Buffalo86

"As a parting gift, we left them with two first-round picks next year." Who were the "we" & "they" in this statement? I thought McDermott ran the draft. Or maybe Whaley taking a subtle jab at himself, as if to say "at least I didn't leave them with zero first-rounders again." I don't know.

I don't doubt that Whaley initially wanted Hue, but the story went that Rex (who wasn't anyone's first choice) blew away everyone in the room. Whaley was in that room, and I have no reason to believe he didn't buy in like the rest of them. Here's the story directly from buffalobills.com; Whaley's words on Rex went a bit beyond just keeping the company line: http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/How-the-Bills-decided-on-Rex-Ryan-as-head-coach/19b740de-0ca3-4dd6-8fdc-58c0cf013fa2 If that "National brand" nonsense Whaley was talking didn't come directly from Brandon, I'd be shocked. It sure didn't sound like anything a GM should be concerned about.

I thought it was pretty clear that it was all speculation, but thanks for clarifying that for anyone who didn't get it. This, on the other hand, is speculation presented as fact. Where are you now, ScottLaw?

I'd take Odell Beckham or Mike Evans. Blessed with 20/20 hindsight, the pick is bad even without the extra 1st.

As soon as I stick this red hot poker up my ***, I'm going to chop my **** off. -George Carlin

It's time to find out if Beane can dumpster dive with the best of them!

I'd like to see a sudden death coffin corner kick duel between punters. Give the fans what they want!

Even worse than that- they brainwashed Doug into believing that Rex was his soulmate, and that they were so in tune that they could finish each other's sentences. That's just plain mean.

I can believe that Rex wasn't Whaley's first choice, but I don't think he was willing to rock the boat by disagreeing with Brandon & the Pegulas. A shame if that's the way it went, as his opinion on that matter should've carried far more weight than anyone's in that room. He could've pointed out to them that Rex's D hadn't actually been very good in a few years, and that we had the players for a top 3 unit in a different system. He could've busted out the old "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it" to make his pitch more relatable. If they didn't listen to him & hired Rex anyway, it would've been clear soon enough that Whaley knew what he was talking about. Instead, we got to hear him tell the world about how finding Rex was like finding the person you're going to marry, and how they were so in sync on team building that they could finish each other's sentences. What might've been...

I don't know the full list of first-time HCs who were given more power than the GM, but I'd imagine it's a pretty short one. I can't see the Pegulas being talked into such an arrangement if they didn't already have serious concerns about Whaley's ability. I think once they got around a guy who had a solid philosophy on how to build a winner, they were better able to recognize a guy who didn't.

I really enjoyed their series on how to throw an unforgettable fantasy draft party.

I agree there was no upside to cutting EJ; I never suggested that. It's just... 1) trading multiple picks for a WR to put EJ over the top, 2) ignoring QB in the 2014 draft, including trading away a 5th for pennies on the dollar when McCarron & Murray were available, 3) going into the pre-season with Tuel & Lewis as backups, for the 2nd year in a row, 4) trading the coaches' #2 QB away for future late round picks to force EJ up the depth chart, and 5) allegedly lobbying for EJ to start in 2016 before the Bills were eliminated ...that I could've done without.

Cassel's a 2nd stringer making 3x what EJ's making, so he must be awesome. I hear you, but I think Whaley actually benefitted from having a green owner who didn't know any better than to see what he could do with his own eyes. He managed to get an extension out of it, too.

The Raiders signed EJ to be their starter, right? No? Then he must be their #2, right? No? Hmm... He signed a 1-year, $800k deal, with $0 guaranteed. Don't be too surprised if he doesn't make the team. It's admirable for a GM to believe in a guy he drafted, up until a certain point. That point should've been long ago.

Missing on a QB is fine; you have to take shots. Being the last person on earth to realize he isn't good when you're an NFL GM? Not so much. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Whaley still believes in him.

If the rumors were true that Whaley was lobbying for EJ to start before the Bills were eliminated, seeing him play against the Jets was all the evidence needed to move on... from both of them.

Be careful with that yuck talk!

I wonder if Wade wrote about that Monday night game against the Colts in 2000. During the pre-game interview he was asked about the playoff implications, with both teams being 7-6. He said something along the lines of "neither of these teams is going to the playoffs." He was half right: the Bills lost that game & were basically done. The Colts won it & their next two, and made the playoffs. Good times.

Apparently not by enough, but that's not my point. Wade's statement that "it wasn't a bad idea" contradicts popular history that he was forced by Ralph to make the move.

Any Red Fang fans out there? This is from a pretty wild show in December. Check out the guy getting dumped on his head @ 0:38.

The next day, our owner, Ralph Wilson, called our GM, John Butler, to tell him he wanted Rob to start our wild card playoff game at Tennessee. It wasn’t a bad idea, considering the Titans were unbeaten at home and won all their games there by big scores. We had just played one of our best games of the whole season, and Rob played tremendously. Plus, if we weren’t playing well, Flutie could come in and give us a spark. Doesn't sound like it took as much arm-twisting for Wade to start Johnson as we may have believed. As for the last sentence, given Johnson's performance in the first half, what would it have taken for Wade to look to Flutie for a spark?

You might be on to something here.

Too early to tell, but I think this was the best draft we've had in a really long time. IMO, the #1 reason for optimism is that we have a GM from outside the walls of OBD for the first time since Donahoe, as well as a HC who's expected to do more than just generate buzz & sell tickets. If I can be optimistic about this team, anyone can.

Put 'em in the !@#$ing bathroom!

True, but wasn't his career derailed by injuries soon after that statement? That would be sad if his body fell apart after he decided to start putting in the work. Then again, it's more likely he was just talking ****.