would be utilized in their respective offensive and defensive schemes. It makes you wonder the kind of premium Bills GM Buddy Nix and personnel department will put on system familiarity when they put together their list of free agent targets for Tuesday.

How a GM looks at free agency

He’s been through the free agency process a countless number of times. Now an ESPN NFL analyst, six-time NFL Executive of the Year, Bill Polian explains the thought process of an NFL GM when examining the crop of free agent talent and matching it up to his team’s needs and salary cap budget.

“There are three things at play here in free agency,” said Polian. ”The first is the need. Free agency is almost always aimed at a needs situation. So you almost always try to fill a need.

“The second is cost. What is the cost? What is the outlaying cash? What is the outlaying guarantee? In many respects, particularly in this early period that we are about to enter, the marketplace dictates that.

You could sit there, and I often did, and say this player should command only X. And then the market would open up and the player would command X plus Y. And you’d say, ‘Oops, well, that’s not in our bailiwick.’ So we don’t know what the market will bring.

“We know where there are numbers or clumps of players, although the recent franchise use of the franchise tag has reduced that considerably. And this is all tied up with the money, too, are there age and injury concerns? How much of that money are you going to reasonably accrue by signing this player? I believe that the statistics clearly show that there’s (additional) money attached to every free agent signing. There is always some dead money attached to it, and you build that into your budget.

“So the question is how much dead money? Medical and age concerns enter into that. That’s how you view it. And because you’re spending big money, usually and because you’re, again, involved with the reasonable prospect of some dead money at the end, you now come in and say, ‘We have to try to fill this need and at least on teams that I was with, we always had a strata of people.

“If we can’t afford player A, let’s see how much different is player B, and how much different is player C? In the end of the market and in the aftermarket, again, you’re looking to fill needs almost always with reasonably priced players who are not at the same talent level or production level as the top guys.”

It’s interesting that Polian admits to tiering free agents to have less expensive alternatives at the ready to pursue. Polian also talked about how free agency sets up GMs to make mistakes, which is perhaps why Polian while in Indianapolis focused more on re-signing his own than pursuing someone else’s free agents.

Polian’s assessment of Geno & Barkley

Appearing on a national conference call this week, ESPN NFL analyst and former Bills GM Bill Polian gave his assessment on the collective skill sets of West Virginia QB Geno Smith and USC QB Matt Barkley.

“I can tell you Geno Smith’s strength is the ability to throw the ball down the field,” said Polian. “He’s got good arm strength, he has good athleticism, and can pretty much function in any system.  He’ll have a little learning curve coming in from the spread offense simply because it’s different than the classic and standard NFL offense, particularly in taking the ball into center and handling the ball.

He does some of that at West Virginia but not a lot. The numbers indicate that, but he’s a guy that can pretty much fit into every system. He has a quick release, gets the ball out quickly, so that’s a real plus.

“In Barkley’s case most people seem to feel he’s best suited for a west coast offense where he can deliver the ball quickly and get it out of there and not have to drive it down the field in big chunks on a steady diet and use his mobility to find throwing lanes.

He’s not a guy who is going to be a running quarterback. He does have some mobility in the pocket and his foot work is pretty good, and he gets it out fast. So, generally speaking, probably more well suited to west coast offense.”

Buffalo’s offense is going to contain a good amount of west coast principles, so it’s not unreasonable to say that both signal callers could be seen as fits for the Bills.

Polian: free agency full of pitfalls for GMs

It’s not surprising that a former NFL GM sees it this way, but considering that Bill Polian is a six-time NFL Executive of the Year it’s interesting that he sees the process of free agency as a set up for general managers to make mistakes.

Appearing on a national conference call, Polian outlined how the free agency process leaves GMs prone to make mistakes due to the risks involved that are sometimes hard to measure.

“I’ve often said you can’t be right in free agency,” said Polian. ”No general manager can be right in free agency. This system is designed to have you make mistakes. The union wants players to get paid, and people are going to make mistakes here.

