Bills rank 9th in poll of top front offices in the NFL (article)

[Logic]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5777310/2024/09/26/nfl-front-office-rankings/

 

The Athletic polled 40 league insiders, including 35 high-ranking executives and five coaches, to compile the NFL Front Office Rankings. Respondents, who were granted anonymity for both their votes and conversations discussing them in exchange for their candor, were asked to submit their top-five front offices, in rank order, based on each franchise’s football operations side. (Respondents were not allowed to vote for their own team.)

The results favored stability, with eight of the top 10 teams featuring general managers who have been in place for at least five years. Four of the top six teams, including the top two, promoted their GMs from within.

“Ultimately, it’s about results,” the high-ranking exec added, “but how you operate day to day is about your process. (Do) you have a sound process in the draft, free agency (and with) contract structure? Are you matching your aggressive roster building with maybe the life cycle of your team? All of those things go into what (makes) the best front offices.”

The scoring system: First-place votes were worth 10 points, second-place seven, third-place five, fourth-place three and fifth-place one. (One respondent split his fifth-place vote among two teams.)






 

9. Buffalo Bills

Total points: 33 (appeared on 9 ballots)
Owners: Terry and Kim Pegula
General manager: Brandon Beane
Head coach: Sean McDermott

Beane arrived from the Carolina Panthers in 2017 and, with McDermott, has morphed the Bills into a perennial contender. He traded up to draft quarterback Josh Allen in 2018, built up the roster around him and gave Allen the resources and time to develop from an unpolished QB into one of the league’s best players.

“Beane is the best GM in the NFL,” one executive said, adding he “understands people and culture.”

After three consecutive losses in the divisional round, Beane and the Bills traded wide receiver Stephon Diggs and moved on from aging, expensive defensive stalwarts. The early returns appear positive for the 3-0 Bills.

“I think Beane is a top-five GM,” said a general manager. “He is super smart, number one. It’s never about him. If you look at the drafting and free agents they have signed, how patient they have been with the head coach, got the quarterback right — that was a 50/50 deal. I’m a big fan of him. I’m a big fan of his coach. He’s got all the right stuff, in a tough market, by the way. This is not a place free agents are clamoring to go to.”

[gonzo1105]

I’m not gonna argue a ton here but I would say they should be a couple notches higher. Above the Rams and Seahawks for sure imo 

Edited September 26 by gonzo1105

[julian]

Pretty solid 

[Neo]

That’s quite an auto correct!

[BringBackFergy]

38 minutes ago, Logic said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5777310/2024/09/26/nfl-front-office-rankings/

 

He’s got all the right stuff, in a tough market, by the way. This is not a place free agents are clamoring to go to.”

This narrative is growing old.

[Heitz]

NOT EVEN TOP 5, FIRE EVERYBODY!!

 

Come on now, the Hawks and Rams ahead of us currently? 🤔

[LabattBlue]

So someone says Beane is the best GM in the NFL, yet the Bills FO got no 1st place votes.  Color me confused. 
 

🤔🤔🤔

[Bangarang]

These the same anonymous people that called Josh overrated?

[strive_for_five_guy]

10 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

So someone says Beane is the best GM in the NFL, yet the Bills FO got no 1st place votes.  Color me confused. 
 

🤔🤔🤔

Maybe that same exec doesn’t think as highly of the Pegulas or McD, relative to some other organization?

[RoscoeParrish]

This may be unpopular but I’m not up in arms about this ranking.

 

I do think the top 4 are correct and then I think there is very little gap between 5-9.

I would probably put Beane and co closer to 6 than 9.

 

It’s hard to argue results but imo the most of the top 4 consistently have SB appearances and really talented rosters. 
 

I like what the Lions have done generally but going LB and RB high in the draft hurts them for me. 

 

Packers and Rams are in the mix as well. The Packers navigated the departure of a franchise HoF QB about as perfectly as you can hope, and they have had pretty good draft success. The Rams went all-in with great success and when Stafford is healthy have still continued to be pretty competitive despite massive talent injuries.

Edited September 26 by RoscoeParrish

[Logic]

I don't think there's really any reason to be negative about this ranking. 

The Bills have -- informally -- a top 10 front office in the league. That's a good thing.

People speak highly of our GM and head coach. That's a good thing.

