Brandon Beane’s Tenure by Letter Grade—Poll is Up!

[NoHuddleKelly12]

Since Beane’s takeover from the bloated and non-performing Whaley tenure, we’ve seen plenty of hits from FA and the draft, but also some misses of course…putting it all together however, what kind of cumulative letter grade would you assign to Beane at this point, and why?

 

Also, outside of Josh Allen (who is the best single pick of Beane’s era), who’s been the best pickup in the draft so far? Biggest miss? Same for free agency?

[Doc Brown]

He's somewhere between an A and B.  Definitely a top five GM in the league.  To answer your questions.  His best move besides drafting Allen was trading for Diggs.  His best draft pick so far in terms of value was Taron Johnson.  Knox, S. Brown, Shakir, Benford, Bernard, and Davis are also in the running.  His biggest miss was Cody Ford despite us all loving the trade up at the time.  I would say Elam but the book hasn't been written on him yet.  The Basham pick is still infuriating.  His best free agent signings were Morse, Brown, D. Williams, and Beasley.  His worst contract given out was unfortunately Von Miller. 

Edited June 13 by Doc Brown

[GunnerBill]

He is a B for me. I think he is one of the best GMs in the league at identifying players who can play in this league and building a roster strategically with depth. 

 

The reason he isn't an A is he has struggled to find elite game changers. I know, he hasn't drafted high since 2019 and the two very early picks he made - Josh in 2018 and then Ed Oliver in 2019 are his two most impactful in terms of game changing talents (fair gap between the two, but point stands). However, he has had a LOT of draft picks now. He has made 44 picks as the Bills GM (excluding the ones this spring yet to have a chance to make an impact). Allen stands well alone as #1 as any elite QB always does, I'd put Ed Oliver #2 and Taron Johnson #3. But who is #4? Gabe Davis? James Cook? Dawson Knox? Rousseau? And while Ed is very good (better than most fans believe) he remains a tick below elite for me and Taron is a top 5 nickel corner but in terms of positional value that isn't necessarily a dial mover. 

 

It is why he has had to spend big assets (cap and picks) on the likes of Diggs and Von Miller to try and bring that elite sparkle that all championship teams need. 

 

I like Brandon, like him a lot. He talks really well, I think he is pretty candid (sometimes without meaning to be) and he comes across as pretty authentic. It isn't easy, I accept that. But 44 picks - one elite talent. That is what stops me giving him an A. 

[PBF81]

It's important to distinguish between the Draft & Free Agency.  

 

Also perhaps by unit:  OL, RB, WR, TE, DL, LB, DBs

 

He's obviously done better on D also. 

 

 

Edited June 13 by PBF81

[Lost]

I chose B but still put him top 10 GMs in the league.  Maybe top 5 even.  

[Your Brown Eye]

Solid B

[GunnerBill]

32 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

It's important to distinguish between the Draft & Free Agency.  

 

Also perhaps by unit:  OL, RB, WR, TE, DL, LB, DBs

 

He's obviously done better on D also. 

 

 

 

Hmm interesting thought exercise. Here is my take:

 

Position	Draft	FA + Trades	Notes
Quarterback	A	C+	Josh obvious stud. Think he has done a reasonably well with the vet backups he has landed in recent FA rounds
Running Back	B	D	Singletary and Cook have been good starters from day 2 of the draft. However, a third day two pick at the position (Moss) washed out. And if you are investing day 1 or 2 capital at a low value position like RB they have to hit. FA role players have generally been no more than JAGS.
O Line	C	B-	Miss on his highest drafted OL (Ford) who he traded up for hurts. Brown seems to have turned it around and Cybo was a decent rookie. Mixed bag in FA but more good (Williams, Morse, McGovern, Spain - for a bit) than bad though Saffold was an obvious mistake that could have been avoided IMO.
Tight End	B+	E	Dawson Knox is a good all around tight end who was one of the most productive redzone tight ends in football in 2021 and 2022, Kincaid had a top 10 all time rookie tight end season. His biggest FA shot was Tyler Kroft back in 2019 and he majorly underperfomed his contract.
Wide Receiver	C	A-	Hard to score the draft. He has underprioritised the position there, but two of his day 3 shots - Gabe and Khalil developed into NFL starting receivers so you have to factor that in. Diggs alone makes the pro personnel grade an A (Brown, Beasley and Sanders factor in too) but I've nicked a half point back for the Kelvin Benjamin trade and some of the second tier FAs.
D Line	C+	D+	Mixed bag in the draft. Oliver a stud. Groot a good starter. AJE developed into a good rotational rusher years 3 and 4 but probably still underperformed his round 2 status. Boogie miss hurts and no elite talent despite the investment. From FA its mainly misses (and some big $$ ones) Floyd and Jones apart.
Linebacker	B	N/A	Bernard hitting last year helps this grade. Edmunds while he never quite justified his pick, was a 5 year starter. They have barely used FA at the spot beyond STers. Even their backups - Dodson, Spector etc have been draftees or UDFAs.
Corner	C-	C+	Had some success finding starting calibre players with late round picks / UDFAs - Wallace, Jackson and Benford etc - but looks like a big miss on his one premium pick at the spot (and a confusing process given the obvious scheme question). Douglas a good trade, Vontae less said the better.
Safety	N/A	D	Bishop is the first pick before round 6 spent at the position. So that's a TBC. Hyde and Poyer were not Beane pickups. I'm not as in love with Rapp as some and they gave up a pick two years ago to bring Marlow (a total JAG) back and then barely used him.

