Anybody miss Whaley yet?

[Buffalo Bills Fan]

Nobody's perfect. Whaley bitching was way overblown here in Buffalo. Bitchers never realized that he had built the most talented team since the 90s. A top ranked D. The best run offense. But tragically for him, not in the same !@#$ing year. If the team made the playoffs, all the bitchers would never have complained about cap. Cap can be managed from year to year. You can't keep every high priced talent you find. We had them because Whaley was good enough to find them!

 

Could he have grown with us, who knows. Look at Beane. He's a rook. Making all kinds of rook mistakes. We're still paying for these mistakes. We all know this team is less talented than last year's.

 

Beane is going to get a chance Whaley didn't - he's going to be able to draft from the best QB class in two decades. Maybe three. And Whaley helped set up for his success by trading for the extra 1st round pick from KC. But life's tough. I thank Whaley for the talent.

 

At the end of the day, the team's owned by Pegulas, not us. Can't do ****. Cheer them on, and hope one year they get it right, or like in Carolina's case, got LUCKY with Cam.

 

Chances are, this clownshow Beane's about to get lucky next year.

Atlease with Whaley He could not choose the coach when the team were at a rise. It was Pegula love fest for Ryan.

[todd]

So his priority was to "win now." How did that work out?

 

 

Just adding a little fuel to the fire here. After the moves that have been made recently is there anyone out there that misses DW yet? Been so many head scratcher moves lately I don't know how to feel about the new regime anymore. One day I love em the next I hate em. At least with Whaley we knew he wasn't gonna blindside us and his priority was to win now.

[May Day 10]

I will concede that he did very well on his pro scouting side...

 

Draft was bad, including unadvisable trade-ups. Bad at contracts. Bad about coaches... both selecting and working with.

 

Now, we can play the game the bills have cursed us with for about 12 years and try to figure out whose fault was each decision. Whether it was whaley or the collaboration machine, it matters not. This team's management has been their biggest problem. Even if they suddenly granted whaley top authority, too much baggage, 7 years, working with the "collaborators". Also, whaley, with his laid back kick the feet up on the desk, poor public speaking makes me believe he isnt the greatest choice for steering the ship.... much like tim murray, for different traits.

 

The clean break was necessary for the bills to redefine themselves as a team serious about competing, not preserving decision making for a few front office personnel

 

At least now, the bills' game of creating fog around all the football decisions is over. If this rebuild falls on its face, we know it is beane/mcdermott and they can be replaced.

Edited September 5, 2017 by May Day 10

[HT02]

Not at all

[CDogg20]

So his priority was to "win now." How did that work out?

 

 

Obviously not too well but you can't fault the effort.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

Atlease with Whaley He could not choose the coach when the team were at a rise. It was Pegula love fest for Ryan.

 

...and a Brandon induced nudge to sell tickets....glad he went upstairs.....TrainWrecks set us back two years.....thinkin' Pegula writing him that severance check wised 'ol TP up.....

[Guest NeckBeard]

So, for what it's worth, I didn't hate Whaley, but at the same time I am glad that the org is taking a new approach for a change. They may go sub-sub-.500 for 3 years, and maybe everybody ends up getting fired again, but as a lifer with this team, I've come around to the line of thinking that real organizational change is the answer to this problem, in particular now that there is "new" ownership. I said on my previous message board of residence, before last year, that I'm giving things 5 years before I throw up my arms, and wonder why I'm wasting my time any longer, and I'm sticking with that. (And no, I'm not quitting on this team, but certainly 3 more years of absolute suckitude will probably squash my will to talk about them on a message board anymore.)

 

I have often wondered how Whaley would have fared had Rex not been hired, but had Marrone stayed on instead. I have wondered what would have happened if Marrone/Whaley had replaced the OC, drafted another QB, and had kept the defense intact while adding a piece to that unit here and there. I suspect that it would be 7-9 to 9-7 all the way, still in the hunt for a QB (after having drafted another one), and still in the hunt for an identity on offense, but as always I am willing to be wrong.

