Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has followed up his 2020 NFL Executive of the Year campaign with a busy, but highly praised offseason.
Despite having to operate with a lower salary cap than last year’s, Beane was able to bring in a handful of new pieces via free agency, such as wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, tight end Jacob Hollister, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, running back Matt Breida, linebacker Tyrell Adams, and guard Forrest Lamp. Beane also managed to re-sign free agents that could’ve left Buffalo to play elsewhere, including linebacker Matt Milano, and offensive linemen Jon Feliciano and Daryl Williams. In addition, safety Micah Hyde was given a contract extension, as he's played a huge role over the last few seasons in the franchise’s climb to the top of the AFC.
Beane and the Bills’ brain trust have checked off a lot of boxes already this spring, but with the 2021 NFL Draft set to begin a week from Thursday, and a contract extension for quarterback Josh Allen still possible, Buffalo’s front office has a lot of work to do. However, the Bills appear to be in a great spot; looking like a group that may not only be a Super Bowl contender (again) in 2021, but also a competitive and exciting team for years to come.
After holding a press conference via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon, Beane spoke with Howard Simon and Jeremy White on Wednesday morning on WGR. Beane addressed the options Buffalo has in regards to its No. 30 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, how the front office has dealt with preparing for the draft despite still dealing with COVID-19 restrictions, fifth-year options for Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and more.
Here is some of what he had to say:
Beane on the speculation over what the Bills will do with the No. 30 overall pick:
"I think it's great. That's what the sport is about, it's fun. I'd rather everybody be speculating about what we may or may not do than not talking about it. It's good. It's a fun time of year. We're excited in the building about where we're at. Like I said [Tuesday], I wish we were picking No. 32 overall, but hopefully one day we will."
Beane on having to plan for the draft differently as a Super Bowl contender/picking late in the first round:
“You do think about it, and you do weigh short-term versus long-term, but at the end of the day you want to take the best player [available], especially early in the draft. You don’t want to bypass a really good player just to fill a position for need when there’s a clear gap between the players. A lot of the times, that’s why you move around [in the draft order], to fill some needs, but you want to make sure you’re getting the value. If we’re at pick No. 30, and we have a guy with a first-round grade but isn’t really the ‘position’ that some might say is our need, and then we dip down into the second round on our board and take a position of need, that’s not smart. Now, in the fourth or fifth round, after we’ve drafted a few positions, then you start moving to find needs a little bit.”
Beane on the challenges of scouting and evaluating prospects during COVID-19:
“It’s been a harder evaluation process, because we like to get live on campus, watching practices, see these guys move around, talk to people, [watch] games. Later in the year [last season], we were able to go to games and sit in stands. It was just a weird year, but you’re trying to gather information, and it’s easier when you’re on campus; you’re bumping into this coach, this trainer, whoever. It’s harder to line up Zoom calls or get people on the phone than to bump into people. It’s been a harder process, a longer process, but I think we’re in a good position. And listen, every team is having to do it, so it’s our job to find the advantages in the Zoom world we’re in.”
Beane on his philosophy on drafting a running back in the first round:
“You have to find the value, what does this running back bring to you? You look at guys in this league, the guy in Minnesota (Dalvin Cook), Christian McCaffrey – he’s a running back and also a receiver, he could go out and play slot receiver right now and start for almost any team. Alvin Kamara, same skill set, same draft [as Cook and McCaffrey], heck of a pick by the [New Orleans] Saints that year in the third round. So, [ask yourself] what does this running back bring to you? Is he a two-down back? Is he a three-down back? Is he a good runner but a great receiver? You put the value and how you’re going to fit them into your offense. Like, what is he going to bring? Is he just a short-yardage, goal line bruiser? Does he have a ‘home run’ gear? Is he an elite pass catcher? You put all those things into play, and you put the value to how you would use them in your lineup.
Beane on how much of what Kansas City and other AFC contenders are doing this offseason impacts how the Bills make moves:
“You definitely talk matchups. You talk about in-division and you do talk about it with other teams, whether it’s Kansas City… Baltimore has been there a lot; you talk about all the teams. Obviously, you have to get out of your division first, so that’s first and foremost before you talk about these other teams. But, once you get out of that, if you can win your division, now how’re we going to get to the [Super Bowl]? Who are we going to have to go through to get to the big game? So, you do talk about those matchups and what you have on your roster, what could be exploited if you played them today, whether it’s going into free agency or the draft. So, you definitely have that, but you don’t want to reach. I can’t sit here and say, ‘we’re missing this one piece on defense to stop Mahomes, he’s really a third-round player, but I’m going to reach for him at No. 30 or somewhere in the second round. Put the value on the player and try and get them at the right position.”
Beane on the difference in getting prospects’ medical information this year:
“There are some guys we’ve talked about and I’m going to have some follow-ups. But, our doctors, it’s crazy, by now it’s pretty much signed, sealed and delivered with all the draft guys; because not only did they see them in February, but [the doctors] bring [the players] back in early April to reimage them, re-see them, so they’re getting a second look. And then, we have a lot of guys we haven’t seen at all, so you are having to do their medical history or what images you have on them. I really did not agree with the league doing this, because even if we can’t watch them run the 40 [yard dash] or do the drills, the medical is the most important thing at [the combine], and a lot of teams, I know I’ve talked to several, are scrambling right now just like we are to try and close as many loops on these guys and to feel comfortable taking this player. The last thing you want to do is take a guy in the first, second round, and you come in, your doctors get their hands on him, and they say, ‘he needs a surgery,’ and you’re like, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me?’ That’s a fear that a lot of teams have. Normally, you already know by now that this guy may need his shoulder scoped or he may have a hernia, and you put him on your board knowing that I may move him down a little bit, but I’m willing to accept this player with this, ‘he’s going to be out for the rest of spring, but he’ll be ready for training camp.”
You can listen to the entire interview below: