[closed]Whaley is NOT the problem.

[dezertbill]

Oh what a few months does to a fickle fan base.

 

Fans were on cloud nine this summer with all the moves Whaley made.

 

Winning the war to obtain Charles Clay. Obtaining LeSean McCoy and Percy Harvin. Resigning Jerry Hughes.

 

But at 3-4, people are going "rogue".

 

Buffalo's failures you ask? "It's Whaley's fault" some say.

 

Why isn't Doug making trades? Why did he cut Cassel? Why did we cut Freddie? Why...why...why???

 

To those who feel Whaley is on the hot seat, or doing a poor job, your clueless.

 

History proves it.

 

Buddy Nix resigned as GM in May of 2013. Safe to say Whaley had more of an impact on that draft than Nix, since it was probably in the cards for Nix to walk away when he did. But one thing Buddy always said, was that he wasn't going to retire until he found the QB of the future for the Bills.

 

Pretty strong words for an exiting GM.

 

So in 2013, the Bills swung a deal in what turned out to be for EJ Manuel:

 

WR Tavon Austin

 

for

 

QB J Manuel

LB Kiko Alonso.

 

Prior to 2015, Austin had amassed 660 yards receiving and 4 TD over his first two seasons. In 2015 he is on pace for 651 yards and 8 TDs. Zero Pro Bowls.

 

We all know the type of player Alonso (a 2nd round find) became. Alonso turned into McCoy. So the trade turns into

 

Austin

 

for

 

Manuel

McCoy.

 

Even McCoy for Austin is a steal without Manuel.

 

....oh, and that Manuel guy?

 

Harkin back to Nix's pledge to find a Bills future QB before he retired. That was a poor QB draft class, and its not like the Bills "missed" on another QB. Plus, many feel Marrone did more harm than good for Manuel, and having his side-kick in a clown car Hackett running a pro offense fresh off the sidelines of Syracuse didn't help Manuel either. I feel if the Bills had a veteran that could have stayed healthy and allowed Manuel to learn the game, and if Marrone didn't drill crap into Manuel's head that made him doubt his ability as a runner and play the game more natural, Manuel would be a different player. He was playing great before his injury in Cleveland his rookie year, and right now he is mentally damaged goods.

 

When the dust cleared do you honestly believe that Whaley had a choice of walking out of that draft without picking a QB in the first round?

 

NOPE. It was a simple case of choose your poison.

 

Now back to Whaley's body of work.

 

Three weeks before Nix retires, Bills get Jerry Hughes for Kelvin Sheppard. Based on Nix's past and how Whaley has wheeled and dealed since, I have a good idea who was behind that one.

 

Other 2013 selections;

 

2nd Round- Robert Woods- Solid WR whose 2014 stats exceeded Austin's first two seasons combined. Will be a huge contributor in the future.

 

4th Round- Duke Williams- Fringe starter who has already shown he can play 3 years in. Should continue to develop into a good one.

 

6th Round- Dustin Hopkins- Whaley had little choice but to let Hopkins go with the red hot Carpenter on board. He's currently 11-12 in FG attempts and having a great year in Washington.

 

7th round- Chris Cragg- Has shown flashes and can make plays. Jury is still out, but for still being on the team as a 7th rounder is a plus for Whaley.

 

 

2014 was Whaley's first solo draft. His contribution to the 53 were as follows:

 

 

1st round Sammy Watkins- Traded up for what turned out to be CB Justin Gilbert (bust), OL Cameron Irving (non-existent his rookie season and honestly someone I saw the Bills taking with their OLine needs had they had the pick) and SS Ibraheim Campbell (another non-factor).

 

Even with injuries Watkins amassed almost 1000 yards receiving and 6 TD's his rookie year in a deep receiving class. We all know that Beckham is the elephant in the room and the player Buffalo could have had at 8 without trading down. But it's not like Sammy has played like Tavon Austin. He has shown #1 wideout skills and has played like a starting WR. He also doesn't have Eli Manning throwing to him. Watkins with Eli and he may have mirrored Beckham's stats. With all things considered, I feel Watkins has a huge future in the league and I like Whaley's guts to go after a player he wanted.

 

2nd Round- Cyrus Kouandjio- Another player that Marrone tried to destroy mentally . It was reported that Marrone got into a heated discussion with Whaley and Jim Monos over his treatment of Kouandjio. Seems the latter were right, and with Marrone gone Cyrus was in competition for a starter position right until the end of camp and has improved greatly in a year without Marrone around.

