Posted by johnmurphyshow on January 24, 2013 – 9:30 am

While much of the football world, and much of America for that matter, is following the Manti Te’O situation with heightened anticipation, it seems like the Buffalo Bills are sitting back, waiting for the dust to settle, and then moving forward to evaluate Te’O as a football player first.

Bills Assistant GM Doug Whaley talked about the Notre Dame linebacker Wednesday night, during an appearance on The John Murphy Show from the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Te’O is embroiled in a controversy regarding a non-existent girlfriend whom he talked about last fall, indicating that she had passed away.

But the Bills are first and foremost interested in learning more about Te’O as a player.

“We always say you grade the player as a football player,” Whaley told host John Murphy. “All the off field stuff, we’ll decide on that when we sit down with Russ and Buddy and see how that guy’s character would affect him being a Buffalo Bill. You don’t want to discount his talent because of his character, because if you do that, you start putting guys that are less talented above him. That’s why we want to make sure as a player we get him right.”

Whaley had high praise for Te’O as a player, despite his struggles in the BCS Championship game against Alabama earlier this month.

“I think he’s a productive guy that has made some plays to win some games,” Whaley said. “Everybody says he had a bad game against Alabama. It’s tough to play against that level. But against Southern Cal, to get them to the National Championship, that goal line stand, he was an integral part of that. The interception to win the game at Oklahoma, he made that play. Michigan State–another interception.”

“He’s a playmaker. We’d like to get his exact measurables, height, weight, etc. And I think another big thing for him will be his forty time at the combine.”

The entire interview with Doug Whaley is available on The John Murphy Show podcast on BuffaloBills.com, or by listening above.

Tags: Doug Whaley Posted in Inside the Bills