Addressing The "Buddy Nix Is Retiring" Rumor

by Brian Galliford on Jan 4, 2012 8:45 AM EST in Buffalo Bills Opinion

The website BuffaloWins.com is reporting, citing a source, that Buffalo Bills GM Buddy Nix has announced plans internally to retire following the 2012 NFL Draft in April. The report goes on to say that when Nix steps down, he'll hand over organizational control to current Assistant GM Doug Whaley.

Understand now, folks, that unless this is corroborated by a heavy hitter - and by heavy hitter, we mean a reputable news source - this is just a rumor. But considering the fact that we speculated this very thing two weeks ago (and we were hardly the first to do so), if this were to come to fruition, it would hardly be surprising. Our speculation was based on a few other speculative reports, however, so we've got some sort of Inception style of speculation going on; it's probably best not to buy into the hype just yet.

For now, the Bills are adamant that Buddy isn't going anywhere. In fact, those were Bills CEO Russ Brandon's exact words just this morning: "Buddy isn't going anywhere."

Assume what you want, Bills fans. Nothing is going to change for close to five months, at a bare minimum, and perhaps for much longer if Brandon is to be believed. In that time, we're going to witness an entire off-season of player acquisitions and key personnel decisions. If this comes back up again, so be it - but don't let it distract from what's really important this winter and spring.

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What a relief!

by Zumone on Jan 4, 2012 8:58 AM EST reply actions

I literally laughed out loud at the Inception reference.

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 4, 2012 9:02 AM EST reply actions

This speculation is based on other speculation LOL

Nothing like building your foundation on a mud slide.

Now what’s this I hear about P Manning?

by whodatsay on Jan 4, 2012 6:50 PM EST up reply actions

Well I definitely wont be surprised if this happens. Like you said,

youve speculated, buffalowins, and many others, that its almost time for Whaley to take over the reigns… and Im sure Nix would like one more offseason, with Whaley right there with him, for FA and the draft.

Screw you MSG, and screw you TWC!
I want my Sabres!

by bflo on Jan 4, 2012 9:09 AM EST reply actions

Someone was telling me

there was a report that mentioned Whaley as a possible GM candidate for the Colts. That would suck. Here’s to the retirement of Buddy Nix.

"What it takes to win is simple, it's not easy."

-Marv Levy

by ALLaBorde on Jan 4, 2012 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

Really, who the hell is doug whaley?

And why should we care. Because he was Tom Donahoe’s understudy?

by whodatsay on Jan 4, 2012 6:58 PM EST up reply actions

Here's who Doug Whaley is:

Before he came to Buffalo—with Nix—and worked under Donahoe, he worked for seven years (?), I believe, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was fairly important part of building their current, very competitive team. Whaley isn’t and wasn’t a “Donahoe-man”, he’s Nix’s guy. It has been speculated, right from the very beginning of his time in Buffalo, that Nix brought Whaley to the Bills to be his successor as GM.

Those who do not learn fromt eh past are doomed to repeat it.

by LifetimeBillsFan on Jan 5, 2012 8:37 AM EST up reply actions

six of one, half dozen of the other

I wouldn’t be surprised either way. He’s still in charge of the rebuild, but at least he as an heir apparent in place. At least we won’t be descending back into the total chaos of having Russ Brandon masquerading as a GM. That was what put us deep into this mess to begin with.

by SiriusRed on Jan 4, 2012 9:14 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Terrible draft picks put the Bills where they are today.

"Go check on the ribs!"

by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 4, 2012 11:32 AM EST up reply actions

just suppose

he does and, as many sports columns postulate, a new GM wants “their guy” as HC. Would Buddy’s retiring affect Gailey’s position? Just askin’

"a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps audiences glued to their seats". -Vivian Mercier - a description of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"

According to Beckett, Godot was a metaphor for the Buffalo Bills :-)

by fansince60 on Jan 4, 2012 9:29 AM EST reply actions

Well new GM isnt just going to the GM "X" ...

Screw you MSG, and screw you TWC!
I want my Sabres!

by bflo on Jan 4, 2012 9:44 AM EST up reply actions

need an edit button...

Its going to be Doug Whaley. Now if he wants a new coach, then so be it… but we already know who the next in line is.

Screw you MSG, and screw you TWC!
I want my Sabres!

by bflo on Jan 4, 2012 9:45 AM EST up reply actions

Next in line as coach? We do? Are you implying Wanndstat?

"Go check on the ribs!"

by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 4, 2012 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

No no no...

I meant the next in line for GM, its not like if Nix retires were going to go out and hire GM “X” … its going to be Doug Whaley. I think Chan is safe of Whaley takes over, for at least 2012.

Screw you MSG, and screw you TWC!
I want my Sabres!

by bflo on Jan 4, 2012 11:44 AM EST up reply actions

I was implying that Whaley would be the new GM. And, I was questioning the BR opinion of Whaley’s allegiance to Gailey.

