The Buffalo Bills didn't wait long to name their new general manager. Three days after Buddy Nix stepped away from the position, the Bills announced Thursday morning that Doug Whaley is the new GM.
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This move was completely expected. It was reported back in January that Bills president/CEO Russ Brandon set up a succession plan from Nix to Whaley as one of Brandon's first orders of business in his new role. The transition happened sooner than some folks expected, but it was a matter of time.
Whaley said during a news conference Thursday that the Bills have the personnel to bring a winning culture back to Buffalo.
"It's an organizational focus, and our main goal is to give the fans of the Buffalo Bills a team that consistently competes for championships," Whaley said. "We feel good about the people that we have on the roster now. We're excited about . We're excited about the coach. And we're just looking to show it on the field."
Whaley's hire ends a long streak for no minority hiring this offseason. The first 15 head coach and GM-level jobs were not filled by minority candidates. Whaley is African-American, starting his scouting career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"They don't accept losing. They set the standard of winning and competing for championships," Whaley said, referring to the Steelers. "And I think if we instill that here, we'll be in the right direction."
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He moved to the Bills in 2010, where he has held titles as assistant general manager, director of pro personnel and director of player personnel.
Whaley will try to end years of instability with the Bills. The team tries a new defensive scheme almost every season, a new coach every three seasons and still is looking for a quarterback to replace Jim Kelly.
It's hard to imagine Whaley didn't have a huge role in the Bills' 2013 NFL Draft because the organization surely knew this change was coming.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.