Bills fire GM, scouts one day after draft

The Buffalo Bills fired general manager Doug Whaley one day after the end of the NFL draft, a move that further solidifies rookie head coach Sean McDermott’s control over the team.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. >> First Rex Ryan, now Doug Whaley.

Bills owner Terry Pegula completed an offseason front-office purge by firing Whaley, his general manager, and the team’s entire scouting staff on Sunday, a day after completing the NFL draft.

Though pleased with the collaborative effort that took place in the draft room between Whaley and rookie coach Sean McDermott, Pegula went ahead with the change after what he called a lengthy review of his operation. Pegula said the timing coincided with the end of the draft, but he declined to detail the reasons why he felt the overhaul was necessary.

“Doug’s a good guy. He’s a smart man, but we made the decision,” Pegula said during a 15-minute news conference at the team’s headquarters. “And the reasons remain private to us.”

The shake-up further solidifies McDermott’s authority and influence, which has grown incrementally in the three months since he replaced Rex Ryan, who was fired in the final week of last season. The 42-yearold detail-oriented defensive specialist has become the voice of the franchise in discussing all team-related topics, including free agency and the draft.

Besides Whaley, the Bills also dismissed playerpersonnel director Jim Monos and Kelvin Fisher, the team’s former amateur scouting director who had previously been demoted to an advisory role.

Pegula said he will immediately begin a general manager search and that it was too early to speculate on candidates. He said McDermott would have some input.

One possible candidate is Carolina Panthers assistant GM Brandon Beane because of his ties to McDermott, who spent the previous six seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator.