BillsVet Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/26/whaleys-biggest-lesson-bills-gm-light-feet/ Like: 1. Not admitting quickly enough Manuel couldn't play after 2013 and subsequently doubling down on that pick by trading for Watkins the following season. And not subsequently drafting a QB until 2016. 2. Drafting an injured player in the 2016 first round, saying he'd be good for the coming season, then reversing course when that player was injured in non-contact drills. 3. Signing Tyrod to a show me contract in August 2016, which now is an albatross around the team's collective neck going into the 2017 off-season. 4. Stating the team was "close" at the 2016 season ending press conference. Now stating "We want to build a foundation (so) that we consistently compete" I'm sure the usual suspects will parse these points to death, but it stands to reason he's consistently backed himself into corners. It's how you go .500 (24-24) over the past 3 seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 And as night follows day BillsVet makes an anti-Whaley post. I actually think his biggest mistake might have been allowing Marrone to bully him into Orton. EJ playing out the season might given us a shot at Winston or Mariota. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Arnold Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 http://buffalonews.com/2017/01/26/whaleys-biggest-lesson-bills-gm-light-feet/ Like: 1. Not admitting quickly enough Manuel couldn't play after 2013 and subsequently doubling down on that pick by trading for Watkins the following season. And not subsequently drafting a QB until 2016. 2. Drafting an injured player in the 2016 first round, saying he'd be good for the coming season, then reversing course when that player was injured in non-contact drills. 3. Signing Tyrod to a show me contract in August 2016, which now is an albatross around the team's collective neck going into the 2017 off-season. 4. Stating the team was "close" at the 2016 season ending press conference. Now stating "We want to build a foundation (so) that we consistently compete" I'm sure the usual suspects will parse these points to death, but it stands to reason he's consistently backed himself into corners. It's how you go .500 (24-24) over the past 3 seasons. I'm not one to defend Whaley, but... 1. How was Whaley supposed to know Manuel would never improve after his rookie season? (In fact, he actually got worse). Manuel's rookie year was actually fairly promising in comparison to other QB's who started the majority of their team's games as rookies. 2. Mountain out of a mole hill. 3. What's wrong with the contract? Instead of Taylor being a free agent with all the power who is likely to get more money from another team than what he'll get under the current contract, the Bills are able to determine whether they want to retain him or let him go. That contract may have been the smartest thing Whaley has done as GM (which makes me think it was probably just a fluke). 4. "Close" to the playoffs. "Consistently compete" for Super Bowl titles. Whaley has done worse things as GM than these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) And as night follows day BillsVet makes an anti-Whaley post. I actually think his biggest mistake might have been allowing Marrone to bully him into Orton. EJ playing out the season might given us a shot at Winston or Mariota. That's a very interesting way of thinking about it. But if I had to watch EJ sink a #4 defense to 4-12, I may have ended up making a Doug Whaley voodoo doll. I'm not one to defend Whaley, but... 1. How was Whaley supposed to know Manuel would never improve after his rookie season? (In fact, he actually got worse). Manuel's rookie year was actually fairly promising in comparison to other QB's who started the majority of their team's games as rookies. 2. Mountain out of a mole hill. 3. What's wrong with the contract? Instead of Taylor being a free agent with all the power who is likely to get more money from another team than what he'll get under the current contract, the Bills are able to determine whether they want to retain him or let him go. That contract may have been the smartest thing Whaley has done as GM (which makes me think it was probably just a fluke). 4. "Close" to the playoffs. "Consistently compete" for Super Bowl titles. Whaley has done worse things as GM than these. I think if we didn't have the TT option right, we could probably extend him cheaper. Edited January 27, 2017 by FireChan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I may have ended up making a Doug Whaley voodoo doll. Like you don't have one already FC!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaaadThingsMan Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Whaley has been neutored on most of his decisions, drafting Manuel, hiring Wrecks, drafting guys for Wrecks system. This year we see what he can do, fail and gtfo. Succeed and get the key to the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanInJax Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Whaley's Biggest Lessons - Whiffing on EJ Manuel - Overspending for Watkins- Missing on Derek Carr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsFanNH Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 And as night follows day BillsVet makes an anti-Whaley post. I actually think his biggest mistake might have been allowing Marrone to bully him into Orton. EJ playing out the season might given us a shot at Winston or Mariota. But the move if done earlier may have gotten the bills back into the playoffs as you missed by 2 game if I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) But the move if done earlier may have gotten the bills back into the playoffs as you missed by 2 game if I remember.ej won his first two games that season, then lost the next 2 and was benched Week 5. I'm not sure how much earlier would have made sense at the time. Especially given the fact that Orton didn't even join the team until late August and had no camp or reps with the 1s. Edited January 27, 2017 by YoloinOhio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 ej won his first two games that season, then lost the next 2 and was benched Week 5. I'm not sure how much earlier would have made sense at the time. Especially