KD in CA Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 He was an improvement over what we had before and did some good things, but his two signature decisions were EJ and the Watkins trade. Oh for two. And I can't remember the last time it didn't seem like the FO and the coaching staff were at odds for one reason or another. No organization is ever successful unless everyone is on the same page and that hasn't been the case at OBD in a long time. That might not be all Whaley's fault, but you can't keep ignoring the problem and you've already replaced the owner and coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KermitMcDermott Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 It's not impossible that Whaley may read this board. "Hey, Doug, what you up to?" "Oh, just reading what a bunch of asshats on the internet are saying about me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsfanAZ Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 I like Whaley and thought he did some good things but also made some mistakes. I wish him luck and think he will be a good Pro Personnel guy for another team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 It is really too bad that organizations cannot demote good people. The money is guaranteed and being paid and he should have been transferred to another position in organization. Bills could have given him a lesser role with permission to seek other positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuvian Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Timing is everything in life and Doug's timing was not favourable. I don't know if any GM could have succeeded in this soap opera. I always felt that Doug never really had true GM power. It seemed that he went from being Buddy Nix' understudy to ceding decision making to the revolving (revolting?!) door of coaches that have darkened our doorway. As a result he leaves with us not really knowing what he was about philosophically as a personnel man. He had some success and I thought he was classy if a poor communicator. I am grateful for his service and wish him well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racecitybills Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Well said. Whaley was a good talent evaluator, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He definitely did not deserve the abuse he got from the media and segment of the fan base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joemac Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Doug, I thought you were doing fine and deserved to go longer in this job. I wish you well wherever you wind up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Success Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 I wish him well, but it will be tough if he turns another team into a contender. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilcoam Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 You can't help but like the good things DW bought to our Bills A couple of more wins annually, relevancy, better drafts, saavy trades, and some gems in FA However he left us without a top tier QB, only one legit NFL WR, no playoffs, and continuous cap issues He had a nasty habit of continually trading up in drafts and trading away draft picks without success Though other than my criticisms I have no idea why the Pegs decided to let him go My best guess if they looked at the overall picture and thought the team should be more successful And that DW's record didn't suggest he was the one that could make that happen I'm sure he'll find other employment elsewhere, I wish him the best of luck I'd like to think the change will be good for all parties involved including our Bills moving forward jc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansLanda Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Doug is a very good pro scout. Not very good in front of a mic, but not everyone is...And that, unfortunately, is part of the job as a GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 (edited) Ironic. He just hired his first HC and many of us are excited about McD. And he just had maybe his best draft as graded by the draft gurus. And he gets fired. Best wishes, Doug, where ever you go as long as it's not New England. Edited April 30, 2017 by hondo in seattle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racecitybills Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Well said. Whaley was a good talent evaluator, especially on the defensive side of the ball. He definitely did not deserve the abuse he got from the media and segment of the fan base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spurna Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Ironic. He just hired his first HC Did he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mob16151 Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Best of luck to Doug.Unlike the other Doug,Whaley was a class act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r00tabaga Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Wish him well also. I certainly don't hate him. Lotta good mixed in there. He'll be somewhere else soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffAlone Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 like him or hate him, the roster did improve under his watch. Yes! Thanks,Doug. You're a class act Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 Doug, Thank you. This is the NFL. Not For Long. So long Doug. Best wishes Agreed. It's a performance-based business and that caught up to him. Overall I thought Whaley did a good job at talent identification and acquisition. I would love to know who really made some of the contract calls. Having to serve the needs of 3 different HC did not help. People forget that where there's consistency in drafting and a lot of draft picks stay and play, there is also consistency in coaching and scheme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Lightning Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 You have to wish him well. He's got some solid skills and made some great moves and trades. His stubbornness was an asset and his downfall. I hope he takes the lessons learned and puts his skills to use somewhere and finds success. Remember, he took over from Buddy on the tail end of the uber dysfunctional Bill's RWW days and put us on a better path. He made some bad missteps, but I still like and respect him. It's just time to move on. I don't understand the glee people are getting from his firing. Especially from the hyenas at the BN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 (edited) I wish Doug the best too. I suspect he will resurface as a personnel guy somewhere in the league. Look at Doug's tenure, he came in a "hot shot" from the great Pittsburgh organization. Unfortunately he worked for the most dysfunctional FO in the NFL with Russ Brandon and Buddy Nix at the helm. Nix was no GM, he is a good Scout and that is all Buddy Nix should have ever been. Brandon was not a football guy and never will be. We also had Tom Modrak, content to work from home in Jacksonville, a knowledgeable guy but he mailed it in. Jim Overdorf's management of the cap has been dreadful. Doug did not pick Marone, he inherited him. He did not pick Rex either. Doug made errors, but no more than the rest of the crew. He actually performed his job the best of the entire bunch named above. Better than the Pegula's too. I bet we see him succeed in some capacity elsewhere. Edited April 30, 2017 by Bob in STL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 I'll add my thanks, too. This man worked hard and was responsible for a dramatic improvement in the talent on the team. Before Nix and Whaley, the Bills drafted players from small conferences, small schools and schools that didn't have winning programs. Whaley changed all that. He started drafting from schools with winning records in the best conferences; in other words, he began drafting players who were outstanding athletes who knew something about winning. And in free agency he did even better. Under Whaley, the Bills acquired a lot of free agents who were drafted in the first or second round and who had struggled with their original team. Those guys have talent and need time to get their feet on the ground. When Whaley signed them, they often blossomed. So, Mr. Whaley, thanks for all you did, and good luck always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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