Buffalo Bills: Where Does Russ Brandon Fit into this Whole Mess?
By Paul Taylor
The official word is that Buffalo Bills’ President Russ Brandon hasn’t been involved in any football decisions, but something doesn’t add up.
It’s been an interesting few days for the Buffalo Bills, with the local media and fans alike searching for answers as to who is at fault for 17 years of failure. This quest has seen pretty much everyone within the organization got at least some blame for everything that went wrong this season.
One of the most prominent names being mentioned is president Russ Brandon, with a large section of the fan base calling for his head. In this respect, general manager Doug Whaley’s comments about Brandon during his disastrous press conference on Monday, were particularly interesting.
Essentially, Whaley claimed Brandon hasn’t been involved in any football decisions. Similarly, the GM said he wouldn’t be involved moving forward.
As WGR550’s Howard Simon put it, this is “baloney”. However, don’t just take our word for it – look no further than Whaley’s admission that he had no input on the firing of Rex Ryan.
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Further, consider that the 44-year old was not involved in the decision to hire Ryan in the first place. However, guess who was – that’s right, Brandon, the man who apparently has no part to play in any football-related matters.
It doesn’t stop there though, as reported by NBC Sports’ Mike Florio. Brandon was also part of the group who met with Tom Coughlin last year, to discuss a possible role with the Bills.
Once again, Whaley was not involved in the meeting, which leads you to believe he doesn’t have anywhere near the power normally associated with the GM position. This naturally leads to the question of who does have that power, and all signs seem to point towards Brandon.
Whaley attempted to dismiss this sentiment during Monday’s press conference, claiming his president is too busy with his expanded responsibilities within Pegula Sports Entertainment. However, when he was asked what exactly Brandon does, the Pittsburgh native admitted he didn’t know.
Whaley said: “He’s in charge of all — yeah, I don’t even know what he’s in charge of. I just know he’s in charge of a lot.”
Overall, its easy to conclude Brandon is pulling the strings behind the scenes, while the organization maintains the official stance that he is not responsible for any footballing decisions. However, this can’t go on indefinitely – at some point he will have to be held accountable by the Pegulas, especially if results on the field don’t improve soon.
Next: Is Stephon Gilmore finished in Buffalo?
Do you believe the official word that Brandon is not involved in any footballing decisions? Either way, what kind of accountability do you think he should have for what has been going on at One Bills Drive? Share your thoughts in the comments section.