BillsVet

Let's discount all news reporters now because we don't know who their sources are. Goodness. I get that some Bills fans will never admit management is flawed and in the face of all objective evidence, will defend their team to the hilt regardless of results. But to universally say reporters "don't know" is why it's getting hard to debate people here. Actually, there's little debate, particularly when it involves critical thinking based on evidence. The burden of proof is on those advocating for the team. That perspective has, especially since I've been on this board, been wrong most every time.

This sums up Whaley in a sentence. I don't understand the plan and it changes every year seemingly, although admittedly a new HC hires mean the plan may change. Yet, this shouldn't result in sweeping changes like what we've seen since RW passed in March 2014. Since that day it's been a scramble at OBD, which was somewhat predictable given the uncertain ownership picture. There are 31 QB's starting in the NFL who were drafted, Tony Romo being the exception. The average draft postion is 42 for those. 13 of those 31 were taken in picks 1-5. From picks 6-10 there is 1 (Tannehill), 11-20 there are 3 (Roethlisberger, Flacco, Cutler), 21-32 there are 3 (Brees, Rodgers, Bridgewater). Three (Dalton, Kaepernick, Derek Carr) from 33-64. 5 (Cousins, Mallett, Foles, Wilson, Jo. McCown) from 65-102. And there are 3 (Brady, Tyrod, and Fitz) taken beyond pick 102. The idea QBs are only taken at the tip top of the first round is a myth perpetrated by those who say it's too hard. It's not, and while not all of those QB's starting today are stellar, there is enough of a sample size to say it's not impossible to get a good one in the early middle to second round.

I would never think this team would be so thankful to get a 5th round rookie RB back into the lineup. Especially with the skill position talent they had entering the season.

And EJ had the temerity to say after the game that he played "solid." This, after throwing for 111 yards in the fourth quarter when the game was over.

Does Whaley know who he's shopping for or are these groceries for himself?

The Bills are like the bully from A Christmas Story who gets beat up himself. And Rex is like the kid weakly telling Ralphie to stop. Buddy and Doug just love fast injury prone skill position types from Clemson.

I'm not going to totally disagree with this post, although with Whaley, I don't see what he's trying to do aside from avoid the media. He's more adept at drafting defensive players because on offense he's been poor. There isn't much skill giving up draft picks to move from 9 to 4 to take the best WR. Aside from Robert Woods, what decent offensive starters has he selected from 2013-15? Most of the offensive group was acquired via free agency or trade. Where I disagree is how Whaley could do a good job and have the roster foundation outdated. His predecessor had no plan aside from get a better player here, get a faster or stronger guy there. So I guess Whaley is better there. Still, he doubled down on Manuel and that decision is significantly damaging his career. Because after yesterday, we're another step closer to declaring Manuel a bust. And the Bills are trying to cover up the one position that cannot be.

Whaley is in a tough spot because he didn't hire the 2 HC's during his tenure and whatever players he's acquired aren't necessarily going to play under the latest coaching staff. The owner is not doing them any favors either considering that Whaley does not have the job security Rex enjoys. The idea it's as simple as Whaley having control over the 53 and Rex playing whom he wants on game-day is wrought with major issues. This was evidenced by the handling of the QB situation. Whaley was high on Manuel whereas it appears Rex and the staff were not. And so Whaley traded the guy in the way of Manuel playing. But the strategy building this roster has been something based on the 1970s because teams don't win with great defense and a strong run game. For those who think Seattle does this, well, they have Russell Wilson which allows them to throw when they have to. Buffalo doesn't have that capability and therefore gets into trouble when that situation presents itself.

Whaley's been in Buffalo as a leading personnel type for this his 6th season. He may have drafted or contributed to the drafting of some solid defenders, but his record offensively isn't good. And right now, you win with offense in the NFL. His decision or the one for which he invoked the word "blame" this past January on Manuel is clearly not going to produce the guy they said he'd be. Rex's defensive scheme needs work and perhaps he'll do that. What I don't see an immediate answer is at QB, where the personnel people, i.e. Whaley, have not been so hot fixing. You're not going far in the NFL trying to make up for less than a good talent at QB either, and that falls on Whaley more than anyone else.

Those Bills teams in the Marv and Brandon GM years were so thin in terms of talent that a few injuries seemed to undo the roster pretty quickly. IIRC, that was the year after Clements, Fletcher and Spikes were allowed to hit UFA and McGahee traded. It was bad that year, but they set themselves up for it when talent wasn't adequately replaced.

Correct Dave. I made the correction.

