Getty General manager Brandon Beane of the Buffalo Bills watches warmups before a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 8, 2019.
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane could be ready to make a move that is unprecedented in his tenure with the team.
Beane spoke to reporters about the team’s draft plans, revealing that he is considering the possibility of trading the team’s first-round pick to move back. While Beane has jumped up the board a number of times during his six years at the helm — grabbing quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds through first-round trades — he has never traded back.
Beane said that might be a possibility this year, however.
“If I was in Vegas right now putting money down, I would say if we were going to do anything, it’d be more likely to go back than go up,” Beane said. “But listen, you’re talking to a guy who gets antsy at times and goes up and gets guys so Vegas probably would still go against what I just suggested would happen.”
Bills Careful About Draft-Day Trades
As the team’s official website noted, the Bills head into the April 27 draft with a number of needs but only six picks — one in each of the first six rounds. Beane said that makes it less likely that the Bills would sacrifice any of their picks in order to trade up, but said they will would consider it for the right player.
“With only six picks, it’s a little different than walking in with 10,” Beane said. “So in an ideal world we are not doing (trades up in the draft). But if there is a guy that we’ve put a lot of work in, and there is a lot of conviction on the personnel staff and the coaching staff, we all have a shared vision, we are sitting here in the third round and this guy’s got a really good second-round grade, then maybe we move up.”
Brandon Beane said they probably won’t know until pick 20 if they’ll trade ⬆️or⬇️but given they have limited picks trading back he’d consider.
“If I was in Vegas right now putting $$ down I would say if we were gonna do anything it would be more likely to go back than go up.”
Beane did seem to rule out moving up in the first round, noting that it would cost too much.
“I think it’s easier the further we go down because it doesn’t cost as much capital,” he said. “If we got nuts in the first round and tried to make a big leap, that could really clear out a big portion of our picks.”
Last season, the Bills made a trade to jump up the board in the first round, moving from the No. 25 spot to No. 23 in order to take Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam. Beane said at the time that Elam was the last remaining player with a first-round grade from the team’s scouting staff, and filled what was an important position with veteran Tre’Davious White missing the early part of the season while rehabbing a torn ACL.
Beane dropped a heavy hint that this won’t be the case this year, hinting that the team does not have as many players with first-round grades.
Bills GM Brandon Beane: Won’t comment right now specifically on how many first round grades the team has, but says “it’s not great.”
Bills Could Address Area of Biggest Need
Beane also shed light on the team’s potential strategy for the draft, noting that they have some question marks at defensive tackle for the future and could bring in some young players as eventual replacements for their outgoing veterans.
“The one position that we don’t have a lot on the future is D-tackle,” Beane said. “We don’t at this point. Ed’s (Oliver) going into his last year. DaQuan (Jones) is going in his last year. Jordan (Phillips) was a one-year deal. Tim Settle, last year too. So, if you were poking at something that the Bills would need to keep an eye on, that would probably be where you’d start.”
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Bills GM Brandon Beane Makes Eye-Opening Statement About Potential Trade