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Buddy Nix is stepping down as general manager of the Buffalo Bills, the team announced on Monday. He will remain with the team under the title of Special Assistant.
"I feel it is the right time," Nix said via the team's official press release. "By the 'right time' I mean I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach with a good staff, and it's time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together. Timing is the main thing, but there are other benefits as well. This job is very demanding with a 24-7 schedule of responsibilities. This new position will enable me to spend more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Mr. Wilson and Russ (Brandon) and I'm fortunate to step away from the job and still remain a part of the team."
Nix, 73, has been in charge of the Bills' football operation for the last three and a half years, officially assuming the role on New Year's Eve 2009. Under Nix's first hired head coach, Chan Gailey, the Bills put up a 16-32 record in three years, prompting Gailey's firing and the hiring of Doug Marrone this off-season.
He has also been in charge of four separate Bills drafts - first-round picks include C.J. Spiller, Marcell Dareus, Stephon Gilmore and most recently EJ Manuel - and re-tooled the front office completely during his tenure, hiring a chief aide (Doug Whaley) and new coordinators for pro personnel (Tom Gibbons) and college scouting (Chuck Cook).
It's expected that Whaley, Nix's top understudy for the last three years and the recipient of a long-term contract extension this past February, will assume the role of general manager. That has not yet been made official, but it's supremely obvious that it has been in the works for a number of months now. We'll have much more on this story as it continues to develop.