Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone got into a verbal altercation with members of the team’s front office during a practice this week, and now we know why.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Marrone was upset over the team’s signing of Kyle Orton. Florio specifically says that the timing and money involved with the signing, which came after starting quarterback E.J. Manuel struggled in the preseason, was an issue for the coach.
Orton was signed to a two-year, $11 million deal. Paying a quarterback that kind of money is a sign that he will probably start games for you at some point in the season. Marrone reportedly believes that the signing can negatively affect the confidence of the second-year quarterback from Florida State.
Though Marrone initially denied getting into an argument at practice, team president Russ Brandon said he, Marrone and GM Doug Whaley were involved in the incident. However, in comments to The Buffalo News, Brandon termed it a “discussion” rather than an “altercation.”
“Whaley and Coach were involved in the discussion,” Brandon said via The Buffalo News.
“This is the best working relationship I have seen, to be honest, between a coach and a GM. They’re great competitors and communicators.”
Does it really matter, anyway? All of these dudes will be out of jobs before long once the team is sold. You can bank on that. And any team that has to consider having Orton start games is in big, big trouble.
