ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Sour relationships and lack of continuity have haunted the Buffalo Bills during their 17-year playoff drought.
The hiring of general manager Brandon Beane puts the franchise on the right track to end that dysfunction.
Beane during his introductory news conference Friday spoke glowingly about his relationship with coach Sean McDermott and provided key details on how the hierarchy is going to operate.
Beane spent 19 years with the Panthers and served as Carolina's assistant general manager for the past two seasons. There, Beane worked with McDermott, who was the Panthers' defensive coordinator for six seasons.
"We built a good relationship in Carolina," Beane said. "I trust Sean, and Sean trusts me. I think we're going to make a heck of a partnership."
MORE: Why Whaley was fired after draft
It's a relationship the Bills haven't had since 2001, when Tom Donahoe and Gregg Williams were paired together as GM and coach.
Since that pair broke up, when Williams was fired in 2003, the franchise hasn't had GM-coach continuity, which is imperative for NFL teams.
Relationships between Bills coaches and GMs have been quite rocky over the years, in fact.
Former Bills coaches Mike Mularkey and Doug Marrone both quit on the job. Rex Ryan basically fired himself when he didn't agree with the team’s decision not to play quarterback Tyrod Taylor in Week 17 last season.
If the ship sinks this time, Beane and McDermott will both be onboard.
Team owner Terry Pegula said Beane will have control over the 53-man roster, but in the end, it's going to be a team effort.
"It's going to be very similar to what Sean and I were used to Carolina," Beane said. "I'm going to be over the football side. Sean's going to be over the coaches. But there's not a czar around here. Sean's not a czar. I'm not a czar. Every decision is going to be collaborative, together.
"I think that's the only way. I've seen it both ways, and the success I've had is when we're both seeing eye to eye. (Co-owner) Kim (Pegula) and Terry, me involved, we're going to do this together. Other people in the building. This is not a one-person approach."
It's the same approach the Buffalo Sabres, the NHL team the Pegulas also own, are taking with new GM Jason Botterill. Sure, Botterill is going to call the shots, but the hierarchy involves lots of voices.
Beane and McDermott didn't just interact in football circles in Carolina. The two were genuine friends. Beane said they would go on runs together, and McDermott taught Beane's son to wrestle.
"First of all, Sean is a big wrestler," Beane said of McDermott, who was two-time national champ in high school. "My oldest son got into wrestling last year, and I knew Sean was a big wrestler. Little did I know he had a wrestling mat in his house. He said, 'Bring him over, we'll wrestle.' He's got a whole almost a WWF setup over there."
MORE: 3 Bills among impact rookies for '17
Beane's first responsibility is hiring a scouting staff. He also has to evaluate the rest of football operations and decide who he wants to keep and who he wants to show the door.
The first name that popped up Friday was Jim Overdorf, the team’s senior vice president of football operations whose main focus is the salary cap. Plenty coaches and GMs have gone through Buffalo over the years, but Overdorf has remained in place since he came to the Bills in 1986.
Pegula said Beane will decide Overdorf's future, as well as that of other executives, for that matter.
"I'm coming in eyes wide open with everybody," Beane said. "So it shouldn't be about Jim. I've known Jim for a long time and have a lot of respect for him. Great man. I've never got to work with Jim. I'm going to jump in. Just spoke to Jim a few minutes ago and said a hello. I'm looking forward to getting to know this process, how he does things. I'm going to influence him with how I do things. We'll see how this works and go from there."
Beane said all the right things Friday, as most GMs and coaches do during their opening pressers. Whether Beane and McDermott will be successful as a pair remains to be seen. As the Bills learned with Rex Ryan, talk is cheap. But, for once, the Bills have their two most important team-builders on the same page.
Now it comes down to keeping it like that.
"Everyone criticizes me for it because we're victims of not keeping continuity enough," Pegula said. "I think now we have it right."