 

[Chandler#81]

As the OP inferred with Whaley, the plethora of dearth before him shines a bright light on Brandon. IMO, he excels at Cap mgmnt finding effective -if unheralded FA’s. What he did after making the playoffs (17 year drought) his 1st season stands as his top achievement. He wasn’t here for the Draft -replacing Whaley immediately afterward- and needed a top QB holding only the 22nd pick in ‘18. Very quickly, he gutted the teams’ highest salaries/best players to garner trade options to move up for the most ballyhooed QB Draft class since ‘83. He’s stated many times if ‘you don’t have a top QB, you aren’t gonna be there long’. It took til Draft night to cement his best effort and we landed the true Savior of the franchise with Pick 7. Then followed it up with 1 last trade to land Edmunds at #16. ‘18 was his 1st and ONLY losing season and we’ve made the playoffs a routine expectation. He’ll be on our WOF ring in the new stadium eventually. 
Unlike many here, I give him a pass on Von Miller. He was still at the top of his game and coming off a SB victory as a very likely HOFer. A severe injury to his aging knee derailed that, but Beane can hardly be blamed for that. Had -godforbid- Allen suffered such a devastating injury, would that be Beane’s fault?

 

He's kept the team very competitive since, despite drafting in the late 20’s every year and working through an unforeseen pandemic that had terrible repercussions in League allotted funding as virtually no income was gained with a season of empty stands. 
 

He's now morfed into an efficient bargain basement shopper with 4 straight Division titles and playoff wins in all but 1 season (OT Loss at Houston). To me, he’s on a par with Polian as Best Ever with more years to come.

[SoTier]

I gave Beane an A.  I didn't like him much when he was hired (I didn't like McDermott either) but he has proven himself.  My two biggest points are:

• Picking the right QB is priceless, especially in a supposedly "great QB class" with 5 first round picks.
• Working closely with his HC to bring in the coaches and players that fit the the team.  IOW, the GM and HC are pulling in the same direction rather than in separate ones.

[Gregg]

I chose B. He needs to bring in better talent on the DL and more skill at WR. Overall, he has done a good job. Just look at the record since he has been GM.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

3 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

He's somewhere between an A and B.  Definitely a top five GM in the league.  To answer your questions.  His best move besides drafting Allen was trading for Diggs.  His best draft pick so far in terms of value was Taron Johnson.  Knox, S. Brown, Shakir, Benford, Bernard, and Davis are also in the running.  His biggest miss was Cody Ford despite us all loving the trade up at the time.  I would say Elam but the book hasn't been written on him yet.  The Basham pick is still infuriating.  His best free agent signings were Morse, Brown, D. Williams, and Beasley.  His worst contract given out was unfortunately Von Miller. 

 

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

He is a B for me. I think he is one of the best GMs in the league at identifying players who can play in this league and building a roster strategically with depth. 

 

The reason he isn't an A is he has struggled to find elite game changers. I know, he hasn't drafted high since 2019 and the two very early picks he made - Josh in 2018 and then Ed Oliver in 2019 are his two most impactful in terms of game changing talents (fair gap between the two, but point stands). However, he has had a LOT of draft picks now. He has made 44 picks as the Bills GM (excluding the ones this spring yet to have a chance to make an impact). Allen stands well alone as #1 as any elite QB always does, I'd put Ed Oliver #2 and Taron Johnson #3. But who is #4? Gabe Davis? James Cook? Dawson Knox? Rousseau? And while Ed is very good (better than most fans believe) he remains a tick below elite for me and Taron is a top 5 nickel corner but in terms of positional value that isn't necessarily a dial mover. 

