When news broke that Leslie Frazier would interview for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job today, there was a suspicion -- and perhaps rightly so -- that his inclusion in Buffalo's search process was simply meant to satisfy the league's Rooney Rule. But ESPN's Tim Graham knocks down the idea that Frazier isn't a serious candidate for the job, noting that the Bills have already satisfied NFL policy on interviewing minorities:
The Bills aren't searching for a minority to interview as many teams have done in the past. They interviewed interim coach Perry Fewell on Monday afternoon. The Bills also are reportedly interested in San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. Fewell is black. Rivera is Puerto Rican.
This was echoed by Jay Glazer:
no, Frazier is not just a Rooney Rule guy, he is a VERY legitimate candidate. He commands the room, very good coach. VERY VERY LEGIT!
It's been well-documented that Frazier had some near-misses last season -- instances of being a solid candidate for a head coaching vacancy but ultimately getting passed up. I always thought that if he failed to get a head coaching gig last offseason, he'd be a near-lock to get one this offseason. Sure, a few defensive lapses this season occasionally caused me to question that, but he remains a strong candidate for teams with head coaching vacancies. At the very least, I'm glad he's more than just a token candidate in the eyes of the Bills.