NFL Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills’ Head Coaching Job Too Risky For Top Candidates

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Doug Whaley Terry Pegula

Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

In the time since Doug Marrone’s decision to break up with his players – via text message — the world has seen the incumbent Terry Pegula ownership regime interview, or request to interview, every hot coordinator, Bill Polian, Rex Ryan and all the members of the Shanahan family. It seems the Buffalo Bills are bent on making the perfect decision and exhausting all of their options to do so.

For the longest time it has seemed that Buffalo has been viewed as a place where a coach’s career goes to die. Maybe this perception is reality when you really think about the list: Greg Williams had bounty gate, Mike Mularkey was fired in Jacksonville, Dick Jauron never received another head coaching job, Chan Gailey hasn’t graced the sidelines since, and Marrone’s story is “to be continued.”

It’s clear that taking the challenge of Bills’ head coach has not been a great career move for many, and that has to stick in the minds of the multiple coaches in contention now. When you really break it down, there are only 32 jobs like this in the world, which means if you fail in your first opportunity, chances are you won’t receive many more tries if any at all. This is why the Bills haven’t been able to hire big name coaches in recent memory.

These men have things to lose, such as their reputation, legacy and livelihood for their family. Assuming the role as head man for an organization trapped in dysfunction for nearly a decade and a half doesn’t bode much security for things these coaches hold dear.

I know it’s different now. This is the Pegula regime, and soon the Bills can grow into a properly functioning organization. The defense is amazing and littered with stars from the line to the secondary. The consensus is even clear across the league that these are not the “same old Bills,” but the elephant in the room still makes this job only for those who want to live their lives on All-Madden; the unresolved quarterback situation is the biggest deterrent in accepting this job.

Forget the lack of a first round pick or the expectations of breaking the playoff drought, without a quarterback in this league, teams are doomed to lose. The Arizona Cardinals tried their luck with this universal football law all season, and they were burned in the playoffs so badly that they hung the lowest yardage production in a game in playoff history.

EJ Manuel has only had 14 games, and maybe the new coach will come in and see potential to groom within the young quarterback. But if that doesn’t work, what are they going to do, play Jeff Tuel? Exactly.

It’s an almost nightmare situation, and one that I think is the biggest factor in what any coach with leverage or desire from any of the better quarterback situations that are available right now (Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons) would ponder.

Unless GM Doug Whaley can somehow work some magic and get an established quarterback in Buffalo soon (highly unlikely) then I would surmise the Bills will have to place hope in the hands of some start-up coordinator or other up-and-comer, because for the top prospects, the risk is too great.

Leman Harris is an NFL writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @harrisleman.

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