Whaley interviewing for Steelers GM

[RalphWilson'sNewWar]

Let’s hope those public speaking classes have helped.

 

He…

He did use this time to work on his public speaking right?

 

…

…

…right?!

 

😬😬😬

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

 

The only coach he actually ever got to pick was Sean McDermott, so that recrimination doesn't really belong on the list with the other more valid ones.

When Whaley described his process for the selection of Rex, I chose to take him at his word that he was all in and on top of that choice.  He likened it to choosing a spouse in fact. 

33 minutes ago, Logic said:

Not sure if this has been said yet in this thread, but…

 

Whaley was excellent at collecting talent, but had no idea what it meant to build a TEAM. Simple.

its been said over and over…and disproven as many times

If he was excellent at collecting talent he would have a job in the NFL where a large number of GMs are not very excellent at collecting talent

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

3 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

Because he is competent.  Competence allows for honesty.  As a GM, Whaley was incompetent in any and every way.   His only significant moves were bringing in 3 good FAs.  Terrible at picking coaches.  Never got a QB.  "ownership" wasn't preventing him from doing his basic duties. 

 

The pass he gets here is bizarre.  The NFL is notorious for recycling FO talent, yet no team has hired him in any capacity since he was canned.

 

Day One Starters!!!!

The NFL is notorious for recycling WHITE FO talent and coaches. Not so much for others.

[Magox]

Whaley has an eye for talent but that was about it.   The GM role encompasses much more than that, Whaley would be best served as some sort of head scouting role.

[holla83]

19 hours ago, Warcodered said:

Saw the video the Bills put out when they hired McDermott when he arrived at the facility and was shown around. McDermott was in a suit, Whaley was in sweats.

 

17 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

You've never seen Brandon Beane in sweats? Of all the things you could single out Whaley for, that's what you pick? Generally speaking, he was an extremely sharp dresser during his time here.

Not to mention he used to workout at the team's facilities. I remember seeing a video of him meeting with Sammy Watkins and his parents and he'd just finished working out. So that might be why he was dressed that way in the McDermott video.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

18 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

The NFL is notorious for recycling WHITE FO talent and coaches. Not so much for others.

 

Exactly... see it time and again, despite the white privilege oozing from the pores of people like boatdrinks, who seems to take the ostrich approach...

[Mr. WEO]

2 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

The NFL is notorious for recycling WHITE FO talent and coaches. Not so much for others.

 

since the overwhelming number are white this seems to be true----  But black  coaches have been recycled.  A lot...

 

Whaley was recycled to the Bills. 

 

As for coaches Hue Jackson was the most notorious recycle.  But pretty much every black HC you can name has also been recycled: Dennis Green as well as Anthony Lynn, Art Schell, Ray Rhodes, Tony Dungy, Herm Edwards, Romeo Crennel, Jim Caldwell, Todd Bowles and now Lovie Smith.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

14 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

since the overwhelming number are white this seems to be true----  But black  coaches have been recycled.  A lot...

 

Not a single one who was fired got another GM position. That's 0%.

[LeGOATski]

4 hours ago, Billzgobowlin said:

I'm not sure if I agree or disagree with that statement.  He thought Watkins would be good, which I would say he is but he overvalued him by trading a lot for him and not getting much return.  I think he can see talent but tends to overrate talent for the compensation.  I think we can all agree Whaley's marque move was trading for McCoy and that he didn't even initiate.  Scout? Yes, Director of personnel? Maybe.  GM?  I would hope not.  

I thought it was Hughes. Jerry for Kelvin was the most lopsided player-for-player trade ever. But Shady was also a great trade.

[Billzgobowlin]

13 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

I thought it was Hughes. Jerry for Kelvin was the most lopsided player-for-player trade ever. But Shady was also a great trade.

Was that a Nix or Whaley deal?

[Rico]

4 minutes ago, Billzgobowlin said:

Was that a Nix or Whaley deal?

https://www.si.com/.amp/nfl/2013/04/29/bills-trade-lb-kelvin-sheppard-colts-lb-jerry-hughes
 

https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2021/01/player-bills-traded-for-jerry-hughes-now-coaching-in-nfl.html?outputType=amp
 

 

[Rico]

Here's the trade thread, the answer ONCE AGAIN is Buddy Nix.

 

Some funny posts in there but I got pissed & had to stop when I saw Wanny.

[Mr. WEO]

27 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

Not a single one who was fired got another GM position. That's 0%.

 

The poster said "FO" and "coaches", so I responded.

 

Anyway, you're wrong.  Martin Mahew was GM for the Lions for 8 years and then fired in 2015.  He held senior FO positions for 2 other teams and now is GM of Washington.