A HC needs to define the identity of the team, work with the GM to acquire talent to support that identity, and use that talent effectively on gameday. In Buffalo the GM and HC haven't worked well enough together to build a winner since the Marv/Polian years. Each HC/GM combination since then seems to have been running in different directions and making decisions to support their ego and/or out-dated identity they wanted to establish. Of late, that could be Whaley trading up to draft a WR without a decent QB to throw them the ball. Or Nix taking a RB with his first draft pick to run behind an offensive line that was plodding and immobile. Or Nix deciding to go defense heavy in 2010-12 on draft day when the league is shaded toward permitting offense. Or, the last 4 GMs since 2006 combining to take (EDIT: 2 QBs) in the top 3 rounds when other teams were persistent addressing the position. I know what Rex wants to do. I'm just not sure if he knows how to go about doing it. And what complicates everything is that Whaley's trying to survive as GM with a coach he doesn't agree with on the 53 man roster. Something's gotta give soon, but if I was a betting man it'd be the GM would go before the HC.

It's hard to win in the NFL...then again the same tired excuses come out on TBD every year when this happens. Almost like a broken record.

The modern NFL does not reward teams who try to win predominantly with defense and a run first offense.

Best wishes on a speedy recovery Bill. An outstanding poster and even better person.

Did Bortles' career end already? Because it sure looks like the Jags have a better prospect at QB for the future than Buffalo does. And Caldwell didn't need to spend huge resources on receiving options to support the QB. As for present regime, Nix and Whaley are inexorably linked. Not deciding to take a QB in 2011-12 and perhaps 2014 is why the team is signing low to medium cost options in free agency. Hoping it works is not a strategy worthy of a legitimate NFL franchise.

How much did Dave Caldwell invest in TE's and WR's his first 3 drafts on the job? (2013-2015) Two 2014 2nd round picks in Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, the latter of whom is playing exceptionally well. Allen Hurns is also productive, a UDFA. And sure, so far the Julius Thomas UFA signing hasn't been great. Meanwhile, the Bills have invested 2 1sts (Watkins), a 2nd (Woods), and a 3rd (Goodwin). Not to mention signing UFAs Harvin and Clay. Caldwell prioritized getting the QB in the draft and didn't make excuses. In Buffalo, it's "QB purgatory."

And all this time I thought Eugene Parker was done embarrassing Buffalo. Then again trading up for WRs without a QB doesn't keep the former satisfied when the latter offerings can't read the whole field and go through all their progressions. And where are the veterans on offense to tell Sammy to keep it in house? FJax would be that guy....

Or Whaley advised the coaches that Cassel wasn't worth a roster spot. And being a good soldier, Rex compromised with the GM on that.

When a team hasn't contended for so long, their decisions, even athletic training ones, will be more heavily scrutinized. There's too much competition in the NFL for stuff like this, if true, to go wrong and expect the team to win. It doesn't look good that two highly paid players returned only to have the same or similar injuries that prevented or hindered them from playing previously.

Maybe Marrone wasn't wrong in wanting to hire new athletic training staff. Maybe it has nothing to do with this either. EJ's injury at the end of the 2013 season kept him out longer than the coaches originally anticipated, or so Marrone made it seem.

I guess the issue here is whether you can lay blame on the GM based on loads of circumstantial evidence. I won't repeat each side's case here, but if Manuel has to play and struggles, then the staff was correct to make him third string and off the game-day roster. And eventually it'll leak out what happened, because most at OBD know this was a go for broke season. We will see.

No conspiracy. But why would Whaley seek to get Manuel on the field if he wasn't at least partially responsible for the pick? And why would Whaley make this statement on the Manuel pick if it was wholly on someone else's shoulders: "You guys can assign blame wherever you want, but when we're in draft meetings it is a consensus recommendation for our whole organization of where this guy's valued and where we should pick him in the draft." http://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/index.ssf/2014/12/buffalo_bills_gm_doug_whaley_on_ej_manuel_pick_assign_blame_wherever_you_want.html You can believe whatever you want to support your narrative. Whaley had significant input into the pick and when it didn't go his way under a new staff, angled everything to get his guy at least dressed.

Just say hater. It's easier and shorter to spell. Do you think, with Whaley waiting in the wings, that he would agree to let the guy about to retire pick a QB for him (EDIT: if he wasn't on-board with the pick)? And, IIRC, the Manuel pick was made after Buffalo traded out of the 8th pick. When precisely did Buddy Nix ever make a trade out of a draft slot? Nix was well-known for (EDIT:not) trading down and choosing to let the draft come to him. To that point, from 2010-2012 he didn't once trade down despite being in a major rebuild. http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/26280/buffalo-gm-unlikely-to-shop-no-3-pick Now attack the article because Tim Graham wrote it.

The issue is bigger than just Matt Cassel and what armchair types think of him. It's about a coaching staff that identified him as the backup who was traded for nothing to help them this year. And how that transaction puts in the guy that same coaching staff said was the 3rd stringer. Player personnel is a nuanced subject owing to its inherent shared responsibility between front office and coaching staff. The issue is whether the trading of Cassel was conducted to permit Manuel to dress, and in case of injury, play. That leads directly to the GM who needs his most noteworthy draft pick on the field to save face. If Manuel doesn't play well Whaley should be held accountable.