Examining Brandon Beane’s comp pick hack

[YoloinOhio]

 

If the objective is to build the best roster possible to compete and win football games, does that even make sense? Passing on established players for hopes of an extra pick between the fourth and fifth rounds to replenish the roster seems foolish.  

 

While there are economic factors to consider and the salary cap has implications, obsessing over comp picks isn’t the best way to build a team, and Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane knows that.

 

Instead of reducing the player pool when adding talent to Buffalo’s roster, Beane has loaded up on free agents on bargain deals to create a competitive roster, often to the point of a surplus of talent at one position.

 

While teams obsess over comp picks, Beane is focused on adding as much roster-worthy talent he can which creates competition and the flexibility to make trades that creates his own comp picks

[BigBuff423]

I keep saying, and I will keep saying it - Brandon Beane is the best GM this organization has had since the Polian era and he and McD are absolutely perfect fit for Buffalo. Beane is supremely gifted at this GM business, smart, tremendous instinct and an amiable figure to be able to engage players, personnel, and agents alike. Fantastic.

[JoeF]

Good article by Joe Marino.....Beane uses excess talent at positions to create comp-pick like compensation at the end of training camp.  Getting picks for Teller and Bodine at the end of TC last year was like comp picks.  He turns excess depth into picks--I think its a better strategy than losing core players for a third rounder.

Edited May 5, 2020 by JoeF

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

3 minutes ago, BigBuff423 said:

I keep saying, and I will keep saying it - Brandon Beane is the best GM this organization has had since the Polian era and he and McD are absolutely perfect fit for Buffalo. Beane is supremely gifted at this GM business, smart, tremendous instinct and an amiable figure to be able to engage players, personnel, and agents alike. Fantastic.

 

I mean - butler did a pretty good job for the most part.  I think he hung onto the super bowl guys a bit too long, but Rob Johnson was the big killer to his buffalo tenure.  Everyone after that was pretty terrible.  Polian also didn't have to deal with free agency, but he obviously had a great eye for talent.  

 

I like Beane's strategy - use the draft to get studs, and fill out the roster with lots of depth.  I've never seen a bills team so deep as they continue to build here.  

[MJS]

I like the point about him creating his own comp picks. And we've seen that because we usually have a handful of extra picks in the later rounds. He trades away surplus talent for picks.

 

I bet we'll see some defensive linemen traded away before the start of the season. We seem a little heavy there in depth.

[billsfan89]

Beane's attention to depth on the team is highly underrated the past 2 off-seasons. The Bills O-line rolls 9 deep with starting caliber players. The Bills D-line rolls 9 deep with starting caliber players. I have never seen the Bills ever have that level of depth on their lines before 2019. It isn't just the lines that are deep either. The running back position has 2 good backs and a decent veteran third RB in Yeldon. The WR core has 3 front line starters but also features a gadget WR5 in Mackenzie, added a 4th and 6th round pick to the mix, and has Duke and Foster competing for spots. 

 

I like that Beane has decided not to be a slave to comp picks and if he likes a player he will sign them in order to improve the roster instead of holding off on good players for a mid-round pick in next years draft. Beane has both managed to put this team in a position for short term success and sustained success at the same time. 

[eball]

But...did we get any comp picks?

[Don Otreply]

A front office with a plan, and a guy who is implementing it successfully. Pretty damn refreshing wouldn’t you say fellow Bills fans? ?

[billsfan89]

2 minutes ago, MJS said:

I like the point about him creating his own comp picks. And we've seen that because we usually have a handful of extra picks in the later rounds. He trades away surplus talent for picks.

 

I bet we'll see some defensive linemen traded away before the start of the season. We seem a little heavy there in depth.

 

The D-line carries 8 typically and currently has 9 players who were either significantly high draft picks or on fairly decent sized contracts. Unless they plan to carry Addison as an LB I think you might be right in that they will look to trade some of that surplus. 

[Captain Hindsight]

I've noticed this strategy and thought it made a ton of sense. Why not just add as much talent as possible and see what happens in camp? If you lose a guy like Waddle last year, its not a big deal since he wasnt the only option to be the swing tackle 

 

And we still had two guys to trade at the end of the PS. Brilliant and wouldn't be surprised if other teams start to follow this model

[Saxum]

Too many teams can't otherwise it will not work.

[ColoradoBills]

The 2021 FA period will probably generate some comp picks for the 2022 draft.  If so it will come at the right time when you consider

that will be JA's new contract timeframe.  Lot's of fairly decent FAs the Bills might not sign next year.  Combine that will a much lower

amount of cap space (after they sign their own that they want to keep) next year should equate to a pick or two.

 

I enjoy watching the cap space/contract side of the game and IMO Beane is doing some really great things.  I'm expecting that to continue

even now that the team is "maturing" financially.  It seems to me that Beane (and his beane counters, pun intended) are playing the long 

game and that's exactly what I want him to do.

 

Beane is holding up his end of the bargain and now is the time for the coaches and players to put it all together.

There is a good chance for a bright future for the team and IMO it's starts this year with Josh Allen coming into his own

and taking command of this team.

[Kirby Jackson]

4d chess

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

1 hour ago, BigBuff423 said:

I keep saying, and I will keep saying it - Brandon Beane is the best GM this organization has had since the Polian era and he and McD are absolutely perfect fit for Buffalo. Beane is supremely gifted at this GM business, smart, tremendous instinct and an amiable figure to be able to engage players, personnel, and agents alike. Fantastic.

 

Not sure Polian had the temperament to deal with free agency  era as well either.  Yes he had success in Indy and Carolina, but not as good as in Bufflalo.  He seems like the type that would take it personally if a player were t o sign elsewhere.

[CBD]

52 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

The D-line carries 8 typically and currently has 9 players who were either significantly high draft picks or on fairly decent sized contracts. Unless they plan to carry Addison as an LB I think you might be right in that they will look to trade some of that surplus. 

They carried Lorenzo Alexander as an LB who played half his time as a pass rusher, so in my opinion it's not out of the question to carry 9. It may cost an LB, but Klein's position flexibility could help with that. 

[billsfan89]

20 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

 

Not sure Polian had the temperament to deal with free agency  era as well either.  Yes he had success in Indy and Carolina, but not as good as in Bufflalo.  He seems like the type that would take it personally if a player were t o sign elsewhere.

 

Indy won a Super Bowl, went to another and was constantly a contender when he was there. I say that run was just as good. 

[Buddo]

I think it was @GunnerBill who talked about this the other week in a thread, and it appears it's just a different approach. Maybe partly circumstantial, but it, atm, appears to be a method of gaining an extra pick or two for next year.

[apuszczalowski]

10 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

Indy won a Super Bowl, went to another and was constantly a contender when he was there. I say that run was just as good. 

He also did that with one of the greatest QBs of all time, they should have had better success having manning like they did

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Obsessing about them and pissing away a 3rd round pick for Gilmore are two different things.

[BigBuff423]

50 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

 

Not sure Polian had the temperament to deal with free agency  era as well either.  Yes he had success in Indy and Carolina, but not as good as in Bufflalo.  He seems like the type that would take it personally if a player were t o sign elsewhere.

 

Great point. And not that I was comparing the two in terms of personality, just that Polian did construct a Super Bowl worthy team and we haven't seen that level of competence in the GM in Buffalo since Polian's days. But, point well taken.