'Who Gives a (Bleep)!' Bills GM Brandon Beane Reveals Truth About QB Draft Trades
The Buffalo Bills changed the trajectory of the franchise for the price of the 12th overall pick and two second-rounders. That’s what general manager Brandon Beane sent to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the opportunity to select Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen.
In the years since, Allen has ascended to the league’s elite, rendering Buffalo a perennial Super Bowl contender. Needless to say, the Bills made the right move, and those two picks became lost to irrelevancy.
In the years since, teams have attempted to follow in Beane’s footsteps trading up to acquire young quarterbacks. The Carolina Panthers traded up last season to select quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick to unfortunate returns. Another team may find themselves dealing with the Chicago Bears atop this year’s draft, acquiring the pick Carolina’s misfortunes preceded.
Jul 28, 2021; Orchard Park, NY, United States; Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has a word with quarterback Josh Allen (17) after practice at the Buffalo Bills Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Beane spoke about other teams trading up in pursuit of 2024 quarterbacks like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy.
“If [trading up for Allen] didn’t work out, I wouldn’t be here anyway,” Beane said. “If it does work out, then who gives a (bleep)?”
Sure, it’s a humorous response, but it serves a legitimate point.
If you’re trading for a quarterback, do so with conviction. Get your guy and worry about the price later. There isn’t a fan east of Lake Erie upset about the two picks the Bills gave up, nor should they be.
Of course, there’s a risk that comes with trading up. Allen could have been a bust and Beane would have been out of a job before his rookie contract expired. But would he have lasted any longer with Tyrod Taylor manning the ship? Or a lesser quarterback found later in the draft?
Being aggressive for a potential franchise-changing player is sometimes necessary, and it’s hard to argue it wasn’t a good-process decision. Betting on traits is generally better practice than trading for intangibly-sound passers without the capacity to win on their own, and Allen had traits in spades.
Luckily, this class isn’t short on toolsy passers with the potential to win games at the next level. It takes two to trade, but don’t be surprised if draft day runs rampant with teams chasing down potential X-factors under center. It was the right call for Beane, and in all likelihood would be a good-process decision for whichever general manager is pulling the trigger this time around.
