Beane's insistence that you need a franchise QB to succeed in this league. He gets it, I have no doubt about that.
Like I said in another thread, if the Bills want a franchise QB, this is the year to do it, and the reason is because they have the draft capital to do it. That QB can come from the draft, from FA, or through trade, although I highly doubt the latter. They may trade for Smith, but nobody (especially Beane) is under the illusion that Smith is a franchise QB. He would just be a caretaker.
That leaves FA or the draft. My sense is that Cousins is the only real franchise-level QB available in FA, and I would bet that Beane doesn't want to blow the cap on one guy when they have so many other holes to fill. But, given the amount of draft capital they have, it could be an option.
That leaves the draft, and with all the picks they have, this is the opportunity to get the person they want. Ideally the guy would fall to us at #21, but I don't see them wanting to risk that. They want a franchise QB, and they are going to do what it takes to get one. They have the picks to get what they want.