The Buffalo Bills have continued their frenzied change in player personnel. On Monday afternoon, the team hired Brian Gaine away from the Houston Texans. While it's not the role Gaine was originally hoping for, he will play a key role in figuring out the personnel for the team going forward. He will also be joining a front office that has been in flux for much of the offseason, but which may finally be settling down in mid-May.
Meet Brian Gaine
The fact that Brian Gaine took this job was relatively surprising - after all, it doesn't represent much of an upgrade from his position with the Texans.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane called the move "lateral" in a statement on the team's website. Perhaps he just wanted to work with assistant general manager Joe Schoen, since the two have a relationship dating back to their days with the Miami Dolphins.
Gaine did an interview for the open general manager job several weeks ago. He did not receive the job, though, with Beane being hired to replace Doug Whaley instead. Most expected him to return to the Texans in the aftermath of that unsuccessful job interview. He must've seen something he liked with the Bills, though, and decided that it was worth jumping ship and building a future with them.
Front office turmoil in Buffalo
It has been a tumultuous offseason for the Bills so far.
It started back when the team decided to fire coach Rex Ryan - he of the bombastic predictions year after year - and hire Sean McDermott as the new head coach. He became the de facto personnel guy for the team as Whaley became less and less of a public presence in Buffalo. He reportedly didn't have much of a role in the NFL Draft a few weeks ago and was fired immediately after it ended.
Gaine will be quick to learn that the dysfunction seen by the public surrounding the front office isn't set to go away anytime soon. The team's most pressing concern is the future of quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The team decided to bring him back this season, but they can still choose to cut him for a conveniently low price at the end of the year, allowing questions to circulate around the most important position in football for yet another year.
The team also has to deal with the impending contract situation of wide receiver Sammy Watkins. There is a lot of business to take care of in Buffalo to end a playoff drought that has become one of the most enduring in all of North American professional sports.
