I am a big fan of Whaley, I think he's done a fantastic job of talent acquisition and I am firmly in the camp that would have selected him over Marrone, if there were a forced choice.
As for the oft debated EJ pick: the only real way to treat this is as Whaley's pick. I do not think EJ will pan out, so I am not holding on to some hope that we made a great pick (although it would be fantastic, wouldn't it). Anyway, my point is, missing on one quarterback pick should not derail a career. He is young and clearly set up for a long haul in Buffalo, should he want it. He has done a great job of bringing in talent on the defensive side of the ball as well as offensive playmakers (I still think the Watkins pick will pan out, he's clearly a phenomenal WR). Bringing in Orton was a great move. Kolb was a logical move. Releasing Tavaris too early was suspect. I believe trying to find a franchise QB is a total crapshoot where the odds are stacked against you. It's an educated guess for the best of them. Missing on 1 shouldn't be a firable offense, and we've moved on quickly.
I am happy he is with the team and running the show. I expect him to bring in major OLine reinforcements and two quarterbacks. If he doesn't I'll start to question him. Until then...