The Buffalo Bills recently fired Rex Ryan and will begin their head coaching search very soon. Here are just a few possible candidates who could be at the helm for the Bills next season. But there are more questions than just the head coach. The Bills defense, which was an elite unit just two seasons ago, was disastrously poor this season. For this analysis, we'll assume that 2013 was the first year in which Doug Whaley was acting as GM.
2013 Draft: E.J. Manuel, Robert Woods, Kiko Alonso, Marquise Goodwin, Duke Williams, Jonathan Meeks, Dustin Hopkins, Chris Gragg
The 2013 draft was most well known for the first round pick spent on E.J. Manuel. Manuel spent some time as starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills but fans and the organization quickly realized that the first round pick had been spent on a player who wasn't a starter in the NFL. Both Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin played key roles on offense in the 2016 season, but Goodwin remains an injury prone player. Kiko Alonso had a fantastic rookie season, but missed the following year with injury. The Bills were fortunate enough to trade him for LeSean McCoy. The other players on this list played varying roles, but have not made significant contributions as starters.
Overall Grade: 5/7 players still on roster, D
2014 Draft: Sammy Watkins, Cyrus Kouandjio, Preston Brown, Ross Cockrell, Cyril Richardson, Randell Johnson, Seantrel Henderson
The Bills 2014 draft was highlighted by a decision to trade a 2015 overall pick to draft Sammy Watkins in the first round. There's no question that Watkins has a ton of talent, but his injuries continue to hurt a Bills offense that desperately needs him in the lineup.
Cyrus was terrible for his first two seasons, but looks like he may have turned a corner in 2016. Preston Brown has played a ton of snaps on defense but there's no question that he's a liability in coverage. The rest of the players on this list are either on other teams or were suspended.
Overall Grade: 3/7 players still on roster, D
2015 Draft: Ronald Darby, John Miller, Karlos Williams, Tony Steward, Nick O'Leary, Dezmin Lewis
The trade for Sammy Watkins seriously hurt hampered any chance the Bills had for a successful draft. Still, the Bills managed to hit on several of their picks who would become immediate starters. Ronald Darby had a fantastic rookie year at cornerback and is still a decent corner. John Miller has been one of the better guards in the league in 2016. But the rest of the players on the list haven't made much of an impact in 2016. Karlos Williams had a great rookie year but added too much weight and is now out of the league. Steward isn't on the team, Dezmin Lewis isn't good enough to get on the field, and O'Leary played minimally in 2016.
Overall Grade: 4/6 players still on roster: C (Only because there was no first round pick)
2016 Draft: Shaq Lawson, Reggie Ragland, Adolphus Washington, Cardale Jones, Jonathan Williams, Kolby Listenbee, Kevon Seymour
For obvious reasons, all the players on this list remain on the Buffalo Bills roster. The Bills were lauded for selecting Lawson in the first round until it was announced that Lawson would need surgery. Shaq missed a lot of time and didn't have a huge impact when he came back. Reggie Ragland and Kolby Listenbee didn't play a snap in 2016 thanks to injuries. Cardale Jones was likely drafted as a developmental prospect, but didn't do anything in 2016. Jonathan Williams was perhaps the most unnecessary pick for a team that had two quality running backs in LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee.
Adolphus Washington and Kevon Seymour were forced into action with injuries and did have an impact on the defense.
Overall Grade: 7/7 players on roster: C (Hard to tell with injuries though)
The Bills have been hurt by their trade for Sammy Watkins and by an insistence on drafting running backs when not needed. Doug Whaley's poor drafting has resulted in issues on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball when injuries occur.