 

Of the other 25 white current GMs', only 1 had been fired as GM previously (Baalke).

[Scott7975]

I see there are people with coke bottle glasses on that still want to give credit to Whaley for all of the Bills good moves and blame someone else for all the bad ones.

 

Whaley signed that good FA.  Whaley drafted that good player.  Whaley traded for that good player.

 

Oh no that bad player was a different GM or the coach picked him, not Whaley.

 

Oh Whaley had no say in the coaching search.

 

 

Whaley was a bad GM period

Edited March 20, 2022 by Scott7975

[Bill from NYC]

Whaley is a horror show as a GM. An utter disaster who gives away the store. He is like an undisciplined kid in a candy store.

 

That said, I heard from posters in the know that he is a gentleman. I believe this and hope that he gets the job. Besides, we tend to not play well against the Steelers and as a Bills fan, it would be nice to see him lead the Steelers straight down the tubes. 

 

What I will say in his behalf is that he is a GREAT dresser. The guy wears really nice suits and sure does know his color combinations!

[Bill from NYC]

3 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

I thought it was Hughes. Jerry for Kelvin was the most lopsided player-for-player trade ever. But Shady was also a great trade.

Was it, even though he gave him a needless, cap killing raise?

[BillsShredder83]

dude gets a lot of hate for being a bad public speaker. silly trait to care about 4 a gm, is Beli a good public speaker? not at all comparing them talent wise, just pointing out how silly that premise is.

i liked doug, he did a decent job with the roster, with plenty of mistakes. do i want him back? ***** no. do i hope he catches on and sees some success? for sure!

[Billzgobowlin]

3 hours ago, Rico said:

https://www.si.com/.amp/nfl/2013/04/29/bills-trade-lb-kelvin-sheppard-colts-lb-jerry-hughes
 

https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2021/01/player-bills-traded-for-jerry-hughes-now-coaching-in-nfl.html?outputType=amp
 

 

So it was a Nix trade

[GreggTX]

He wasn't all bad, but he had a HUGE swing and miss with EJ Manuel. That was his downfall. If he's drafted Russel Wilson, he might still be working as a GM. Most of his 1st round picks underperformed. His day 2 and 3 picks were OK as were his FA moves for the most part. Still, you HAVE to nail those 1st rounders to be successful.

Edited March 20, 2022 by GreggTX

[Aussie Joe]

26 minutes ago, GreggTX said:

His day 2 and 3 picks were OK as were his FA moves for the most part. Still, you HAVE to nail those 1st rounders to be successful.

 

Did the Bills ever sign any of his draft picks to a second contract?

 

Not counting 2017 as I dont think he was making those picks as he was out the door the day after the draft...

 

I will agree that some of his FA moves worked out.. some didn't ( Charles Clay for one as I previously mentioned..)

[LeGOATski]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

Was it, even though he gave him a needless, cap killing raise?

Absolutely. The RB that helped break the drought. He was crucial.

[Breakout Squad]

Whaley sent porn to employees 15 years ago. Who cares? 

[Buftex]

11 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

 

Because he is competent.  Competence allows for honesty.  As a GM, Whaley was incompetent in any and every way.   His only significant moves were bringing in 3 good FAs.  Terrible at picking coaches.  Never got a QB.  "ownership" wasn't preventing him from doing his basic duties. 

 

The pass he gets here is bizarre.  The NFL is notorious for recycling FO talent, yet no team has hired him in any capacity since he was canned.

 

I guess you missed my point...Whaley didn't get to pick his coaches.

 

Both Rex and McDermott had more control than he did.  He wanted nothing to do with Ryan...that was the Pegula's, and Russ Brandon's' choice. And that hire is what did Whaley in. It was a "splash" move...Ryan set the team back and destroyed the momentum they were building. His influence on the franchise and the roster was too big.  McDermott got to choose his own GM.  They are on the same page.  Ryan and Whaley never were. Rex had more power. It shouldn't have worked that way.

 

Whaley is hardly the first GM who had difficulty in finding a QB.  The relative ease with which teams find QBs now did not really exist just a few years ago.  Ultimately, none of it matters now, but I don't think those criticizing Whaley fully comprehend what happened during his tenure. Your thumbnail assessment doesn't take much of anything, other than wins=losses into account...there ts a reason that the franchise was so bad for close to two decades. It didn't start with Whaley...

Edited March 21, 2022 by Buftex

[JohnNord]

6 hours ago, Scott7975 said:

I see there are people with coke bottle glasses on that still want to give credit to Whaley for all of the Bills good moves and blame someone else for all the bad ones.

