Whaley deserves credit

[WIDE LEFT]

Our 2017 draft class, especially White, is looking strong and is a credit to Whaley, the prime talent evaluator for that draft class. One often overlooked (and brilliant) move was one Whaley pulled off towards the end of 2016. He signs Logan Thomas off Detroit practice squad, and to do so he had to add him to the Bills 53 man roster. All based on potential; the guy had never played tight end. The potential Whaley saw last year payed off big time last Sunday. In the years to come, Thomas will evolve into a pro bowl type tight end

[Cruiserplayer]

He was also one the first gms that was fond of Wentz. Wentz even said that the Bills had scouted him far longer and harder than anyone else.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

this should be fun

[GunnerBill]

He was also one the first gms that was fond of Wentz. Wentz even said that the Bills had scouted him far longer and harder than anyone else.

 

Yea the BLESTO people screwed us. He was on very few team radars until that point.

[DCBongo]

Whaley had a few good picks the same way a broken clock can have the correct time twice a day. The fact that most of the people he brought in are no longer on the team is a sign that he wasn't the best GM.

[papazoid]

whaley is/was mediocre on his best day......and his legacy is getting worse.

[Dr. K]

Whaley had a few good picks the same way a broken clock can have the correct time twice a day. The fact that most of the people he brought in are no longer on the team is a sign that he wasn't the best GM.

Many of those Whaley guys who are not on the team are starting for other teams.

[row_33]

forgotten already in that maelstrom of 17 years of a swirly down the drain

[Kirby Jackson]

I thought Whaley did a good job assembling talent. I think there were some errors in contracts (specifically no out in Dareus' for suspension). In general though Whaley wasn't the problem. He worked with Rex Ryan; that's a death sentence for any GM.

[RoyBatty is alive]

Logan Thomas has caught 2 passes for 25 yd and 1 td and you are ready to declare him evolving into an all pro?

 

I say SO far, the 2017 draft looks extremely good but if Mahommes turns into a franchise QB i think it would be fair to say he failed.

Edited October 24, 2017 by RoyBatty is alive

[PromoTheRobot]

I thought Whaley did a good job assembling talent. I think there were some errors in contracts (specifically no out in Dareus' for suspension). In general though Whaley wasn't the problem. He worked with Rex Ryan; that's a death sentence for any GM.

Exactly. Also don't confuse bad players with players who get swept out by a new regime.

 

Don't forget a lot of Whaley's decisions were shaped by the two fat f@##s coaching the Bills.

[Dr. K]

Exactly. Also don't confuse bad players with players who get swept out by a new regime.

 

Don't forget a lot of Whaley's decisions were shaped by the two fat f@##s coaching the Bills.

Exactly. Whaley did his best to give Rex and before him Marone the players they wanted. The same thing Beane is doing now for McDermott.

[uticaclub]

Whaley had some really bad drafts, signed players to some really bad contract and didn't understand restricted free agents, but he was a really good pro scout

[Billsmovinup]

whaley is/was mediocre on his best day......and his legacy is getting worse.

How can you say this. Whaley was the best GM ever. Only a hateful hater with an agenda like yourself would think otherwise.

 

Sincerely

 

The koolaid crowd

Many of those Whaley guys who are not on the team are starting for other teams.

And those players are whom exactly?

[Buftex]

I thought Whaley did a good job assembling talent. I think there were some errors in contracts (specifically no out in Dareus' for suspension). In general though Whaley wasn't the problem. He worked with Rex Ryan; that's a death sentence for any GM.

This! ^^^^

Exactly. Also don't confuse bad players with players who get swept out by a new regime.

 

Don't forget a lot of Whaley's decisions were shaped by the two fat f@##s coaching the Bills.

And this ^^^

[Kirby Jackson]

How can you say this. Whaley was the best GM ever. Only a hateful hater with an agenda like yourself would think otherwise.

 

Sincerely

 

The koolaid crowd

 

And those players are whom exactly?

