FireChan Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 It's part of the reason the Bills drafted EJ in the 1st. Harbaugh traded for Gabbert and Kelly signed Sanchez, 2 players who had worse rookie years than EJ. Great coaches probably laugh at "offensive geniuses" like Marrone and Hackett. Both those moves got them to the playoffs. Signing a back-up and picking up a flier QB with a sixth round = love.
FireChan Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Not that they would have, but wasn't he off the board by the time they picked? Sure, but if they "loved" him it wouldn't be hard to trade into the middle of the first.
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Drafting a "project" QB like Manuel and giving him a rookie OC who was also his QB coach is awful. You know this is my major "beef" with Hackett. Even if it's true Marrone was calling the plays and limiting Hackett's offense, did Marrone force him to coach the 1st season without a QB coach? Hackett knew he was a rookie OC, why did he sign off on no QB coach? I've liked Whaley thus far but this business about developing EJ gives me great pause. It's almost a call out for self justification. You can't teach accuracy and feel for the game. Please see other thread re: developing AR Am I saying I think EJ could become Aaron Rodgers no but I think he could become a competent NFL QB
Alphadawg7 Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) I am nervous for Whaley to potentially enter into a trade or offer picks for a QB. Firstly Whaley seems not to be able to identify good QB talent. Also his trade cred and roster planning in my opinion is not good as last year he could have tagged Jaris Byrd and possibly gotten a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this year's draft but he let Byrd go to New Orleans. If he remains the Bills GM it will be interesting to see if he may tag Hughes and shop him for a QB and draft picks in this year's draft. I just don't get this board...if you are going to proclaim he is a poor evaluator of QB talent, then please show me one QB that Whaley passed on for EJ that is doing better than EJ? You can't, because EJ is the most successful QB out of that draft up to this point (sad but true). Does that mean EJ is great, nope, means no one else has proven to be better yet since that draft. So, as of this moment, he successfully took the best available QB for a team desperate for a QB and not only that, but he TRADED DOWN and got an extra pick which landed DROY candidate last year Kiko Alonso in the process. Then this year, with a young QB in hand already, he went out and added the BEST available FA QB on the market in Orton...Yes Orton sucks, but so did all the other free agent QB's available. To further the point, we don't know what we have in EJ...what we know is that Doug was terrible at developing him or the offense, even players speaking up about it now. May be that much of the hate spewed Hacketts way should have been spewed towards Marrone. So, jury is still out on EJ. So, if there was not a better available QB for him to draft or add in FA, how can he be labeled terrible at evaluating QB's? Seriously, you people act like Adrew Luck was available the last 2 years. Many of you begged for Manziel...how did that turn out as Cleveland has said they are taking a QB and doing so early this year. In addition...Whaley has proven to be a great evaluator of talent all over the field. He found great players in the draft (people most of you slammed him for taking like Kiko and Preston), UDFA rookies, free agency and via trade. In 2 years he took this from a team full of holes to a team on the verge of greatness with just one major hole to fill...QB. But to fill that hole, quality QB's have to be available and in his 2 years that has NOT been the case. You can not add what isn't available, why is this so hard for many on this board to understand about the QB situation the last 2 years? Edited January 7, 2015 by Alphadawg7
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I don't think it is fair to assume that Whaley can't evaluate QB talent. Where did he miss? By not taking Geno Smith over EJ? It is not like there has been a plethora of QB talent pouring into the league that he has missed on. There are not many elite QB's in the league, let alone ones that Whaley had a chance to get. I think he made a good effort to add serviceable veterans to the team in Kolb and Orton and the jury is still out on EJ. Just because we have not had the good fortune to add an Andrew Luck to the roster doesn't mean that Whaley doesn't recognize the talent when he sees it. A fair point. Here is a list of the top 10 FA QB in 2014: 1. Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles 2. Matt Cassel, Minnesota Vikings (UPDATE: Re-signed with Minnesota) 3. Josh Freeman, Minnesota Vikings 4. Josh McCown, Chicago Bears 5. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars (UPDATE: Re-signed with Jacksonville) 6. Tarvaris Jackson, Seattle Seahawks 7. Shaun Hill, Detroit Lions 8. Kellen Clemens, St. Louis Rams 9. Derek Anderson, Carolina Panthers Cassel quickly resigned with Minn and Henne resigned with Jacksonville. Moore had previously resigned with Miami for 2 years in 2013. Question: which of the remaining 7 FA would you like as our QB signing? How do they rank against Orton? Which of those that played had a better year than Orton?
HOUSE Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Expecting perfection from any GM is unfair. There are to many factors that dictate success and failure. Whaley is probably one of the top 10 in judging talent in the NFL. Lets just go with it..........
starrymessenger Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 The only problem I have with this fairly logical approach is the defense is championship caliber right now. If EJ flops and we have to start over at QB it makes it difficult for all three phases to line up. ST and D are good enough to win right away. I don't know what it will take to get a decent vet qb in here for training camp but it needs to happen. If EJ wins the job so be it. But they need to give up what's necessary to get a vet. My 2 cents I agree. They have to go all out to do whatever is necessary to get a serviceable QB - Hoyer, Bradford, Moore, Locker, etc...With a good HC/OC and a good O-line coach this team would seriously contend for a playoff spot in 2015. I have doubts tho concerning Whaley's ability to identify QB talent. Linebackers yes, QBs, not so much.
BmarvB Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Whaley seems like he is batting .750 in personnel with big whiffs on o .. I think it takes a real pair to admit there is no qb for us if we fall out of top five and get us at least a guaranteed number one which might lure qb if we had built a line I also think my same prejudices about gms and WBA appear with Whaley but he has turned kelvin into gold.. That trade along with some great waiver activity ( Rambo Gray and keeping Leodis strictly on d with our first returner since roscoe Parrish ) should earn him another year at the helm. Gms and qbs ....... Gms and qbs ....... NUFF SAID
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