“So you try to eliminate the mistakes, at least from my perspective, you try to eliminate as many mistakes as possible by taking as few risks as possible. Some people may see it differently. And that’s what makes the world go round.

“The period we’re in right now is one where every club is faced with the question how much do I pay a player based upon, A, his productivity, B, his availability, and C, his longevity, and D, his contribution to the overall cap situation?

“So whenever you have red flag like injuries, like potential suspension or character issues, like age, like size, and age, injury, and to a lesser degree size, enter into the dead money issue. You have very, very tough decisions to make.”

Polian: TE Walker an interesting option

ESPN NFL analyst Bill Polian was on a national conference call assessing the free agent market as was asked about one of the tight ends profiled in our TE free agency preview on Buffalobills.com in San Francisco’s Delanie Walker. Walker is a player that Polian believes will be in demand if he makes it to the market.

“I think he will command a fair amount of attention,” said Polian. ”There’s always a buzz about players that play well in the playoffs and the Super Bowl and he did. In Delanie Walker you have a really, really interesting guy. Age is a bit of a concern, it’s minor, but he’s not 25 any longer. But he’s very, very versatile.

“He can play fullback, tight end, he can play in the slot. He’s very productive and he’s a tough guy. He’s a really good blocker and a willing blocker. So I think he’ll get some activity the question is how much and what’s the fit? That’s always the question in free agency.”

Polian unsure about returning to the NFL

It’s been more than one year since Bill Polian was dismissed as President of the Indianapolis Colts. But Thursday morning, Polian was back on the job at Lucas Oil Stadium, in his new role as an NFL analyst for ESPN covering the NFL Combine.

Polian appeared as a guest on The John Murphy Show podcast Thursday night from the combine. He was asked if he misses his role running a team one year after leaving the Colts.

“I don’t miss Sunday as much as I thought I would, not nearly as much as I thought I would,” Polian said. “Because of ESPN and Sirius NFL Radio, I have to watch about five games a week on television and then I watch games during the week. I’m getting in a lot of work, I’m doing football work to stay current. But as I say, I don’t miss Sunday as nearly as much as I thought I would.”

“I do miss the personnel work,” he told host John Murphy, “being on the inside of that, the competition committee, I do miss that. That was the fun part of the job. When I come back to things like this, I do get nostalgic. But not as much as I thought.”

What about the future? Would Polian rule out returning to a team again?

“I’ve always said, I could do it, my health is fine,” he said. “I could do the work. The question is, do you really want to and does it fit with where the family is right now. My wife has carried the load for 35-years so she gets a big vote on this. Thus far, she hasn’t said anything that leads me to believe she’s going to say yes, but you never know.”

The entire interview with Bill Polian is available at buffalobills.com\johnmurphyshow

Polian thinks Marrone has perfect resume

The ties between new Bills Head Coach Doug Marrone, and former Bills GM Bill Polian go way back. All the way to Mt. St. Michael’s Academy in the Bronx, the alma mater for both Marrone and Polian.

Polian mentioned those ties Thursday night, in an appearance on The John Murphy Show podcast.

“I know a lot about Doug, we went to the same high school, Mt. St. Michael Academy in the Bronx,” Polian said. “He was a far better football player than I was. The bottom line is, I recommended him very strongly for the Syracuse job, a lot of people did that. We’ve been friends a long time. I followed his career for a long time because he’s a Mount guy, and the he was friendly with people on our staff.”

Polian said he had Marrone number one on his list of potential head coaching candidates when he left his job with the Indianapolis Colts a year ago. And he told host John Murphy Marrone has the perfect professional background to be an NFL Head Coach.

“He has the exact kind of background that you want—pro player, pro assistant, pro coordinator, college head coach, now NFL head coach. He’s far more ready to be a head coach than someone who’s coming from a coordinator’s position in the NFL, because he’s already dealt with the demands of head coaching.”

The entire inteview with Bill Polian is available at buffalobills.com/johnmurphyshow

Polian: Bills are “relatively competitive”

He took the Buffalo Bills to three Super Bowls, and then won the big game with the Indianapolis Colts. And Bills Wall of Famer Bill Polian always keeps an eye on his former team in Buffalo.