Hopkins, Goodwin, Kiko, Woods, Cockrell, Watkins, Darby, and Seymour plays a lot. Additionally, he was heavily involved with Gilmore, Bradham and Carder who are all starting elsewhere. Those are the drafts between 2012-2016. There are a bunch of guys, obviously, still playing on the Bills too. Edited October 24, 2017 by Kirby Jackson

[GunnerBill]

And those players are whom exactly?

 

So from Whaley's drafts (2014-2016 - 2013 is hard to know how much Whaley how much Buddy... it would actually help Whaley's count to include because Hopkins and Woods are starters elsewhere with EJ and Goodwin as depth and 2017 was McDermott's draft.

 

Starters for the Bills:

Preston Brown

Shaq Lawson

 

Depth on the Bills:

Seantrel Henderson

John Miller

Nick O'Leary

Adolphus Washington

 

Starters elsewhere:

Sammy Watkins

Ronald Darby

 

Depth elsewhere:

Ross Cockrell

Kevon Seymour

Reggie Ragland

Cardale Jones

[row_33]

How can you say this. Whaley was the best GM ever. Only a hateful hater with an agenda like yourself would think otherwise.

 

Sincerely

 

The koolaid crowd

 

And those players are whom exactly?

 

That's true, the greatest ever, nobody even comes a distant second to Whaley's achievements.

The Rooney family were too afraid to hire him because it would make the Steelers success from the 70s until Whaley's hiring in the 2000s look like a tag-day sale.

[YoloinOhio]

[CanadianFan]

 

So from Whaley's drafts (2014-2016 - 2013 is hard to know how much Whaley how much Buddy... it would actually help Whaley's count to include because Hopkins and Woods are starters elsewhere with EJ and Goodwin as depth and 2017 was McDermott's draft.

 

 

Bullcrap. They KEPT Whaley till AFTER the draft. EVERYONE in the NFL thought that was the most unusual firing. There's only ONE REASON for this move - they respected his talent evaluation. Your logic does not even begin to hold. 2017 draft is Whaley's work.

[Coach Tuesday]

Whaley's issue was never talent scouting - he's a good scout (except, arguably, at QB). His issue is that he couldn't rise above talent scouting to team-building. THIS IS NOT DISPUTABLE LET'S MOVE ON.

[Kirby Jackson]

 

That's true, the greatest ever, nobody even comes a distant second to Whaley's achievements.

 

The Rooney family were too afraid to hire him because it would make the Steelers success from the 70s until Whaley's hiring in the 2000s look like a tag-day sale.

FWIW, the Rooney family and Kevin Colbert have a very high opinion of Whaley. He can go back there at any point. The only concern is his partying. In terms of football though, they love him.

Whaley's issue was never talent scouting - he's a good scout (except, arguably, at QB). His issue is that he couldn't rise above talent scouting to team-building. THIS IS NOT DISPUTABLE LET'S MOVE ON.

This is fair

[teef]

[GunnerBill]

 

Bullcrap. They KEPT Whaley till AFTER the draft. EVERYONE in the NFL thought that was the most unusual firing. There's only ONE REASON for this move - they respected his talent evaluation. Your logic does not even begin to hold. 2017 draft is Whaley's work.

 

Actually I think you are going to see that become the regular time to fire a GM. They respected Whaley's ability to evaluate and put a board together. He did that and he negotiated the trade with KC. The picks were McDermott.

Whaley's issue was never talent scouting - he's a good scout (except, arguably, at QB). His issue is that he couldn't rise above talent scouting to team-building. THIS IS NOT DISPUTABLE LET'S MOVE ON.

 

I also think this is fair, though the changing of Head Coaches and flip flopping of schemes didn't help his team building efforts either.

[Jauronimo]

 

Bullcrap. They KEPT Whaley till AFTER the draft. EVERYONE in the NFL thought that was the most unusual firing. There's only ONE REASON for this move - they respected his talent evaluation. Your logic does not even begin to hold. 2017 draft is Whaley's work.

