Bills GM Brandon Beane expresses frustration on radio after being criticized for not drafting a receiver

Yahoo

16-05-2025

The Buffalo Bills didn't win the Super Bowl last season, but the team had a lot going for it. After trading away Stefon Diggs last offseason, Buffalo's offense somehow improved and Josh Allen took home his first MVP award.
While Allen and the rest of the offense look strong again in 2025, the Bills neglected to address that side of the ball during most of the 2025 NFL Draft, instead focusing on strengthening the team's defense. Buffalo's strategy — particularly the team's decision to not take a wide receiver early — came under fire on "The Jeremy and Joe" radio show in Buffalo.
Beane made a scheduled appearance on the show shortly after that conversation, and wasn't happy about being criticized for not grabbing a receiver, according to ESPN.
"Well, you guys were b****ing in 2018 about Josh Allen, you guys wanted Josh Rosen, and now you guys are b****ing that we don't have a receiver," Beane said when asked what he meant. " ... We just scored 30 points in a row for eight straight games. A year ago, I get you guys asking why we didn't have receivers, but I don't understand it now. You just saw us lead the league in points, when you add all the postseason, no one scored more points than the Buffalo Bills, including the Super Bowl champions. So, you just saw us do it without Stefon Diggs, same group. How is this group not better than last year's group? Our job is to score points and win games. Where do we need to get better? Defense. We did that. So, I get it, you got to have a show, and you got to have something to b**** about, but b***ing about wide receiver is one of the dumbest arguments I've heard."
Beane has a point. The team didn't have a true No. 1 receiver last year, but it still finished second in points scored in the regular season. Allen did win his first MVP, though threw for fewer yards and touchdowns than the previous four seasons.
In addition to that, the Bills went heavy on offense in the first round in both 2023 and 2024, bringing in tight end Dalton Kincaid and wideout Keon Coleman. Beane has made an effort in recent seasons.
You can argue, however, that despite the Bills' numbers and Allen's ability, missing that star pass catcher hurt the team when it mattered most. On the team's biggest play of the year, Kincaid dropped a pass that would have kept the Bills' season alive. Given everything that happened on that particular play, you can't guarantee having a standout top wide receiver would have drastically altered the outcome of the game, but it certainly would have helped.
During his radio appearance, Beane explained that the team wasn't avoiding pass catchers in the draft, but said no one they liked fell to them where they picked. He also said he didn't think it was a deep draft at receiver, and felt the defense was the bigger need.
That's probably true. The Bills' defense performed well last season, finishing 11th in points against, but it wasn't elite. The Bills allowed 28 touchdowns on defense, which tied for 24th in the NFL. If the team had a weak spot last season, it was its inability to prevent other teams from finding the end zone.
In response, the Bills spent their first five picks on defensive players in the 2025 NFL Draft. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston was the team's top selection. The Bills continued to fill in defensive gaps from there before finally taking tight end Jackson Hawes with their second fifth-round draft pick.
For all the Bills' recent success, a Super Bowl has proved elusive. Until the team brings home a title, Beane is going to face scrutiny about every one of his team-building decisions, especially considering how last season ended.