 

It is why he has had to spend big assets (cap and picks) on the likes of Diggs and Von Miller to try and bring that elite sparkle that all championship teams need. 

 

I like Brandon, like him a lot. He talks really well, I think he is pretty candid (sometimes without meaning to be) and he comes across as pretty authentic. It isn't easy, I accept that. But 44 picks - one elite talent. That is what stops me giving him an A. 

 

How can he be one of the best or top 5  when the scale being given says a B means he is NOT one of the top 10.

 

Sorry kind of picking on you guys when my complaint is more about the OP's scale.  Think there's way to much of a gap between the A and B ranking.  Maybe B would be better if it said he's not one of the top 5, but when say he's not even top 10 make him more average and what should be more like a C grade.

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

 

 

How can he be one of the best or top 5  when the scale being given says a B means he is NOT one of the top 10.

 

Sorry kind of picking on you guys when my complaint is more about the OP's scale.  Think there's way to much of a gap between the A and B ranking.  Maybe B would be better if it said he's not one of the top 5, but when say he's not even top 10 make him more average and what should be more like a C grade.

 

I ignored the OPs explanations from the scale. They don't work for me.

[Beck Water]

5 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Since Beane’s takeover from the bloated and non-performing Whaley tenure, we’ve seen plenty of hits from FA and the draft, but also some misses of course…putting it all together however, what kind of cumulative letter grade would you assign to Beane at this point, and why?

 

Also, outside of Josh Allen (who is the best single pick of Beane’s era), who’s been the best pickup in the draft so far? Biggest miss? Same for free agency?

 

There's a whole 'nother discussion about how the "bloated and non-performing" Whaley era differed.  My bottom line:  QB.  Second place: Only 1 HC, not needing to re-make the roster.

 

I chose B, but it would really be B+ or A-.  I would give Beane a top-10 GM and he's certainly put us in position to win, but his Big Buck "Freakazoid" spends or contract extensions haven't provided good ROI.  In 2 of 3 cases, that's been due to injury, so not entirely predictable, but the fact is, he swung and missed with Tre' White, Von Miller, and then for whatever reason Diggs and that left us with a "bloated" cap with 3 guys who weren't performing (2 due to injury, 1 due to whatever)

 

Best pick up of the draft?  This may be an outlier choice, I would have to say Taron Johnson.  If he has another strong year, can make a good case for Terrel Bernard.

I want to say Dalton Kincaid and James Cook, but, Too Soon.

 

Biggest miss?  Tie between Cody Ford and Boogie Basham.  In general, I feel that Beane has gotten better value in later rounds of the draft than first 2 rounds.

Free agency - I guess Beane can't take credit for Poyer and Hyde.  Gonna go with Mitch Morse.  People don't remember the Bad Old Days with Russell Bodine at Center.  Morse signed in 2019 and stabilized the C position for Allen for 5 seasons.  Solid.  Runner up: Cole Beasley. 

 

Biggest miss: Von Miller, so far.  He gave us 11 good games and 8 sacks in 2022 and that's it for 2 seasons so far.  That's not a lot of ROI for $120M ($51M guaranteed).  So far, he's been paid $35M.  That's like $49k a snap.  Not good value.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Somewhere between b and c. 

[muppy]

I ranked Mr Beane an A because he seems  IMO to be a very savvy deal maker and we would be less awesome a team without him driving. That's what I think

 

that's a simplistic answer. His job is anything BUT simple though

 

 

 

 

[NewEra]

I’d give him a B.  

[SoTier]

8 minutes ago, muppy said:

I ranked Mr Beane an A because he seems  IMO to be a very savvy deal maker and we would be less awesome a team without him driving. That's what I think

 

that's a simplistic answer. His job is anything BUT simple though

 

 

 

 

 

Sort of like juggling 9 or 12 balls instead of just 3.

[dpberr]

A. I think the Bills have one of the best front offices in the league. Top 3. Five straight years of playoffs. I'm pleased that he will have this team poised to spend money for the inaugural year in the new stadium. 

 

Brandon Beane's front office is excellent at keeping the Bills competitive every year with potential for a deep run into the playoffs. 

