Archives for May 17, 2013

‘Younger isn’t necessarily better, but for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 1999 season, those hires seem to indicate a new direction and commitment to change.’

‘Asked what quality Whaley possesses that gives him an eye for football talent, Modrak said: “His core is he knows people. He has a feel for the room. He has a sense for what’s right and what’s wrong, and I think that all carries over when he analyzes players.”‘

‘”I think, growing up where I did in Houston, it was more team-oriented,” Thomas said. “When you look at the Hall of Fame, it’s more of an individual thing. So, yeah you want to win as a team, but both of them bring different value to what you accomplish.”‘

‘It was difficult to determine whether he was shy, extremely cool or trying to blanket his nerves, but there somewhere was elegance to his guarded answers and direct message. Whaley has a quiet, unassuming way about him. You can only hope he has enough intelligence and confidence to make the right decisions.’

‘”I’ve known him for a while. He’s an incredible talent evaluator and he will be important for us on the road, seeing the top talent,” Whaley said of Monos, who comes to the Bills after spending the past eight seasons as a scout with the New Orleans Saints.’

‘”There’s no magic formula and if there was I wouldn’t be able to tell you because 31 other teams would want it,” Whaley said. “But if you’re committed to accountability and hard work, I think the sky’s the limit. Our main goal is to give our fans a team that consistently competes for championships.”‘

‘”I had a little more input and influence in setting up the draft board,” Whaley said. “It was still Buddy’s pick, but I was the one that put the magnet on the board, and Buddy (maybe) pulled it off.’

‘That man, Doug Whaley, was willing to give up his job as a retail stock broker on Wall Street for the chance to break into the NFL.’

”’Doug has every quality you look for in a leader,” team president Russ Brandon said. ”He’s the perfect guy to lead this organization and lead our football operation. And I don’t know of a guy that’s more deserving of this opportunity than Doug Whaley.”’

‘Whaley spent 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including his last 10 as the team’s pro scouting coordinator, before joining the Bills. He was also a scout for the Seattle Seahawks for three years.’

‘When asked if there was a “Steelers way” of doing things, Whaley said yes there is. “They don’t accept losing,” he said. “They set the standard of competing for and winning championships. If we instill that here, we’ll be headed in the right direction. It’s an organizational effort from top to bottom. If we’re committed to accountability and hard work, the sky’s the limit.”‘

‘”It is with great pleasure to name Doug Whaley to the position of General Manager today,” said Russ Brandon, Bills Team President and CEO. “Doug has been involved in every level of player personnel throughout his career and he will lead our efforts in reestablishing a winning tradition for this organization and our great fans.”‘

‘When some people talk in sports it’s very hard to believe them. Tom Donahoe was a great example of that, but Doug Whaley seems different. Football means a lot to him and this job means a lot to him, “This is a culmination of a lot of hard work. When anybody says hard work does not pay off, I’m going to have to say look at me because I believe it does.”‘

‘None of this guarantees that Doug Whaley and Doug Marrone are going to be great, or even good at any of this. Really, without being too simplistic about it, much of that will be dictated by how good EJ Manuel is and how soon.’

‘”Doug is a passionate and committed leader who will work tirelessly with his department to build a team our fans and all of Western New York will be proud of heading into the future.”‘