Polian was a guest Thursday night on The John Murphy Show podcast from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. And he was asked how far away the Bills might be from playoff contention.

“I think it’s a relatively competitive team,” he said. “Let’s face it, they took the Pats right to the wire, and but for a bad call, they might have won the game. The Patriots are the team you have to beat, and the division is what you have to win. Nobody’s ever far away in today’s National Football League, that’s for sure.”

Polian told host John Murphy a number of things have to come together for the Bills to get into the playoffs after a 13-year drought.

“If the defense is able to coalesce, and they get a little bit better in the secondary, that’s pretty much at a level that you would need to compete,” he said. “CJ Spiller is a home run hitter. He needs someone to spell him and carry that load. You must run the ball in the National Football League and you absolutely must run it in Buffalo. They need to get a running attack with CJ Spiller and somebody else. Who that somebody else is, let’s hope it’s Fred, let’s hope he’s healthy. And they need a little more consistently receiving, they need a deep threat down the field. I like the offensive line, it would be great if they can keep Levitre. I don’t know whether that can happen or not.”

The entire interview with Bill Polian is available at buffalobills.com/johnmurphyshow

Polian lists Byrd, Levitre among his top FAs

ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL GM Bill Polian put together his list of top free agent talent set to hit the market in mid-March and two Bills appear near the top of his list.

Polian graded pending free agents with A, B and C grades. Here’s how he valued those grades in terms of investment.

A Players: Worth paying big, starter-caliber money.
B Players: Guys I would sign but only if the value made sense.
C Players: Guys I’d sign for low-salary, short-term (one or two years) value, with low bonuses.

Appearing on his ‘A’ list for offense was Bills free agent G Andy Levitre, who was listed 8th overall on the offensive side. Here’s Polian’s assessment.

Andy Levitre
Player Analysis: Levitre is a very solid, professional, strong, offensive guard. While he has the talent, his position might limit the money he’ll see.

Appearing on his ‘A’ list for defense was Bills free agent S Jairus Byrd, who ranked 12th on the defensive list.

Jairus Byrd
Player Analysis: Timed speed is a question mark, but instincts, toughness and production are not.

The only other Bills that appeared on Polian’s free agent list were Leodis McKelvin (B grade – but injury concerns) and Tashard Choice (C grade).

Polian to speak at UB kickoff lunch

Former Bills GM and six-time NFL Executive of the Year Bill Polian is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the University at Buffalo’s Kickoff luncheon on Aug. 1st.

The luncheon begins at 11:30 on Wednesday (Aug. 1st). Polian has had ties to the UB program drafting former C Jamey Richard when he was with the Indianapolis Colts. He also signed a couple of Bulls as undrafted free agents. Additionally one of his sons, Brian, coached special teams at UB earlier in his career.

Polian picks Wall of Fame date

Former Bills GM and soon-to-be Bills Wall of Famer Bill Polian has chosen a home date this fall for his Wall of Fame induction ceremony.

Polian’s name will be formally unveiled during a halftime ceremony on Oct. 21st when the Bills play host to the Tennessee Titans. He’s the 28th name to be added to the Bills Wall of Fame.

The game date selected makes sense. One of Polian’s sons, Dennis,  is an assistant to Titans head coach Mike Munchak.

Polian’s top 10 player moves

Buffalo’s 28th Wall of Famer will be former GM Bill Polian. Here’s a look at what we feel are the top 10 moves Polian executed to turn the Bills into the winningest team in the 90′s and four-time AFC Champions.

We preface this list with the following clarifier. Polian was formally appointed GM of the club on Dec. 30, 1985, and was first hired on Aug. 2nd, 1984 as Pro Personnel Director, but he along with Director of College Scouting Norm Pollom were handling GM duties after Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack the February before the 1985 draft. So he certainly had a hand in the 1985 draft that included Bruce Smith and Andre Reed, but to attach full weight for those decisions to Polian might be misguided. As such we ‘ve put those player acquisitions a bit lower on the list than some might expect. But here are the best moves put together by the only six-time NFL Executive of the Year.

