It was a little surprising when Doug Marrone opted out of his head coaching deal with the Buffalo Bills. He had the opt out because of the ownership change, and there were reports of a clash with GM Doug Whaley, but still. Big-money head coaching contracts in the NFL don't grow on trees, and it's not a given that Marrone will be a head coach anywhere else in 2015.
But this story in the Buffalo News makes Marrone's decision a little easier to understand. Among other things, Whaley seems to be a little out of touch with reality in his support of EJ Manuel.
The article says Whaley is speaking with coaching candidates in "glowing terms" about Manuel, and is laying the blame for his lack of development at the feet of Marrone and his coaching staff.
Few would dispute that Manuel didn't develop, but it doesn't seem likely that a top coaching candidate is going to be excited about his GM's belief that Manuel is a much better quarterback than what he's shown in his first two seasons. Among the coaches tied to the Bills in reports so far are Mike Shanahan (who will no doubt have his own ideas about the quarterback position) and Rex Ryan (clearly lacking a good track record in terms of young quarterbacks being developed on his watch).
The Bills are apparently interviewing a ton of candidates, but Whaley's position on Manuel probably won't help the hiring process. Of course, if Shanahan takes the job, he'd probably want Whaley to pack his bags anyway.
--Andy Richardson
