Bills fire general manager Doug Whaley one day after draft

After months of campus visits, private workouts and film study, the NFL draft ended on Saturday. The draft is a time of excitement for all teams and their fan bases, with young new players chosen serving as beacons of hope.

But roughly 12 hours after the draft and the frenzy to sign undrafted players ended, the Buffalo BIlls decided to push the button on an even bigger change: the team fired general manager Doug Whaley.

It caps quite a week for Terry and Kim Pegula; the couple, who own the Bills and Buffalo Sabres, fired the GM of their football team and the coach and GM of their hockey team.

The Bills posted a statement from Terry Pegula on the decision to fire Whaley, who had been Bills GM for almost four years and with the organization for seven:

“After a thorough review of our football operations over the past several months, Kim and I informed Doug this morning that we will be moving in a new direction. We have enjoyed working with Doug. He is a good person and we want to thank him for his work and commitment to our football team. This was my decision. It was not an easy decision but I believe it’s the right one for the future of the Buffalo Bills. Our search for a new general manager will begin immediately.”

ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak reported that the entire scouting staff was also fired.

The Bills were 30-34 on Whaley’s watch, going through two head coaches in four seasons, Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan.

While it makes some sense that the Pegulas fired Whaley after the draft – this was not an entirely unexpected move, as there have been reports for weeks that Whaley had been stripped of some powers – it of course sparks questions of how the power structure will be re-built in Buffalo.

Sean McDermott is the Bills’ new coach, and Whaley was the one that led that search. But since McDermott’s hiring in January, McDermott, a first-time head coach, has been seen far more than Whaley. It was McDermott who spoke to reporters at the team’s pre-draft press conference, a role generally reserved for the person making personnel decisions.

So now the question becomes, will Buffalo have a true general manager? Or will McDermott get control of the 53-man roster, with a trusted colleague helping him? It would seem McDermott will have a significant say in who is hired, since forcing a new coach on a general manager rarely goes well.

The Bills announced that Terry Pegula will meet with reporters at 11 a.m. EST on Sunday, so maybe we’ll get a clearer picture.