given the fact that Orton didn't even join the team until late August and had no camp or reps with the 1s. I am convinced that Orton wins that Houston game, but EJ only had 1 loss as a starter and it would be tough for any coach to bench a guy 2-1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRebound Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Orton was just a symptom of the thinking that permeated the organization under Ralph. Winning a super bowl was never really the goal. It was avoid being a bottom 5 organization and national embarrassment. That gets you countless 6-10 and 7-9 seasons and if you're lucky an 8-8 or 9-7 season. Edited January 27, 2017 by BuffaloRebound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Orton was just a symptom of the thinking that permeated the organization under Ralph. Winning a super bowl was never really the goal. It was avoid being a bottom 5 organization and national embarrassment. That gets you countless 6-10 and 7-9 seasons and if you're lucky an 8-8 or 9-7 season.Saint Doug got his shiny 9-7 ring and that's all the matters. He turned this team around, yo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Nobody puts Lil Doug in the corner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Yea possibly Scott. Maybe if we end up 3-13 or something the Pegulas clean house that offseason and don't hire a retread in Rex because "this team is close and needs a veteran Head Coach". Who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCity Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Haha. That move probably saved Whaleys job ironically. It's also ironic that Rex bringing in TT certainly saved Whaley's job. He was still looking for a coach to develop EJ back then. Can you imagine EJ starting the past 2 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) It's also ironic that Rex bringing in TT certainly saved Whaley's job. He was still looking for a coach to develop EJ back then. Can you imagine EJ starting the past 2 years? he wanted a coach who was simply open to continuing to develop EJ, because at the time of the last coaching search he was the only QB on the roster. Edited January 27, 2017 by YoloinOhio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCity Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 The guy went into a season with EJ, Thad and Jeff Tuel as his QBs. I have never seen so many balls hit the turf at SJF before. It was brutal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted January 27, 2017 Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 I'm not one to defend Whaley, but... 1. How was Whaley supposed to know Manuel would never improve after his rookie season? (In fact, he actually got worse). Manuel's rookie year was actually fairly promising in comparison to other QB's who started the majority of their team's games as rookies. 2. Mountain out of a mole hill. 3. What's wrong with the contract? Instead of Taylor being a free agent with all the power who is likely to get more money from another team than what he'll get under the current contract, the Bills are able to determine whether they want to retain him or let him go. That contract may have been the smartest thing Whaley has done as GM (which makes me think it was probably just a fluke). 4. "Close" to the playoffs. "Consistently compete" for Super Bowl titles. Whaley has done worse things as GM than these. 1. Whaley acknowledged Manuel had issues by trading up for Watkins. No GM (and let's not even say Dimitroff in 2011) trades up for a WR after a 6-10 season. 2. Drafting a player with an injury history that actually revealed itself is not the best thing to do. Doubling down and saying the shoulder was fine days before the injury really made him look clueless. 3. The contract was ill-advised because they needed to sit the guy for the regular season finale. They didn't want him getting hurt and refused to dress him. It was an awkward place to be in benching the starting QB to ostensibly see what they had in the other two options, neither of whom showed anything. 4. Semantics. The statement at the season ending autopsy and weeks later show he's changed his tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Whaley changes seasonal goals on a whim. Cuts Fitz and goes with EJ for a rebuild, then a year later we trade up for Sammy and go with a stop gap in Orton. Doug Whaley is constantly in a fluctuation between "win now" and "reload." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bananathumb Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Tying his shoelaces? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloRebound Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Whaley changes seasonal goals on a whim. Cuts Fitz and goes with EJ for a rebuild, then a year later we trade up for Sammy and go with a stop gap in Orton. Doug Whaley is constantly in a fluctuation between "win now" and "reload." Pretty sure we cut or couldn't get Fitz to restructure because Buddy Nix was too stupid to know he was telling a prank caller that Fitz was only gonna be competing for a backup role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) Pretty sure we cut or couldn't get Fitz to restructure because Buddy Nix was too stupid to know he was telling a prank caller that Fitz was only gonna be competing for a backup role. Not getting him to restructure is not the same as outright cutting him. He could've easily been forced to compete for the job in 2013. And he probably would've won it. Edited January 27, 2017 by FireChan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSOL Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Whaley is still a really young GM. He needs to become more savvy in regards to dealing with the other GM's in the league. He also needs to make a big signature move to get the full respect (finding a true franchise QB) because that Watkins move was atrocious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 And who's fault is that? The guy went into a season with EJ, Thad and Jeff Tuel as his QBs. He then proceeded to do nothing to upgrade the position after that season. He put all his chips into the EJ pot. Absolutely inexcusable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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