GM Doug Whaley Building a Contender in Buffalo
- Alex Rugile
- Apr 26, 2015
- 3 min read
Bills General Manager Doug Whaley has been aggressive this offseason. From signing Rex Ryan as the new Head Coach, to trading away second year linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Eagles for star running back LeSean McCoy, to adding wide receiver Percy Harvin and signing former Dolphins tight end Charles Clay’ the young Bills GM has been slowly making a name for himself in the NFL as an aggressive go-getter and is building a contender in Western New York.
Whaley started his career in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers under the tutelage of Tom Donahoe, who brought Doug Whaley to Buffalo with him when he became GM of the Bills in 2001. Whaley was named the Bills’ Assistant GM/Director of Pro Personnel during the 2010 season, leaving Pittsburgh to explore a better opportunity after the Steelers named Kevin Colbert as their new General Manager. Whaley was then promoted to General Manager after Buddy Nix stepped down from the same position following the 2013 season.
Since then, Whaley has been making moves to improve a Bills franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in over a decade. His first major move was drafting quarterback EJ Manuel with the 16th overall pick in the 2013 Draft. The move surprised some people, and Manuel still has yet to prove himself in the NFL, but Whaley thought extremely highly of Manuel, which led to him overlook other needs and select the Florida State product. Only time will tell if the pick was worth it, and this could be the year the NFL sees what Manuel is truly made of.
The Bills also went on to select linebacker Kiko Alonso, wide receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. During that offseason, the Bills also traded away linebacker Kelvin Sheppard to the Indianapolis Colts for Jerry Hughes, which has seemed to work out perfectly for the team as Hughes just signed a contract extension with the team this offseason.
During the 2014 Draft, Doug Whaley made the boldest and most aggressive move during his short tenure as GM with the team; he traded first round picks with the Cleveland Browns to move all the way to the fourth overall selection. With that pick, the Bills drafted wide receiver Sammy Watkins from Clemson. The move shocked a lot of people, questioning why they would make such a bold move when there were obvious other glaring needs on the team. Whaley then drafted offensive linemen Cyrus Kouandjio, Cyril Richardson, Seantrel Henderson, and linebackers Preston Brown and Randell Johnson, and cornerback Ross Cockrell.
Of the eight draft picks from 2014, four players came in and contributed immediately for the team during the season; Watkins, Henderson, Richardson, and Brown (who replaced injured LB Kiko Alonso and performed admirably in his absence). As a result, the Bills earned their first winning season in over a decade, finishing with a 9-7 record and one win shy of making the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. After the trade for McCoy, the Bills were surprisingly deep at the running back position, which included Fred Jackson, Anthony “Boobie” Dixon, Bryce Brown, and CJ Spiller. With all the depth at the position, and Spiller’s contract expiring, the Bills decided to let Spiller explore other options, where he later signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Along with the trade for QB Matt Cassel and all the free agent signings; from Percy Harvin to Charles Clay to Richie Incognito and fullback Jerome Felton (which may be the most under the radar signing of the offseason), Whaley is quickly turning this Bills squad into a perennial contender (at least on paper) and showing the NFL that he’s not afraid to make moves and spend money to help get this team heading in the right direction. With the season fast approaching, there is plenty of enthusiasm and optimism surrounding this team. Not only are the players and coaching staff excited, but the fans and even some NFL experts are anxious to see what the Bills have in store this season. It’s going to be an exciting ride for the Bills in 2015, and the sky is the limit for this reloaded roster.
Alex Rugile @alexrugile
Link to: Bills Fanatics FB Group
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