default-cbs-image

If you think things are heading in the right direction in Buffalo, think again. The Bills are a disaster in a very big way and it was never more obvious then during Doug Whaley's press conference on Monday.

Whaley appeared before reporters to break down the 2016 season, address what happened with Rex Ryan, discuss why Tyrod Taylor was benched and give some insight into the future of the Bills.

He had no answers and only created many more questions, particularly with his assessment of Rex. Whaley said he hasn't the first clue why Rex was fired, had nothing to do with Rex being fired and hasn't bothered to think about it since.

We can't look into Whaley's soul or mind, but these don't seem like reasonable answers. Maybe he didn't fire Rex -- it's possible that the way the team was structured, with Ryan answering to owner Terry Pegula, allowed him to sidestep that question via questionable semantics -- but then Whaley said he had no idea that Rex was even in trouble.

That is just a non-truth. Here's a Q&A exchange with Whaley and reporters from late in the season (Dec. 23, 2016 to be exact).

Q: How come no one from the organization has issued a statement while he has answered question about his future while he tries to stay focused on the games?

Whaley: Well, because that's what we are. We're focused on the games. Obviously the speculation is out there that you guys have to talk about and fill content with, but with us, we're all about what's ahead of us, and this week it's Miami and trying to get an invitation to the tournament.

Q: Is it not a distraction for the team if everybody is answering questions about whether the coach will be fired?

Whaley: These guys are competitors and they know how to focus. Especially guys at this level, they can compartmentalize. It's not a distraction. It's part of the business. We have to respect what you guys do and answer the questions, but as soon as you guys leave and the questions are over, they get in their playbooks, they watch film and we just start getting ready for Miami.

So Whaley was asked about rumors surrounding Rex's potential/likely ouster about 10 days ago and managed over the holidays to totally forget them. Everyone breaks some brain cells over Christmas but it's just not plausible that Whaley didn't see Rex's firing coming, even if he didn't technically make the call to get rid of Rex.

Whaley also said that Rex -- who, again, just got fired -- was the one who recommended Anthony Lynn get named the interim head coach.

Which means that the power structure in Buffalo was a little screwy.

So does Whaley have no power? Is he actually in charge of the next head coach? Will the next head coach answer to him? IS NO ONE GOING TO JUDGE HIM FOR DRAFTING EJ MANUEL?

Whaley also confirmed it was a business decision to sit Tyrod Taylor for Manuel.

"I would be upset if he wasn't upset," Whaley said at a news conference. "He's a competitor and that's what you want in your starting quarterback. He had a tremendous year. We sat him down as a business decision to have a look at the quarterback position because EJ Manuel was coming up as a free agent and we have a young guy. It was for the betterment and absolutely for the evaluation process of the position going forward. That was it."

It's all a gigantic mess. The Bills would love to attract a quality head coaching candidate, but the reality is Buffalo's not a good job right now.

There's no clear-cut power structure in place, there's no clue who the team is going to take at quarterback and this is a franchise that hasn't made the postseason in 17 years. The GM may or may not have the power to hire a head coach and may or may not have the power to fire a head coach.

The Bills will attract someone who thinks it might be his only chance to get a head coaching position. Buffalo remains a graveyard of a coaching job, set to hire its 10th head coach, including interims, since Marv Levy left after the 1997 season.