Bills ‘Future GM’ Von Miller Dream - How Brandon Beane is Helping
At this season's NFL Scouting Combine, a place where current players are rarely seen, a very noticeable one was present. Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller was in attendance with his post-playing career in mind.
But Miller wasn't just randomly attending and hoping to see things to pique his interest in an executive position. He was in attendance with a purpose with the blessings of his agent Joby Branion and Bills GM Brandon Beane.
He spent time with front-office personnel, a former GM, and others, all while taking notes and asking questions. And not just entry-level questions, but questions about how the salary cap works, the collective bargaining agreement, and the evaluation process for players entering the draft.
"You gotta build relationships," Miller said of being a GM. "How do I know this guy's a great coach? How do I know he's a bad coach? How will he fit into my culture? What is my culture?"
Just three former players have taken GM positions in the NFL, and Miller wants to be the next.
"To take the next step, I want the people around me to know, like, OK, nothing was given to me. I worked," Miller said. "I evaluated these players, spent time with coaching, scouting department, spent time with the pro personnel guys ... I want to be in that position where I know my s---."
Beane has been instrumental in assisting Miller with his goal. The two got to know each other during training camp last season, and then through conversations surrounding wideout Odell Beckham Jr., with whom Miller played in L.A.
Beane also remembered a lengthy meeting with Miller following his season-ending injury suffered on Thanksgiving.
"He had his list of questions, and they were well crafted and just going beyond obvious surface-level GM questions," Beane said. "... I know if he's gonna take the time to do that, and he's taking notes while he is talking to me, that showed me ... It's easy to have a five-minute conversation or a 10-minute, but it was two-plus hours on a Saturday, so, I knew he was dead serious about doing it."
If Miller's future entails an NFL GM position - and it very may - he will have Brandon Beane in part to thank for it.
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