That’s how Brandon Beane described the scene this week as the Buffalo Bills general manager, his front office and coaching staff evaluate players while at the 2020 Senior Bowl, and he’s not just referring to the actual interviews they have with prospects.
“We have scouts that are tracking these guys, and runners trying to get a hold of them, and how do they treat those people? Was the guy a pain in the butt to get over to our interview? Did he not show, or was he not responsive to texts? If it’s showing up now, it’s probably going to show up if you draft him.”
Beane touched on a few different topics related to the Bills:
Beane said players across the league often get second opinions on things once the season is over, and sometimes elect to have certain procedures done on their own. He said he doesn’t expect any players to not be ready for training camp, barring any setbacks.
The general manager didn’t want to get into any specifics on any player, but said, “We’ve said all along we want to draft, develop, and sign, and that clock has finally started.” He said there’s no rush to sign them right now and the team needs to go through their process of pending free agents first.
The Bills can exercise the fifth-year option this offseason on White.
He said they’ve had preliminary discussions with some of those players’ agents, but also that some of them are going to want to test their market value and that they’ve earned the right to do that. He said that doesn’t mean if the player goes to free agency that they still can’t or won’t re-sign him.
“He’s one of the best [defensive line] coaches I’ve been around. He’ll bring a toughness and an edge. He’s a big-time leader. He fits what Sean [McDermott] and I are trying to do, and I think he’s going to be a big asset for coach [Leslie] Frazier.”
