Brandon Beane defends Buffalo Bills' inability to land WR at 2025 trade deadline

There were several moves that Buffalo Bills now-President of Football Operations Brandon Beane did not make this past season that were subject to much discussion and controversy.

In need of a wide receiver at the trade deadline, and while there appeared to be plenty of opportunity to find a trade partner to do so, Beane and the Bills were unable to make a deal with another team to bring in a weapon on the outside. That led to widespread displeasure among the fan base, which was forced to hear reports that the Bills came incredibly close to doing so but had come up short.

However, on Monday, Beane appeared on Schein on Sports to clear up just exactly how things went down before the deadline.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (3) can’t haul in a reception as Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) defends during the first quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His take

There were three names in particular that Bills fans felt the team should have made a stronger play to acquire midseason — former Las Vegas Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers, eventually added by the Jacksonville Jaguars, former New Orleans Saints WR Rashid Shaheed, who is now with the Seattle Seahawks, and Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle, who remains with Miami.

On Meyers, Beane says there was a hold-up in the Bills’ ability to complete a potential deal with the Raiders.

“We were very active there,” said Beane. “Meyers, he had a higher cap number than we had availablity to do. And speaking with those guys, they weren’t really interested in eating cap space.”

He added, “It’s got to work within our financials. Unless a team is willing to eat money.”

MORE: Bills could risk it all, trade up for WR who would 'love to play' with Josh Allen

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) reacts during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

And while Buffalo appeared to be out-bid for Shaheed, Beane is confident he did all he could to bring in a target from a division rival.

“Shaheed with New Orleans, we were involved in that — obviously, he gets shipped to Seattle,” said the President of Football Ops. “And in division, we talked to one or two of those teams about their players. At the end of the day, I know we had the strongest offer on one, I know that. But ultimately, they decided not to pull the trigger.”

He continued, “I felt like we had the best offer from all of my intel, which I did find out we did. But I don’t know why the reason they didn’t pull the trigger… But they never really countered back to us, 'Hey, if you do this, you can have him.'”

That would seem to create some cloudiness around the report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that surfaced, which stated the Bills failed to complete a deal for Waddle due to a disagreement over draft-pick compensation.

"Miami wanted a first-round pick in 2026, not 2027 as part of the package," Pelissero said in November. "Ultimately, Miami decided that the Bills’ offer, which also included a third-round pick in 2026, was not enough to move their star wide receiver."

If what Beane is saying is true, it would appear Pelissero's report would be erroneous. So, it turns into a case of who you believe.

Full details from The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: pic.twitter.com/DoWrUM6Nli
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2025

Looking ahead

At the end of the day, things didn’t work out, and the Bills moved forward with the addition of Brandin Cooks. The rest is history.

Meyers made a huge difference for the Jaguars, finishing with 483 yards receiving and three touchdowns in nine games played. Shaheed is on his way to the Super Bowl with the Seahawks after recording touchdowns on a kick and punt returns to help Seattle clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Waddle finished the year as the Dolphins' leading receiver and Cooks failed to secure a ball at the end of the Divisional Round defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos that turned into a controversial interception.

Looking into the future, the Bills must make a successful push for a wide receiver this offseason to avoid being stuck in the same passing-game purgatory they were in this past year, with Khalil Shakir as their only reliable player at the position.

Beane can’t come up empty again.

His team can’t afford another swing and miss.

Otherwise, it's could be a long year filled with criticism for the Bills' front-office leader.

Brandon Beane, president of football operations and general manager for the Buffalo BIlls, and head coach Joe Brady take turns answering questions during a press conference that introduced Brady as the new head coach at the Bills field house in Orchard Park on Jan. 29, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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