 

To the point of the OP, I am glad that Whaley is gone. I do not feel gleeful about this season. I kind of expect the team to suck, and I would be the first to say that my expectations are low for this squad, and perhaps next year's as well. I am really excited the ownership is trying to get people to run the football show, and that with a streamlined FO, and qualified hires at GM/HC, maybe this will turn around. McBeane is a really bold and ballsy move, and in that light, I miss Whaley exactly not at all.

[mead107]

Let it go people

[Kelly the Dog]

Let it go people

I'm really missing Antoine Winfield today.

[TheFunPolice]

Whaley is another guy like Fitzpatrick and Gailey, who "everyone thinks highly of" and did a few nice things here and there but got promoted one level too high.

 

It's that simple. He's a scout who never should have been GM. Gailey is an OC who never should have been HC. Fitzpatrick is a backup who never should have been starter.

 

Can't blame him. Whaley made some serious money in his role. The nice thing about Pegula is he usually re-signs you to a nice fat contract right before he fires you.

[msw2112]

 

The Bills were mired in mediocrity under Whaley. It remains to be seen where this regime takes the franchise. There have been some questionable moves to say the least with the jettisoning of young players, but let's see what they do with the accumulated draft capital moving forward. A heavy dose of skepticism is warranted at this juncture IMO.

 

 

THIS

[cba fan]

I haven't read all of this thread. That is my disclaimer. I think that Whaley assembled a better roster than we have now. I am not sure that's even debatable. The coaching will be a little better so the results will be what they will be. In general though, Whaley has proven better at assembling an NFL roster than Beane. There is a reason that the Steelers loved him. He did a decent job. He just got stuck with Rex.

And an owner who would not let him pick the HC.

[Wayne Arnold]

And an owner who would not let him pick the HC.

 

Not true at all.

[26CornerBlitz]

 

Not true at all.

 

Please expound on this.

[TheFunPolice]

Whaley also didn't seem to have a good understanding of value in terms of draft picks or contracts and had a team without a viable QB strapped for cap space.

 

I'm not saying he was awful. I'm saying he was medicore at best and lacked the ability to communicate. In other words, a decent scout who "everyone loves" and all that but not the guy you want running your entire football operation.

 

He is the Ryan Fitzpatrick of GM's. People think fondly of Fitz and have the highest regard for him too. How many teams has he led to the playoffs? How many Super Bowl appearances? Titles?

 

Notice I said "led." Not "been a part of." Whaley came from a great organization and obviously has some talent as a scout. He's just not a good NFL GM.

 

"If only he had....." fill in the blank. We used to play this game with Fitzpatrick too. "That Fitz I tell you! If only he had a defense! If only he had better coaching! If only he had a running game! If only he had a decent education!"

 

Seriously, why would anyone miss Whaley? For what? His waiver wire pickups? Maybe he should get a job as a pro personnel man somewhere. GM is more than finding waiver wire guys.

Edited September 5, 2017 by TheFunPolice

[Wayne Arnold]

 

Please expound on this.

 

Whaley was part of the hiring team. If he pounded on the table about choosing the coach himself or told the Pegulas that they shouldn't hire so-and-so because such-and-such, then the Pegulas would have listened.

[TheFunPolice]

or maybe Whaley was a poor communicator who couldn't get along with Marrone and then couldn't get along with Rex and constantly leaked stories about internal strife to the media to bolster his agenda.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

or maybe Whaley was a poor communicator who couldn't get along with Marrone and then couldn't get along with Rex and constantly leaked stories about internal strife to the media to bolster his agenda.

 

He's gone. Get Over It

[Gugny]

 

He's gone. Get Over It

 

Is that an Eagles trademark?

[Augie]

He's gone. Get Over It

That applies to....so many people....