List of Buffalo Bills Potential Head Coaches Continues to Narrow Down

Here we are coming down to the final week of the season. The vast majority of NFL teams will see their season end this coming weekend, and for each of those teams that means their head coach failed to deliver, since none of them made the playoffs.

About a week from now, you will start seeing more announcements about certain teams formally firing coaches that you know already had placed the head of the current lame duck coach on the official chopping block. Heads are going to roll.

So, it is time to do a little speculating, look into your crystal ball, and cast your vote. Who do you want to see become the Bills next head coach and why?

What we do know now is that Shanahan, Holmgren, Schottenheimer, and Gruden are officially out. Cowher won't talk until the season is over, but one has to think that he will have a number of offers, some from teams that aren't needing to fill as many holes as the Bills job would require.

I have been leaning towards hiring an offensive minded coach for some time now, as I think a better offense would go a long way towards helping out the defense's problems at the same time. Who are the best offensive minded options available?

That list brings to mind names like Brian Billick, Charlie Weis, and Jim Fassel.

Other names that will continue to surface include defensive whiz types such as Dom Capers, Leslie Frazier, and our own interim coach Perry Fewell.

If a top offensive minded head coach can't be hired, whether it's a lack of interest in our franchise or that Ralph Wilson wasn't willing to meet the salary demands, then maybe we should be looking at someone who already appreciates Buffalo for what it is and has roots here.

The list then narrows real fast, and Jim Haslett would jump to the head of the class. Coming back to Buffalo would be full circle for Haslett, having played linebacker for the Bills from 1979-1985. He was also the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1979.

I wonder if Haslett has some thoughts on all the Bills' injuries and what he would do from the strength and conditioning side of the game, having been a former player that admitted to steroid use while he was in the league. You would have to think that he learned something from his personal experiences and has gained some valuable insight since then.

Of course, if the Bills do things in the order that many fans are calling for, they will go about hiring a new general manager first, and then the new G.M. will identify the head coach of his own choice. Hopefully the new G.M. will be able to realize that the team has been starved offensively for a long time, and we need someone that can make the Bills an exciting and viable team.

So, look over the list of names and cast your ballot. Better yet, vote and write a comment about who you voted for and why. Thank you.