"a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps audiences glued to their seats". -Vivian Mercier - a description of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot"

According to Beckett, Godot was a metaphor for the Buffalo Bills :-)

by fansince60 on Jan 4, 2012 12:02 PM EST up reply actions

Gotcha.

I guess he really has no aliegence… but if we read what is true…

Nix will be stepping down after the 12 Draft, which means Gailey would have had his brain in there with the decision making of the new rookie class. Doubt he fires Gailey after the draft. And I dont see Nix firing Gailey now, so its almost certain that even if Whaley is our GM from May 2012 on, that Gailey will be the HC thru the 2012 season, unless we tank and hes a midseason firing.

Screw you MSG, and screw you TWC!
I want my Sabres!

by bflo on Jan 4, 2012 1:30 PM EST up reply actions

I would assume that Whaley, as part of the current management, would not want to replace the HC right away, and that he will keep Gailey on if that looks like it is working. However, because he was not the guy who hired Gailey, Whaley would likely have less of a problem letting him go if a coaching change is indicated.

by Macktruck on Jan 4, 2012 11:28 AM EST up reply actions

I think it would a little bit. He'd be on a very short leash next season as Buffalowins infers.

In my mind Gailey will already be on a short leash next year though. It’s got to be playoffs or bust at this point.

I can’t see Whaley deciding to make a move before the season was over though.

"I got no problem with 7-9 coming off of 4-12 as long as I don't buy a couch there, you got to keep moving" - Mike Schoop

by lonestar_ak on Jan 4, 2012 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

Doubt it

I’m not sure what the advantage would be of witholding/ denying the announcement until after the draft. If Nix was really on his way out (in a much happier parallel universe from my standpoint) and Whaley was simply being handed the job in May, it would be advantageous to make the announcement now for the appearance of stability. Obviously, I’d prefer to see Nix out of his role as general manager ASAP, but the tea leaves seem to indicate he’s sticking around. At least Wilson can save money on phone charges during the next few drafts.

"There's only one C.J. Spiller." -Buddy Nix

by Port Royal on Jan 4, 2012 9:54 AM EST reply actions

I’m not sure what the advantage would be of witholding/ denying the announcement until after the draft. If Nix was really on his way out (in a much happier parallel universe from my standpoint) and Whaley was simply being handed the job in May, it would be advantageous to make the announcement now for the appearance of stability.

I agree with this, and even more so now that Whaley is being spoken of as a GM candidate in Indy. But even if he weren’t, I still support this.

Give a monkey a typewriter and infinite time, and he’ll eventually release Maybin. -- stetzwebs
No one circles the waiver wire like the Buffalo Bills!

by thefourwinds on Jan 4, 2012 1:52 PM EST up reply actions

Wouldn't surprise me

I would hardly shed a tear either.

I don’t think he’s going anywhere, though. Why delay this announcement and not just make it now? I suppose if the transition is to Whaley, a slow move incorporating a transition during Free Agency and Draft prep would make some sense, but why not just let Whaley get going now? I have to believe the report is false and Nix will be here at least through the 2012 season, at which point I expect him to retire or be fired if the team continues to stink.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Jan 4, 2012 10:01 AM EST reply actions

If the team continues to stink.

I hope they can flirt with “if” and not continue the affair with “because.”

"Go check on the ribs!"

by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 4, 2012 11:35 AM EST up reply actions

Maybe ...

They are timing the move so that we have Whaley AND an new owner … (tun tun tun tuuuuuuun !! )

Hola desde Reynosa Mex.

by Nolotron on Jan 4, 2012 11:49 AM EST up reply actions

Since someone on the Bills came out with a statement about it I bet he will retire then. It seems that usually when someone issues a statement it’s usually the opposite

by billsfan26 on Jan 4, 2012 10:34 AM EST reply actions

I glad I'm not the only one feeling that way.

With this organization, when they say “he ain’t going no where”, it’s the kiss of death. It has happened to many times.

"A deaf person can hear better than a ignorant person."- Unknown Comedian

by blknites on Jan 4, 2012 2:21 PM EST up reply actions

This will happen sooner rather than later

and i think we need it. Young blood at the top could be a good thing.

"The Buffalo Bills have just exploded all over the Cincinnati Bangles"
-Steve Tasker-

by billsoferie on Jan 4, 2012 11:08 AM EST reply actions

Young or old...

We simply need some aggressiveness in the front office. Get creative, do what it takes to get the QB, pass rushers, WRs, etc. Make draft day trades to acquire more talent and/or draft picks. Be assertive in free agency where the team needs it most. Nix is content, or has been, to sit back and play the cards he already has. We need more than that….

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Jan 4, 2012 11:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

But, but, but….

Runningbacks!

