Beane's biggest blunder?

[Process]

Not gonna pick one specific move, but by far Beane's biggest weakness has been the d line. Pretty much hate everything he has done since he's been here. Way too many draft picks/money/resources spent on average/bad players, that could have been much better spent elsewhere. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

2 hours ago, Gugny said:

Going into the 2018 season with Nate Peterman and rookie Josh Allen. 
 

That was pathetic. 

 

When Peterman essentially fooled Beane and McDermott twice into them thinking he was not only worthy of a roster spot but worthy of starting an NFL game, only to be benched by half time in each of those two starts, I seriously thought these two clowns have no idea how to evaluate a QB. It had me initially having very little hope for JA to start his rookie seasons. But he had fully won me over by the time we played that game down in Miami his rookie year. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

1 hour ago, Bag of Milk said:

He was actually saved from making his biggest blunder when Antonio Brown made it clear that he wouldn't play for the Bills.

Brown would have had a huge contract and compensation would have been a first pick plus others.

I remember Beane saying they had checked out Brown thoroughly before making the trade and felt great about him adding to the process! Yikes!

 

That would have been a complete disaster. How legit were all the rumors though? 

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

That's easy.

 

Passing on Hopkins 

[Nihilarian]

2 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

I think you are undermining Polian's contribution in 1985. It's widely accepted that he gets credit for Kelly, Smith, and Reed additions. 

It's clearly not widely accepted!

 

Not attempting to be mean here. What you fail to comprehend is that Polian was the director of player personnel for the Chicago Blitz in 1985. So he couldn't possibly have been a part of drafting QB Jim Kelly who was drafted in the 1983 NFL draft. 

 

While an employee with the Buffalo Bills when Smith and Reed were drafted in 1985, he was new to the team and wasn't the Buffalo Bills General Manager as Terry Bledsoe was the GM.  

 

As I stated, I think Bill Polian was a great GM. Different times though as free agency was different and allowed teams to keep their best players. 

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, as am I. 

[Nester]

Gotta be Cody Ford

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

8 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Trading pick 27 (Justin Jefferson) in 2020 to the Vikings for Diggs. Not saying Diggs has been a bust, but clearly any rational person would take a guy about to turn 24, over a guy about to turn 30. 

How was Beane supposed to know that Jefferson would be this good and that he was even going to be available at pick 27?  All of this retrospection of past drafts is a bunch of crap.  It's easy to look back on every team's moves and throw rocks.  When I look at the roster and cap that Beane inherited and compare it to the roster  today, I have to say that he has done an excellent job.  Wins and losses tell the story, not results of any one individual draft pick or one free agent signing.  Every GM has some hits and misses with some good and bad breaks along the way.  We all tend to let players off the hook and blame coaches and GM's, when the reality is that some players choose not to put in the effort to be good at their job.

[BillsNutHawaii]

4 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

 

Polian was responsible for landing Jim Kelly a hall a fame QB. He drafted Bruce Smith and Andre Reed two hall of famers. Also, got Kent Hall from the USFL. Made a monster trade to get Cornelius Bennet. That's just a few examples...

 

His team's went to four straight super bowls.

 

You can't be serious...

No way!

DONT FORGET - Bill Polian put the “Shout” song in place too.

And probably saved the franchise from relocating. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by BillsNutHawaii
Added info

[LABILLBACKER]

This question is easy.  For the last 5+ years Brandon has had every opportunity to build a dominant OL around his superstar qb. But because his partner is a defensive HC, he's been influenced to lean toward somewhat failed defensive picks. And because Josh is so damn athletic and sometimes reckless,  he and McD simply embrace that style. 

[billybrew1]

9 hours ago, Gene Frenkle said:

Cody Ford instead of AJ Brown or fan favorite at the time, DK Metcalf. I question whether we would have traded for Diggs if we had drafted one of the two, however. Maybe we'd have Metcalf and Justin Jefferson. Maybe we wouldn't have Allen. Who knows.

 

All I know for sure is the Cody Ford was not a good football player when he was here.

This is revisionist history. Everybody on this site loved the Ford pick at the time.