10 - Drafting Wil Wolford – Rd. 1 – 1986 – Wolford was the blind side protector needed for Buffalo’s offense to take a needed step forward.

9 - Drafting Howard Ballard – Rd. 11 – 1987 – The 11th rounder was two-time Pro Bowler and anchored the Bills right side.

8 - Claiming Steve Tasker off waivers - 1986 - Claiming Tasker gave Buffalo perhaps the best special teamer in the history of the NFL.

7 – Signing Kent Hull – 1986  – Polian signed Hull away from the folding USFL and had Jim Kelly’s security blanket for 10 seasons.

6 - Drafting Andre Reed – Rd. 4 – 1985 - Reed became the team’s all-time leading WR and likely Hall of Famer.

5 - Drafting Bruce Smith – Rd. 1 – 1985 - The all-time leader in sacks was a terror off the edge and linchpin of Buffalo’s Super Bowl defenses.

4 - Hiring Marv Levy – 1986 – Polian crossed paths with Levy in KC and the CFL and knew he could manage the club’s big personalities.

3 - Drafting Thurman Thomas – Rd. 2 – 1988 – The value in selecting the Hall of Fame RB is tough to beat as he was the engine of the 90′s offenses.

2 - Trading for Cornelius Bennett – 1987 – Called the trade of the decade by the NY Times, it was the most complicated and cunning moves of his tenure as Bills GM with three teams involved along with a former first-round pick in Greg Bell and Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson. More importantly it made the Buffalo front seven one of the most feared in football. 

1 - Getting Jim Kelly signed – 1986 – Kelly was more than staunch in his stance that he would not play for the Bills even with the USFL struggling to stay afloat. Polian’s unrelenting negotiating tactics eventually got the deal done and put Buffalo in a position to be a successful franchise for a decade.

Think we forgot a big move, draft choice or player acquisition? Feel free to make your suggestions.

Bill Polian on Kent Hull passing

Former Bills GM and current Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian issued the following statement on the passing of Kent Hull.

“It is a very sad day for those of us with the Colts who were privileged to have Kent Hull as a team mate and friend. His physical toughness, work ethic, intelligence, character and sense of humor made him an undisputed leader on a team filled with Hall of Famers and stars.  He was a rock upon which those great Buffalo Bills offensive lines were built.  Inside the Bills organization and locker room his leadership was acknowledged, respected and followed by one and all.  Kent Hull with relatively few words, but indomitable spirit and consistently excellent deeds, epitomized what made his Bills teams great.  He was a fine man, a good friend and a true professional.

Jim Irsay and the Irsay Family join all Kent’s’ friends with the Colts in sending out thoughts prayers and deepest sympathy to Kay Hull and every member of the Hull Family.”

Talley interested in coaching

Bills Wall of Famer Darryl Talley isn’t just here visiting the Bills at training camp. He’s interested in a career in coaching and asked head coach Chan Gailey if he could come up to camp and observe things for a week.

Coach Gailey obliged and Talley will be here this week to soak it all up and take it all in interacting with the coaching staff as well as some of the players. Talley said right after he retired there were opportunities for him to coach in the league, but with two very young daughters he wanted to raise his kids.

When his kids were older he felt he was ready to coach. Bill Polian tried to set up a meeting with Bill Walsh for Talley. Walsh at the time was prepping Mike Singletary for a coaching career. Not long after Walsh fell ill and eventually passed.

Now with both of his daughters out of high school he’s ready to “give back to the game he loves.”

When asked what he would bring to the table as a coach he said the following.

“I think I bring a different set of tools in my box,” he said. “For one I’ve been there and I’ve done that. Sometimes there are people that aren’t very good coaches, but I’ve proven that just by the standard I held my teammates to when I was here. The idea of what it means to be a pro. How to be a pro. You can have a lot of money and still not have an idea of what you’re supposed to be doing as far as responsibility to your parents and family and to your fans. Some people can run amok and some people don’t. There’s a fine line you have to walk and you have to make guys understand that.”