Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane is fielding some criticism after the Los Angeles Rams went all-in on a trade for Myles Garrett, a move some analysts believe the Bills could have attempted.
The Cleveland Browns shipped the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the Rams in a major deal, landing promising edge rusher Jared Verse and a slew of draft picks. The move solidifies the Rams’ standing as a top Super Bowl contender, but has left some Bills insiders questioning why Buffalo’s front office has avoided such big moves.
Brandon Beane’s Roster Development Questioned
In the wake of Monday’s league-altering trade, SI.com reporter Alex Brasky questioned why Beane avoids making similar moves.
“The Rams are the anti Bills,” Brasky wrote in a post on X. “Rams: Recognize their Super Bowl window, capitalize with big-swing moves year after year, find results. Bills: Take half measures while meandering through the prime of Josh Allen’s career, never win the big game.”
Syracuse.com reporter Matt Parrino noted that the Bills couldn’t have pulled off the Garrett trade, noting that they didn’t have a player like Verse who could headline the deal. But that too called into question Beane’s drafting, with Parrino noting the pressure the team faces in the coming season for their draft picks to pan out.
“I think the prevailing thought that the Bills didn’t have a Verse-level asset is sound,” Parrino wrote in a post on X. “To get a Jared Verse, you eventually have to hit on one of these edge defenders. It feels like there’s considerable pressure on the T.J. Parker pick.”
The Rams have already made other big moves to chase a Super Bowl this season, landing Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie in a trade earlier this offseason.
Brandon Beane Wanted to Avoid Becoming Like the Rams
Beane has explained his philosophy against going all-in on Super Bowl runs, pointing to the Rams in the immediate wake of their 2021 Super Bowl win. The Rams had bolstered the team with a series of trades that left their roster depleted in the immediate aftermath.
“We’re trying to work our way out so that we don’t have just a tear-down,” Beane said. “And you see that happen from a team here or there like ‘man, we can’t do anymore. We got to get rid of some of these huge salaries and the only way to do it is either try to kick it further down the road, making it harder, or start trading, releasing, and taking those hits.’
“We’re trying not to do that, we want to be competitive every single year. And so some years, you’re just not going to be able to go get a big ticket item every year. I know that’s sexy to go do that. And listen, we want as many talented players as we can get, but we’ve got to be fiscally responsible.”
But the Rams, after a short downturn in 2022, quickly rose to Super Bowl contenders again after hitting on key draft picks like Puka Nacua and Verse.
Bills GM Brandon Beane Under Fire After Myles Garrett Trade