"Go check on the ribs!"

by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 4, 2012 11:36 AM EST up reply actions

…those would be the cards we already have ;)

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 4, 2012 12:05 PM EST up reply actions

Until Jackson is removed from the deck. :sigh:

"Go check on the ribs!"

by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 4, 2012 12:34 PM EST up reply actions

Speaking of making moves

id like to see a move for RGIII. would be less expensive that Luck and i love this kid.

"The Buffalo Bills have just exploded all over the Cincinnati Bangles"
-Steve Tasker-

by billsoferie on Jan 4, 2012 10:00 PM EST up reply actions

Not a bad idea, but...

I really like RGIII, too, but, with the teams drafting ahead of the Bills that are desperate for a starting QB (Washington and Miami, in particular), the price to make a move to get RGIII could get very high.

With all of the Bills’ needs, I doubt that they would be willing to pay that price. Instead, I think that they will try to get the best pass-rusher that they can (Upshaw, Coples, etc.) for the defense and look to pick up a QB later. There are going to be some very interesting QBs, who have question-marks, but also been very accurate and won a lot in college, that are going to be available in the middle-to-late rounds of this draft that the Bills could take a chance on and, with Fitz around for a year or two more, try to develop. I suspect that, if the Bills do draft a QB, they are more likely to go that route than give up a chance to improve their defense in order to jump up and take RGIII.

Those who do not learn fromt eh past are doomed to repeat it.

by LifetimeBillsFan on Jan 5, 2012 8:49 AM EST up reply actions

free agents?

I’m not sure the idea of marquee free agents really works. You look at the Eagles, the Redskins… even the Jets are not as good as their acquisitions. The good teams build through the draft. You could even say the Sabres free agent pickups have not helped that much overall.

by Bill Frank on Jan 4, 2012 12:31 PM EST reply actions

The Eagles messed up when the let Andy Reid make his offensive line coach the DC. The Jets need a good QB. Washington is terrible because they’re supposed to fill that role. What team, named after a racial slur, and clothed in ketchup and mustard hues can possibly be good, right?

"Go check on the ribs!"

by TheAfghanTwilight on Jan 4, 2012 12:36 PM EST up reply actions

This can't happen too soon for me.

Whaley at least has some upside potential. Nix is a “never has been and never will be.” The past 2 years have been a preview of what is to come from a continued Nix regime. We lost 5 of 6 in our division, capped off by a 49 – 0 run. I also would not shed a tear if Whaley gave Chan his send off to assisted living. The idea that a head coach does not even watch the defense during the game continues to astound me. It just screams coordinator. Seems to me that an “offensive genius” might have a few valuable insights about the defense since he spends all his time trying to beat defenses. Imagine a CEO when questioned about why the company is losing money saying “I am totally focused on revenue and have not even looked at the expenses, so I don’t know.” That is pretty much Chan.

prediction for 2011 season is 5 and 11

by jpheff on Jan 4, 2012 12:41 PM EST reply actions

"never has been and never will be"

He was in San Diego. What exactly does that mean, anyway?

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 4, 2012 1:00 PM EST up reply actions

means he has never been a winning GM and never will be.

prediction for 2011 season is 5 and 11

by jpheff on Jan 4, 2012 1:16 PM EST up reply actions

He was never a winning GM. He was never a GM, period. He WAS a winning assistant GM.

Official ledge-talker-offer of the Buffalo Bills.
Citi Field loves the mets so much it smothers them. -the caveman

by WhyBillsWhy on Jan 4, 2012 2:30 PM EST up reply actions

As WhyBillsWhy said above, he’s never been a GM before…if you don’t think he’ll ever be a winning GM, that is fine, but if you’re implying that he’s never been successful, that’s just wrong.

"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.

by stetzwebs on Jan 4, 2012 2:36 PM EST up reply actions

The idea that a head coach does not even watch the defense during the game continues to astound me. It just screams coordinator. Seems to me that an "offensive genius" might have a few valuable insights about the defense since he spends all his time trying to beat defenses. Imagine a CEO when questioned about why the company is losing money saying "I am totally focused on revenue and have not even looked at the expenses, so I don’t know." That is pretty much Chan.

Unfortunately for us Bills fans, this condemning observation is pretty astute. I had never heard Chan say that, but if that is true, that’s horrendous. He really does need to be an OC. Let him be OC, let Wannstache be DC, and go get us a HC.

Give a monkey a typewriter and infinite time, and he’ll eventually release Maybin. -- stetzwebs
No one circles the waiver wire like the Buffalo Bills!

by thefourwinds on Jan 4, 2012 1:55 PM EST up reply actions

I don't want this to sound that ageist (I mean it is but...)

But it might be nice to get a young guy in there, because young guys tend to be more aggressive and trade around the draft. Plus a new guy, young guy would have alot to prove going forward.
Whaley looks to be an intelligent guy, so I think he could be really good for us when he does take the reigns. I do like the succession plan, so he gets some training before hand too.

by Xaviermw on Jan 4, 2012 2:18 PM EST reply actions