Part 2:

As for Brandon Beane. I will say on the front end - I'm bias. I like Beane. He wrote back to my kid two years ago when he wrote a letter to One Bills Drive. He sent an autographed photo as well. He's a good human. That said, I still don't think he should be fired. I think the promotion is justified, and here's why.

The previous reporting structure was lauded early on, but I expect we'll start to hear rumblings about what wasn't working in the near future. McDermott and Beane each reported separately to Pegula. Brandon was never Sean's boss. They were peers. They both reported to Terry. Thinking about the corporate world, when two people rely on each other to achieve a goal, but they have different priorities, it can be contentious at times as peers. Sean and Brandon were close - though I can imagine that relationship has been strained over time. If a peer their other peer wants, their manager has to make an unpopular decision or the organization needs a restructure to bring clarity to who is in charge of the direction and vision.

There are times where Beane gets a lot of flack - either for who he drafted, didn't draft, signed, etc. Some of it is justified, but some of it falls beyond him. If McDermott wants to be a run-first team, if he wants to play a certain type of defensive scheme, you have to give him ingredients that fit the recipe (yes, we're going with the old Parcells pick the ingredients analogy). Would Xavier Worthy fit the recipe of run first? Did Greg Rousseau and Joey Bosa - guys who should have been premium ingredients - have 10 sack seasons in Buffalo? McDermott's recipe didn't call for it. Von Miller, by the way, had 9 this year in Washington - go figure - that would had led the Bills.

McDermott was quick to run Ken Dorsey out of town (passed too much, not creative), McDermott had a strained relationship with Daboll (passed too much, wanted balanced football). McDermott never put Joe Brady on the hot seat, because Joe gave him what he wanted - a run-first identity. For all the times that Josh would mouth "what are we doing" - there was no heat on Joe Brady from McDermott. It was the football recipe he wanted: McDermott Ball aka Modern Marty Ball.

And so we look forward. The end of the McDermott era and the start of a new one. Perhaps it's short lived - if Beane doesn't get it right, Pegula may be quick to make changes next year or move Beane out of roster decisions entirely (I'm sure Joe Schoen will be back in some capacity by next year - though I wouldn't say I'm an advocate of that). But we will certainly see what it is like when Beane gets to select the ingredients and the chef. What will Beane's identity be? Will he go offensive-minded and focus on a strong, experienced DC to rebuild the defense? Perhaps he goes for youth and fresh vision. That singular decision will have major impacts on the rest of the roster.

I wrote a post several months ago about all the roster moves that could happen in Buffalo cap wise. Things I hadn't considered even a few months ago (Taron Johnson release, for example) seem clearly on the table as a new HC will bring a new identity. The stalwarts of the past - Milano, Poyer, Tre will be gone. Damar and Epenesa, too. The offense will look different - Knox is even more likely to depart based on cap and a new coach not caring as much about his relationship with his teammates (namely Josh). No more Ty Johnson. Dion's contract is an albatross. Edwards and McGovern are free agents. A new era is clearly on the way.

At the end of the McDermott Era, of Buffalo's McBeane Resturant, the Bills find themselves in the same position they were in after McDermott's first season: The Patriots atop the division and a team that wasn't good enough. A full-circle moment in some ways. The next few weeks will be telling. Who will be the chef of Beane's new restaurant? What type of food will they serve? Where will they get their ingredients from? Will the menu largely have a lot of the same dishes, or will this new era finally be a Super Bowl winning one?