Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane would like to remain as upbeat as possible about his Bills’ chances this season. He’s claiming they have a championship-caliber roster. Yet as promising as the outlook is for the Bills, they’re actually in quite a precarious position. Injuries and the recent trade deadline have only compounded matters.
As the regular season continues, it’s been Josh Allen’s time to shine against the Dolphins. He has a remarkable 13-2 mark as a starter in these games. His absurd performance vs Miami to have several passing and rushing TDs in 14 of 15 games is doing a lot of all the heavy lifting. This season, Allen’s on-court demeanor appears to have undergone a drastic evolution. He’s completed just 7.3 air yards on each attempt, the lowest of his career, and in turn, he only targets passes over 20 yards on 10.8% of his attempts.
The Bills are arguably the best team in the running game, which has provided them an important crutch. They still lead the NFL, impressively averaging 161.5 rushing yards per game. This success is a product of the great success they have enjoyed with running back James Cook II. As such, he’s second in the league with an impressive 867 rushing yards. Cook sat out practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury. That calls into question the depth of that team and their health during the stretch run.
Though Beane added that he was “very confident” in his players, he admitted the toll that injuries have taken on their roster. “We can only afford so many injuries,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of maintaining roster integrity as the season unfolds.
Even with the league’s activity reaching a stunning 18 deals from October 1 through the trade deadline, Beane was hands off. Taken from the often inscrutable playbook of general manager R.C. The Bills were further limited by salary cap hurdles, with about $3.3 million in space following the reworking of Taron Johnson’s contract. Beane added, “Unfortunately it takes two to tango and we danced on too many.” He disclosed that for a lot of the teams, nobody really wanted to come to the table.
Moreover, Beane pointed out, the other teams in their division were trading with each other too, reducing the potential pool of opportunities for the Bills. To be clear, I would have lost money on the Bills if we were betting in Vegas to be honest,” he admitted. You can hear the clearly frustrated Cowboys owner as he looks back on the trade talks.
Head coach Sean McDermott echoed his support for Beane’s decisions, stating, “I believe in Brandon. Listen, I believe in his staff. And as a coach and a coaching staff, you’re always looking for those quality players that you feel like can exponentially increase your odds of winning.” McDermott’s faith in Beane and their close relationship as a tandem represents the shared efforts in the building to keep the Bills successful.
The Bills offense has been at its most explosive this season when tight ends such as Dalton Kincaid have played a prominent role. Kincaid has achieved two performances exceeding 100 yards this season, proving to be a valuable asset for Allen and the offense.
“It’s not that easy,” Beane replied. You can’t just pencil in receiver X, drop him in, and expect him to immediately acclimate and integrate into the team’s scheme. His experience in player transactions is extensive. “I’ve obviously traded for wide receivers before… Sometimes you look back and think that was a waste of time,” he added candidly.
As the Bills continue through the regular season, they will rely on their core players to deliver performances consistent with their championship aspirations. The focus now turns to their upcoming games and how they can navigate potential injuries while maximizing their offensive capabilities.
Leave a Reply