You don't fire your GM and let your draft board walk to another team before the draft.

[CommonCents]

Whaley paid zero attention to what's in between the ears of players and that is a major mistake. If you need proof of that just continue watching the Bills and following Sammy and Gilmore.

 

Will Gilmore ever be taking out of concussion protocol? Is he now behind ST Bademoise?

[fridge]

Standing idly by while Brandon and Pegula hired Rex is his big mistake. He should have been kicking and screaming for another guy.

[JM2009]

 

Bullcrap. They KEPT Whaley till AFTER the draft. EVERYONE in the NFL thought that was the most unusual firing. There's only ONE REASON for this move - they respected his talent evaluation. Your logic does not even begin to hold. 2017 draft is Whaley's work.

2017 draft was McDermott.

[Chicken Boo]

I thought Whaley did a good job assembling talent. I think there were some errors in contracts (specifically no out in Dareus' for suspension). In general though Whaley wasn't the problem. He worked with Rex Ryan; that's a death sentence for any GM.

Agreed. Although I did not agree with his QB philosophy.

[Augie]

I thought Whaley did a good job assembling talent. I think there were some errors in contracts (specifically no out in Dareus' for suspension). In general though Whaley wasn't the problem. He worked with Rex Ryan; that's a death sentence for any GM.

...this

 

Exactly. Also don't confuse bad players with players who get swept out by a new regime.

Don't forget a lot of Whaley's decisions were shaped by the two fat f@##s coaching the Bills.

...and that.

[Jauronimo]

Whaley had a few good picks the same way a broken clock can have the correct time twice a day. The fact that most of the people he brought in are no longer on the team is a sign that he wasn't the best GM.

Highly specious.

[Guest K-GunJimKelly12]

The Watkins trade is about all you need to know about Whaley. He was in way over his head as a General Manager.

[Jauronimo]

The Watkins trade is about all you need to know about Whaley. He was in way over his head as a General Manager.

Which trade involving Watkins? Draft day or this year?

[buffalostu2]

I thought Whaley was one of our better GMs. He found players on the street and was creative with trades. His downfall was the coaching changes. If the rookie owners stayed out of it he might have had a chance. He was also drafting for a different scheme every two years and that is impossible.

[Mark80]

Logan Thomas has caught 2 passes for 25 yd and 1 td and you are ready to declare him evolving into an all pro?

 

I say SO far, the 2017 draft looks extremely good but if Mahommes turns into a franchise QB i think it would be fair to say he failed.

 

Well, Watson already has it seems and he was sitting there for the taking.

[Guest K-GunJimKelly12]

Which trade involving Watkins? Draft day or this year?

Draft day, so many reasons why that trade was horrendous.

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

1. You couldnt fire him before the draft because he knows your draft board and what players they were scouting.

 

2. There is no way, no way that McD didn't run that draft room.

 

3. The Bills firing Whaley after the draft is the perfect time to fire him. He was probably used more like a scout in his final months leading up to the draft.

 

4. I wanted Whaley fired 3 years ago, worst GM ever. I don't see other teams calling him for GM openings, the guy is a solid scout for defensive players but was absolutely the worst GM at evaluating QB and offensive players in general.

 

Someone could make a pretty good list of QB's Failey passed on, 3 big names that come to mind are Cousins, Wilson, Carr.

[The Wiz]

"Players and winning"

[BillsVet]

Aside from finding a QB, putting together a coherent team-building strategy, his relationships with HC's, and handing out bad contracts, he was a fine GM.

 

Unfortunately he got fired.

[JM2009]

Whaley's issue was never talent scouting - he's a good scout (except, arguably, at QB). His issue is that he couldn't rise above talent scouting to team-building. THIS IS NOT DISPUTABLE LET'S MOVE ON.

Very true.