 

 

 

 

[H2o]

I don't agree with the breakdown for the grades. Beane is a solid B GM to me at the moment. Our team may have won two SB's by now if not for the Chiefs. It's hard to say, really. He's drafted some quality talent and brought in some guys who have helped the team.

 

JA17 is a generational talent at the QB position, and on track to be the greatest Buffalo Bills player in history.

 

Our RB's have been meh for the most part. Cook had a really good year in 2023, and I hope he keeps building on that. If Ray Davis is what I have read other people say he is, combine him with Johnson, and this should be a solid group for real. That's all Beane, two draft picks and a FA signing.

 

The trade for Diggs was a good move. Who could have known what Jefferson would turn into in this league? Beane went with a proven player who became JA's go-to target and had four really good seasons for us. This overhaul they have done at WR will determine a lot, just in my own opinion, of how I view Beane. If Coleman turns into what Gabe should have been, if Samuel pops in this offense, if Shakir continues his growth, if MVS &/or Claypool provide those big-bodied deep/red zone threats, and if Hollins turns back into the LV Raiders version? Beane will look like a mastermind. If our WR's struggle to get on the same page with JA, and it looks like we've taken a step back? That will knock Beane down the ladder for me because it will be another wasted year of the greatest QB we've seen don a Bills uni. 

 

Knox has been a solid find at TE, especially for a guy he did next to nothing in college. He had less than 40 receptions for his entire college career and ZERO TD's. He's been an absolute overachiever. We can argue the contract, but he has been more than I expected. I'm hoping he gets back more to the 2022 version this year. Kincaid has the potential to be an All Pro at the position. It will all depend on how Brady schemes the offense and how often JA looks his way. He could put up Kelce like numbers. I like Quintin Morris as well, but there are only so many targets to go around. I think Beane has done a solid job wit this group. 

 

I wish we had done more for the OL prior to last year, but the unit seems decent now. JA still makes them look better than they truly are because of his athleticism, but it's not the unit it was in 2019.

 

I think the DL has been as much on McDermott as it has Beane. I think this is where McD has a lot more weight, pushing Beane to get the guys he wants on defense. Oliver is one of the best DT's in the NFL right now. He was a great pick. I know people complain about the Von Miller deal now, but he was EXACTLY what we had hoped for prior to his injury. He had 8 sacks, was getting a lot of pressure, and was on pace for his best season since 2018. Two of those sacks helped us in a big win at KC. No one could have seen that coming, the injury. I'm thankful they didn't go after Chandler Jones. Groot has been solid, but has battled injury the last couple of seasons. Epenesa has turned out to be a solid player, but he's nothing special. Basham was a bust of a 2nd Round pick. DQ was a good pickup, but has battled injury. We'll see how the revamp on the interior goes this year. 

 

At the LB position, Edmunds was ever the underachiever. Out of position more times than not, never making the big plays, and seemingly whiffing on opportunities to do so. Letting him walk was smart. Bernard is a gem. We all had doubts about him, but he shut every single one of us up last season. I think if we have him healthy against KC, then that's a different ballgame. 

 

The Secondary as a whole has been solid, but not spectacular. Hyde and Poyer have always seemed to be battling injuries since 2020, even though they played through some of them. Rapp is decent, we'll see how Edwards fits, and people on here seem to be high on Bishop. They will need to come together quick because we face a tough schedule this year. The trade for Douglas was a good get, Benford was a solid pick, but the biggest swing in the Secondary has been a disappointment to this point. The reports on Elam in camp are promising, but we need to see this in the regular season. I hope he's turned a corner, but right now our drafting in the Secondary hasn't been all that impressive. 

 

Bass looked like he was going to be all world after years 2 and 3, but last year missed some big one. This includes the wide right against KC this year. There were also times where McDermott could have sent him out to attempt FG's that were well within his range, but he chose not to. I don't know if it's the holder, his confidence is shot, or if he's just in a rut. Beane needs to bring in legitimate competition for TC this year though. The Punter situation here has always been meh. Bojo, Haack, and Martin. We drafted Araiza, but his career was immediately derailed by the charges filed against him. Still, these guys really don't move the needle much in my opinion of Beane because he has tried to address it. It just hasn't worked out and Bass is sort of in limbo at this point. 

Edited June 13 by H2o

[TBBills Fan]

I feel he's a B+

 

In your poll you put a B as not top ten, I think he is without a doubt a top 10 GM. Arguments can be made he is top 5