[Rebel101]

10 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

In your opinion, what is Beane's biggest blunder either draft, free agency or trade? Something that has prevented the Bills from winning it all or putting them in what looks like a downward trajectory in terms of post season finishes since the AFC Championship game appearance in 2020?

 

For me it is using three day two picks on RB over four consecutive drafts from 2019 to 2022. 

 

I think Singletary was a solid pick. Other than a case of the fumbles more than you would like he really produced AND he could do it all. A three down back. But using day two picks in 2020 and 2022 meant the Bills neglected the o-line. 

 

This past draft should have been the draft to use another day two pick on a RB, after Singletary's rookie contract expired. 

Wyatt Teller. Would have gave us another solid lineman who set a nasty mean standard for everyone else. 

[K-9]

9 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Trading pick 27 (Justin Jefferson) in 2020 to the Vikings for Diggs. Not saying Diggs has been a bust, but clearly any rational person would take a guy about to turn 24, over a guy about to turn 30. 

Any rational person would take a proven playmaker to help a young, promising QB get to the next level over the fifth WR selected in that draft. Your 20/20 hindsight is so keen, but you’d have more credibility if you can link us to all your posts pounding the table for Jefferson before that draft and criticizing the trade immediately afterward.

[Rebel101]

51 minutes ago, Nester said:

Gotta be Cody Ford

Wyatt Teller became the savage he was showing his potential as and we let him go become a pro bowler somewhere else. Oh and Isaiah Hodgins another competitor we knew was ready and let someone else take as well. Both would have solidified weaknesses on the Bills roster years ago and allowed for new pieces 

[billybrew1]

10 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

In your opinion, what is Beane's biggest blunder either draft, free agency or trade? Something that has prevented the Bills from winning it all or putting them in what looks like a downward trajectory in terms of post season finishes since the AFC Championship game appearance in 2020?

 

For me it is using three day two picks on RB over four consecutive drafts from 2019 to 2022. 

 

I think Singletary was a solid pick. Other than a case of the fumbles more than you would like he really produced AND he could do it all. A three down back. But using day two picks in 2020 and 2022 meant the Bills neglected the o-line. 

 

This past draft should have been the draft to use another day two pick on a RB, after Singletary's rookie contract expired. 

Beane’s weakest area has been the DL. He was right to invest in a strong DL but it didn’t work out at all….

[Rebel101]

Just now, K-9 said:

Any rational person would take a proven playmaker to help a young, promising QB get to the next level over the fifth WR selected in that draft. Your 20/20 hindsight is so keen, but you’d have more credibility if you can link us to all your posts pounding the table for Jefferson before that draft and criticizing the trade immediately afterward.

I agree the Diggs trade was a good acquisition. You don’t know what you get when you’re taking a new unproven player this is far from Beanes biggest faults

I thought we did this already though OP like 8 times at the end of the season. I figured we needed to move forward since he’s not going anywhere this year. We gotta focus on the good now we don’t have a choice 

[Bob Chandler's Hands]

His biggest blunder would probably be reading this thread. 

[GreggTX]

I have 2. He overpaid both Lotulelei and Conner McGovern. Neither of them are very good, but they got paid like they were.

[Nephilim17]

I don't think it's right to criticize specific player picks as every GM, even the best ones make mistakes. If you do that, you have to look strongly at the AJ and Boogie picks.

 

But if you wanna look at philosophical blunders, it's valuing running backs and other positions (save, maybe, from D-line; right thought, wrong picks) over O-line.

O-line picks should've happened at least once every year in the top 3 rounds since we got Josh, and more overall.

Edited May 27, 2023 by Nephilim17

[BillsSbSoon]

10 hours ago, Dr.Sack said:

Trading pick 27 (Justin Jefferson) in 2020 to the Vikings for Diggs. Not saying Diggs has been a bust, but clearly any rational person would take a guy about to turn 24, over a guy about to turn 30. 

Yeah obviously now we would but diggs was 26 when we traded for him. It ended up being one of the most even trades probably in the nfl history

[Chicken Boo]

I think Singletary was a panic pick.  I'm sure they had David Montgomery rated higher.  Just missed out on him.