The Buffalo Bills can’t even do this whole house cleaning thing correctly. True to form, after firing head coach Rex Ryan, the team announced on Tuesday that general manager Doug Whaley will lead the search for a replacement.
GM Doug Whaley will officially be leading the organization's head coaching search. pic.twitter.com/4NZV94XV8H
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 27, 2016
Is there something Whaley is holding over the head of the Bills’ brass? If not, this makes absolutely no sense. He was integral in bringing on Ryan in the first place two years back. And Whaley’s player personnel decisions have been a mix of atrocious and downright disastrous.
Since taking over the general manager job back in 2013, Whaley has overseen a Bills team that’s posted a combined 30-33 record.
His “greatest hits” include the selection of bust EJ Manuel in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft as well as the ill-fated decision to trade up for the injury-plagued Sammy Watkins a year later.
Sure Ryan deserves a ton of blame for the mediocre product Buffalo has put out on the field over the past two seasons. And he paid the ultimate price on Tuesday.
One has to wonder why Whaley is being given yet another opportunity here. That’s only magnified by the fact that any head coaching candidate will now have to work with a general manager that’s already etched in stone. That could limit the quality of coach Buffalo is able to bring in next month.
And we wonder why Buffalo hasn’t played postseason football since the Bill Clinton Administration.