...But I do agree the Bills should be ranked higher than the Arabs.

[Augie]

Everybody LOVES the Ravens organization. Why don’t they win more? If our fans are upset with underachievement, their fans should be apoplectic! 

 

I hope we make a statement this weekend against the Ravens and their two time NFL MVP. 

[RoscoeParrish]

1 minute ago, Augie said:

Everybody LOVES the Ravens organization. Why don’t they win more? If our fans are upset with underachievement, their fans should be apoplectic! 

 

I hope we make a statement this weekend against the Ravens and their two time NFL MVP. 

I think they have a very popular process, similar to the Eagles. 
 

They are constantly among the leagues best when the it comes to the comp pick formula. They very rarely make short term moves and usually have a pretty healthy cap situation. All while being pretty competitive in the AFC.

 

All the teams have personal warts, it’s just what you value more. Because no one is perfect.

 

You can argue the Ravens stink at getting WR talent around Lamar, especially because they try and fail constantly.

 

You can argue the Eagles spending a pretty penny on Barkley is bad team management.

 

You can argue the Niners whiffed on too many 1st round DL picks. 
 

You can argue the Chiefs have also thrown away assets on bad WR’s and threw away a lot of cap on crappy OT’s. 

[PromoTheRobot]

36 minutes ago, BringBackFergy said:

This narrative is growing old.

But it's true. Winning helps but doesn't solve everything. The Sabres face that too. In their case they are still in a 12-year playoff drought. Between being a small market, NYS taxes, the weather and the general reputation (underserved or not) of WNY, there are players that won't come here.

[Saxum]

Interesting that they got no 1st point ballots but were ranked in points higher than Steelers.

 

 

For those who do not went to pay or register for NYT (I used to but I used an alternate account and then I found junk email flowing in to an account which had not receiving any until then).

 

Opening page in Seamonkey browser and then editing page bypasses paygate just like Buffalo News.

[machine gun kelly]

I wouldn’t place a lot of thought into rankings.  There’s only one ranking that matters.  #1 seed in the NFL, 13-4 to 14-3 and an easy pass to the SB.  It’s been long enough.

 

It’s like power rankings.  Throne I do take stock are the 1st and 2nd team all pros.

Edited September 26 by machine gun kelly

[uninja]

5 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

But it's true. Winning helps but doesn't solve everything. The Sabres face that too. In their case they are still in a 12-year playoff drought. Between being a small market, NYS taxes, the weather and the general reputation (underserved or not) of WNY, there are players that won't come here.

 

I think it's also how visible you are here as a player for one of Buffalo's teams. It's a hard place to disappear and be anonymous for both good and bad reasons and that has to be tough on a young person. I'd frankly get annoyed as hell if I was recognized a lot while I was out.

[gonzo1105]

28 minutes ago, Logic said:

I don't think there's really any reason to be negative about this ranking. 

The Bills have -- informally -- a top 10 front office in the league. That's a good thing.

People speak highly of our GM and head coach. That's a good thing.

...But I do agree the Bills should be ranked higher than the Arabs.

Haha obviously didn’t notice the autocorrect as I def do not proof read but I’m laughing my ass off once I saw it 

 

 

The Rams damn it not the Arabs 

Edited September 26 by gonzo1105

[MJS]

12 minutes ago, gonzo1105 said:

Haha obviously didn’t notice the autocorrect as I def do not proof read but I’m laughing my ass off once I saw it 

 

The Rams damn it not the Arabs 

Hey, I think they are probably better at football than the Arabs as well. Arabs aren't known for their football prowess.

[Savage]

48 minutes ago, RoscoeParrish said:

This may be unpopular but I’m not up in arms about this ranking.

 

I do think the top 4 are correct and then I think there is very little gap between 5-9.

I would probably put Beane and co closer to 6 than 9.

 

It’s hard to argue results but imo the most of the top 4 consistently have SB appearances and really talented rosters. 
 

I like what the Lions have done generally but going LB and RB high in the draft hurts them for me. 

 

Packers and Rams are in the mix as well. The Packers navigated the departure of a franchise HoF QB about as perfectly as you can hope, and they have had pretty good draft success. The Rams went all-in with great success and when Stafford is healthy have still continued to be pretty competitive despite massive talent injuries.

Going high on LB and RB has served them quite well.