 

Whaley signed that good FA.  Whaley drafted that good player.  Whaley traded for that good player.

 

Oh no that bad player was a different GM or the coach picked him, not Whaley.

 

Oh Whaley had no say in the coaching search.

 

 

Whaley was a bad GM period

You got it Scott!  The mental gymnastic some Bills fans do to exonerate him from any bad move is something…

 

Case and point, the Jerry Hughes deal was made while Buddy Nix was GM, yet people want to give Whaley credit.

 

The EJ Manuel selection…also made while Nix was GM.  But that was all on Buddy, not Whaley because….”he wasn’t GM”

 

There’s many examples here. I’ll never understand why Whaley get the love that he does from some fans.  He was NOT a good GM

2 hours ago, GreggTX said:

He wasn't all bad, but he had a HUGE swing and miss with EJ Manuel. That was his downfall. If he's drafted Russel Wilson, he might still be working as a GM. Most of his 1st round picks underperformed. His day 2 and 3 picks were OK as were his FA moves for the most part. Still, you HAVE to nail those 1st rounders to be successful.

I would disagree… I’ll say his downfall was not drafting EJ.  His downfall was doubling down on EJ by mortgaging the franchise that Sammy Watkins would help him develop into a good QB.  Many criticized the selection in 2014, and they were right 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, Buftex said:

I guess you missed my point...Whaley didn't get to pick his coaches.

 

Both Rex and McDermott had more control than he did.  He wanted nothing to do with Ryan...that was the Pegula's, and Russ Brandon's' choice. And that hire is what did Whaley in. It was a "splash" move...Ryan set the team back and destroyed the momentum they were building. His influence on the franchise and the roster was too big.  McDermott got to choose his own GM.  They are on the same page.  Ryan and Whaley never were. Rex had more power. It shouldn't have worked that way.

 

Whaley is hardly the first GM who had difficulty in finding a QB.  The relative ease with which teams find QBs now did not really exist just a few years ago.  Ultimately, none of it matters now, but I don't think those criticizing Whaley fully comprehend what happened during his tenure. Your thumbnail assessment doesn't take much of anything, other than wins=losses into account...there ts a reason that the franchise was so bad for close to two decades. It didn't start with Whaley...

We all fully comprehend what happened during his tenure, thanks.  
 

And as with all things Whaley, he was happy to let others think bad moves like Rex were someone else’s fault.  Go look up Doug’s own comments about landing Rex and point to where he hints that he wanted nothing to do with that hire.  
 

He was a bum who signed 3 good FAs.  That’s it.  McD flushed his roster down the toilet to excellent effect

Edited March 21, 2022 by Mr. WEO

[QCity]

1 hour ago, JohnNord said:

 The mental gymnastic some Bills fans do to exonerate him from any bad move is something…

 

 

It really is bizarre. I think Whaley appears to be a good GM in the eyes of people that equate it to a fantasy football GM.

 

One of my favorite clown-shoes moves that went under the radar was the Bryce Brown trade. The man gave away a 4th-rd pick for a RB that lasted for 36 carries 

 

 

[Bill from NYC]

8 hours ago, QCity said:

 

It really is bizarre. I think Whaley appears to be a good GM in the eyes of people that equate it to a fantasy football GM.

 

One of my favorite clown-shoes moves that went under the radar was the Bryce Brown trade. The man gave away a 4th-rd pick for a RB that lasted for 36 carries 

 

 

Giving away the store for Watkins when we had no QB was also rather dumb. The man had no self control.

[Kirby Jackson]

On 3/19/2022 at 7:52 PM, Rico said:

Always good to see the die-hard, hardcore Whaley fans get together every now and then.   

Where’s CBiscuit97? Kirby Jackson?

Say it 3 times and I will appear.
 

Thought Whaley did a decent job. I said, for a fact, that he had a ton of respect still in Pittsburgh. No one wanted to believe it at the time. I think that him interviewing validates what I was told. The Rooney family and Kevin Colbert think very highly of him as a talent evaluator. 

 

This was an odd time to try to call me out when it is proving what you (and others) disputed.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Kirby Jackson

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

31 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

Giving away the store for Watkins when we had no QB was also rather dumb. The man had no self control.

That's the move that tells me the EJ pick was his. 

[H2o]

Whaley was pretty good at evaluating defensive talent. It showed in his time with the Steelers and it showed here as well. He fell well short on the other side of the ball though. I don't have any ill will against the guy, but I think he is better off in a defensive personnel role only than he is in a GM capacity. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by H2o

[Bill from NYC]

44 minutes ago, BringMetheHeadofLeonLett said:

That's the move that tells me the EJ pick was his. 