 

3rd Round- Preston Brown- Stud ILB who is football smart beyond his years and the QB of Buffalo's defense. Another example of Whaley finding quality talent outside the first round.

 

7th Round- Seantrel Henderson- Labeled damaged goods out of college, Henderson honed in & became a solid starter his rookie season. He even earned honors through the NFL's performance based incentive system, being the highest compensated player in the league. He is continuing his strong play this year and is coming off injury set to return this week.

 

2015 draft

 

2nd Round Ronald Darby- A head scratcher when the announcement came, another gem by Whaley outside the first round. While the entire fan base was wanting a OL or TE, Darby has quietly established himself as a well-respected protector of the perimeter. He and Gilmore are the future of the Bills secondary. A bright future.

 

3rd Round John Miller- Need a starting OG? No worries, Whaley pulls this guy in the third round and he is plug and play from day one after losing out on some big name FAs. Great selection and another value pick.

 

5th Round Karlos Williams- I didn't think we needed another RB when they took Williams, but there is nothing not to like about this guy. A downhill stud who has made the league wonder how he fell to the 5th round. Character questions (ala Henderson) came with him, but he has done the right things to have a very effective rookie campaign. Coming off a concussion, we hope his style of running doesn't change.

 

Let's not forget undrafted guys that Whaley picked up off the street. Nickell Robey, Mario Butler, Bacarri Rambo, Stefan Charles, Corbin Bryant. Guys who have made starts and didn't miss a beat at their respective positions when they did. Colton Schmidt is a stud who crushes the ball every kick.

 

It seems Whaley hasn't missed on any pricey free agents either. Charles Clay is a stud. When on the field Percy Harvin has played great, and his contract makes it a 1 yr 4 million deal if injuries become too much for him. I feel that's worth his production. LeSean McCoy long term is a great move. Tyrod Taylor and Ritchie Incognito may go down as the FA steals of the year. Graham has been well worth the money over two seasons. Whaley has done a great job keeping our key DL under contract on long term deals. Tough to do in this salary cap era.

 

I think it was shrewd to get value for Cassel. I admire his moxey for letting Fred Jackson go. It was a key factor in inking Dareus long term. Although I love Fred, he isn't doing anything in Seattle (54 rushing yards, 152 receiving, 1 TD in 8 games). Hindsight, the move worked.

 

Whaley was instrumental in putting together one of the best defenses in the NFL over the past two seasons. Because the same players aren't performing in 2015 is not his fault. Just ask the players.

 

They say injuries are part of the game, but the stud moves that Whaley has made have not come to fruition because the players haven't been on the field. Besides Harvin, there isn't anyone who is injury prone that we took a gamble on. It's just bad luck.

 

Buffalo's 3-4 start is not on Doug Whaley. The job he has done has been spot on. Whaley is one of the best young minds of the game. He has built through the draft, and waiting for the right time to add key pieces that have made major contributions. I guarantee if he were on the market today half the teams in the NFL would chase after him.

 

I am as frustrated at Buffalo's shortcomings as the next fan. But I think perspective is in order here. Reading Buffalo's media tear apart Whaley over the trade of Cassel is laughable. Everyone was in love with Rex Ryan selection, including the MAIN PERSON who wrote the check, which was Terry Pegula. I like Rex, and I'm not ready to bail on him as our coach. But let's not kid ourselves, the Pegulas were more in love with Rex than anyone. The season is young, and I feel he can turn this around.

 

There are alot of teams who were predicted to be playoff contenders who wish they were 3-4. When you don't have your starting QB, 2 starting RB, 2 starting WR for stretches at a time, 3-4 is a solid job.. Just ask the 2-5 Dallas Cowboys, who some predicted to reach the SB.

 

When we get healthy is the true measure of what Rex Ryan's team can do. That's where the Bills mettle will be tested. But one thing I know for sure, is that the Bills have enough talent on the field to win games and reach the playoffs. They have a coach who thus far has shown he can win games with this team, whether they are blow out wins, or come backs.

 

For now, everyone take a deep breath and stop the "Fire Whaley" talk. It's ridiculous.

 

Let's see how this plays out before we start chanting Bucky Gleason for GM.

Edited November 3, 2015 by dezertbill

[White Linen]

Doesn't matter how many times you say it dezer - there's a litany of fans that just don't posses the ability to compare and contrast properly. It's about being upset and they feel smart by blaming someone.

[Fadingpain]

To the original poster:

 

The 7 page and counting "hot" thread on Whaley (or many of the others) wasn't good enough for you?

 

Had to start your own?

 

[GunnerBill]

You are right. But the last thing we need is more Whaley threads.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

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