Fred Jackson, Former Syracuse Assistant Speak on Doug Marrone's Exit from Bills

Doug Marrone's decision to opt out of his contract with the Buffalo Bills has certainly divided opinion and sparked spirited debate about his choice. Now, his former players and coaches are speaking out, too. 

On Monday, Buffalo running back Fred Jackson spoke on Marrone's decision to send a mass text to the players rather than telling them in person of his decision.        

"Any time you get a text message saying that it's happening, you feel like you got punched in the stomach," Jackson told WGR 550 in Buffalo, via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. "I mean, stuff could have been handled different. We don't... we all weren't in the room and understand what went down."

Jackson added, "It's the unfortunate part of the business. Everybody makes decisions that best suits them. For us, we're not going to dwell on what he decided to do."

Marrone's former assistant coach at Syracuse, Bob Casullo, was less diplomatic during an interview with ESPN Radio Syracuse, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News:

Casullo wasn't done there, per Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday:

It's worth nothing that Casullo and Marrone also coached together with the Jets as assistants in 2004, when the former coached tight ends and the latter coached the offensive line.   

Marrone spent two seasons with the Bills, finishing 15-17 in that time. He came to the Bills from Syracuse, where he went 25-25 in four seasons and led the team to two bowl victories. He also spent three years as the offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints.

Regardless, Marrone has set forth a media firestorm, one that Sports Illustrated's media critic Richard Deitsch has been intrigued by:

Bills running back C.J. Spiller and safety Aaron Williams initially shared their take on the news when Marrone announced his departure last week:

Clearly, Marrone wasn't pleased with something in Buffalo and felt he wouldn't have an issue getting another coaching gig if he left. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen, though he has generated interest from teams with head coaching vacancies, including the Jets and Falcons.    

Regardless, more than a few folks have had some sharp things to say following his departure, something prospective employers will certainly keep in mind. It will also be interesting to see if Jackson's comments spark any additional reaction among Bills players.