That makes sense and btw, long ovdue congrats on a GREAT screen name. I'm not sure what it means lol, but for a short period of time, Lett was the best DT that I have ever seen. 

[Rico]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Say it 3 times and I will appear.
 

Thought Whaley did a decent job. I said, for a fact, that he had a ton of respect still in Pittsburgh. No one wanted to believe it at the time. I think that him interviewing validates what I was told. The Rooney family and Kevin Colbert think very highly of him as a talent evaluator. 

 

This was an odd time to try to call me out when it is proving what you (and others) disputed.

Welcome back!

 

We will see if he gets the gig or not. 

[T master]

On 3/19/2022 at 3:45 PM, Maybe Someday said:

If he’s grown a backbone he could be a halfway decent GM. Chances that has happened?  

 

Whaley was a wheeler dealer but like you say he needed to stand up for what his view was for the team he got the coaches what they wanted but it was the total wrong direction for what was here already .

 

And if we need any more conformation on that alls we need to say is REX ...

 

I think he has probably learned from his time in Buffalo and won't be the GM that's trying to please every one as much as he was here .

[May Day 10]

I would take him any day of the week as a 'talent evaluator' or even one of the AGM roles that you hear get hired and they just do their job and you never hear about them.  As a General Manager, not so much

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

That makes sense and btw, long ovdue congrats on a GREAT screen name. I'm not sure what it means lol, but for a short period of time, Lett was the best DT that I have ever seen. 

Ha!  Thanks.  It's a nod to an old Sam Peckinpah/Warren Oates film.   I'm a big fan of the 'love her and leave her/drag a fly-covered head across a Mexican desert genre of films. 
 

(I despised Lett back in the day)

[Jauronimo]

1 hour ago, May Day 10 said:

I would take him any day of the week as a 'talent evaluator' or even one of the AGM roles that you hear get hired and they just do their job and you never hear about them.  As a General Manager, not so much

Director of pro personnel any day of the week.  

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

14 hours ago, Buftex said:

I guess you missed my point...Whaley didn't get to pick his coaches.

 

Both Rex and McDermott had more control than he did.  He wanted nothing to do with Ryan...that was the Pegula's, and Russ Brandon's' choice. And that hire is what did Whaley in. It was a "splash" move...Ryan set the team back and destroyed the momentum they were building. His influence on the franchise and the roster was too big.  McDermott got to choose his own GM.  They are on the same page.  Ryan and Whaley never were. Rex had more power. It shouldn't have worked that way.

 

Whaley is hardly the first GM who had difficulty in finding a QB.  The relative ease with which teams find QBs now did not really exist just a few years ago.  Ultimately, none of it matters now, but I don't think those criticizing Whaley fully comprehend what happened during his tenure. Your thumbnail assessment doesn't take much of anything, other than wins=losses into account...there ts a reason that the franchise was so bad for close to two decades. It didn't start with Whaley...

I'm not a Whaley guy but I do agree with you that he never hired his own coach. That seems obvious, actually.

 

I think it was when they hired Ryan that it was reported he wanted to wait for the Steelers to be eliminated and interview their DC Keith Butler (who wasn't a great candidate IMO but still).

[Rico]

1 minute ago, 2020 Our Year For Sure said:

I'm not a Whaley guy but I do agree with you that he never hired his own coach. That seems obvious, actually.

 

I think it was when they hired Ryan that it was reported he wanted to wait for the Steelers to be eliminated and interview their DC Keith Butler (who wasn't a great candidate IMO but still).

That’s pretty putrid. I don’t believe he ever hired his own coach either, he was just speaking the company line.

 

it should be noted that neither Brandon nor Whaley would’ve been subjected to the same amount of ridicule if it weren’t for the vocal minority of posters who insisted that they did a great job for the Bills.

[Jauronimo]

13 minutes ago, Rico said:

That’s pretty putrid. I don’t believe he ever hired his own coach either, he was just speaking the company line.

 

it should be noted that neither Brandon nor Whaley would’ve been subjected to the same amount of ridicule if it weren’t for the vocal minority of posters who insisted that they did a great job for the Bills.

It should be noted that the fine people of TBD have active imaginations and no shortage of hate.  Defense of Whaley and Brandon was mostly a factor of years of reading unhinged diatribes linking Russ to crimes ranging from the Kennedy assassination to personally drafting Donte Whitner.

[Rico]

11 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

It should be noted that the fine people of TBD have active imaginations and no shortage of hate.  Defense of Whaley and Brandon was mostly a factor of years of reading unhinged diatribes linking Russ to crimes ranging from the Kennedy assassination to personally drafting Donte Whitner.

Dick Jauron fanboy, that’s pretty hardcore!