Bills Mailbag: Is it time to have a conversation about Brandon Beane?
In Week 11, it feels like we don’t know much about this team, Jay Skurski says. How can it go from looking so good against the Chiefs in Week 9 to so bad against the Dolphins in Week 10?
Welcome back to the Sunday Bills Mailbag. Let’s get right to your questions …
Mike in Fort Myers asks: Is it time to move on from Brandon Beane? Clearly, the Bills don’t have receivers with the ability to get open. Why would he pass on Xavier Worthy? To make matters worse, why would he trade with Kansas City? His drafting has been abysmal in the early rounds, see Kaiir Elam.
Jay: Firing Beane right now would do absolutely nothing other than create a massive distraction for the team. The moves that any team can make right now to improve its roster are limited. With the trade deadline having passed, the only option is free agency. That means signing someone off the street, or off another team’s practice squad to the 53-man roster. In other words, don’t expect many reinforcements from outside the organization. We’ll see if receiver Mecole Hardman can give the Bills anything. He was one of those off-the-street free agents signed this week. Otherwise, the Bills have to hope to get healthy as the playoffs near. Even in Week 11, it feels like we don’t know much about this team. How can it go from looking so good against the Chiefs in Week 9 to so bad against the Dolphins in Week 10? It doesn’t make sense. As for the wide receivers, Beane’s aggressiveness in pursuing Miami’s Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline is an admission on his part that the group he gave the coaching staff is not good enough. It’s a bad look for Beane, especially considering his indignation about being asked about the position after the draft. Let’s be real here: Everyone who questioned him about wide receiver was right.
We’ll point out that Worthy isn’t exactly lighting the world on fire with the Chiefs, either. His single-game high in receiving yards this season is 83. In total, he’s got 24 catches for 256 yards and one touchdown, numbers that are worse than Keon Coleman’s (33 catches, 330 yards, three touchdowns). Worthy has played 63% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps (missing two games), while Coleman is at 71% for the Bills. Their impact on the offense when not getting the ball can be debated. Certainly, teams have to account for and respect Worthy’s speed. They don’t have to worry about Coleman in that way.
Bills owner Terry Pegula should evaluate his entire football department, starting with general manager Brandon Beane,
after the season to determine if he has the right people in place to deliver a championship. Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
That’s not to say Beane is the only one to blame. Since Joe Brady has taken over as offensive coordinator, the Bills have marginalized Stefon Diggs in the offense. It’s clear this season that Diggs if far from washed up. Beane traded for Amari Cooper, and he couldn’t find much of a role in the offense. It’s true that a wrist injury might have played into that, but either way, Brady didn’t get much out of him. The Bills’ current wide receiver group is made up in part of three second-round draft picks who are giving the team very little. Coleman was the first pick of the second round. Clearly, Brady would have had a voice in his selection. Curtis Samuel was the No. 40 overall pick in 2017 … who had his best NFL season under Brady in Carolina. Elijah Moore was the No. 34 overall pick in 2021. It’s not like these guys are undrafted free agents. Brady has shown an inability to get any kind of meaningful production out of all of them.
The rest of the season needs to play out. Whenever it ends, Terry Pegula needs to do a thorough analysis of the entire operation, including Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, to determine if he has the right people in place.
Dennis Priore asks: We’ve often hear that cheering is not allowed in the press box. Have you ever seen or heard it here in Buffalo or at other press boxes on the road, and if so, what is the reaction from other journalists? Are there any consequences if it happens?
Jay: One of the first questions I get about my job from people I’m meeting for the first time is “Do you get free tickets?” After I explain that I get a press credential, I tell them about the announcement before the game that says “cheering of any kind is prohibited.” They always get a kick out of that. Cheering does happen from time to time, especially because there are some press boxes where team employees are seated close to journalists. In some, general manager Brandon Beane is nearby. It’s natural that there would be a reaction from team employees when the Bills, or the team that they work for, does something good. There are also reactions to big plays in every press box, although it doesn’t rise to the level you see from the crowd. Some of the more, let’s call them high-strung journalists, might be a bit annoyed when that happens, because it breaks their concentration, but it’s never amounted to much of a problem. I’ve never seen anyone kicked out of the press box, or even spoken to, for that matter. A good rule of thumb to remember: The press box is a professional environment. People are there to do a job. As long as people are respectful and mindful of that, the “no cheering” thing is easy to abide by.
Boppa Boy in Williamsville asks: Be it age or injuries, Matt Milano is no longer the player he had been. It’s time for a change. Shaq Thompson seems to be more productive than Milano this season. Joe Andreessen should get more reps to allow Terrel Bernard time to heal. How about a change?
Jay: I’m all for starting Thompson, who was a full practice participant Thursday after missing two games with a hamstring injury. That could be in place of either Matt Milano or Terrel Bernard, both of whom have not played at the level the Bills need. Bernard’s film against the Dolphins was tough to watch. The ankle injury he’s dealing with must be a lot worse than most people realize, because he was a liability for the defense. It’s a tough spot for the coaching staff. Milano has given many years of great play to this defense, but age and injuries seemingly have caught up with him. Bernard is the defensive captain and signal caller for that unit. McDermott is understandably loyal to each of them, but he has to do what’s best for the defense. Right now, that’s putting Thompson into the lineup.
Mongol Mike asks: What roles, if any, do Bills coaches Rob Boras, Adam Henry, Marc Lubick and DJ Mangas play in the Bills’ passing attack? How closely do these assistant coaches work with Joe Brady on the game plan against Tampa Bay, and other game plans? Or is Brady the sole architect of the game plan?
Jay: In order, the question references the Bills’ tight ends coach, wide receivers coach, passing game specialist and offensive quality control/assistant wide receivers coach. It’s a collaborative effort between all of them and Brady in terms of developing the game plan, particularly as it pertains to the passing attack. They share in its struggles, although Brady is naturally going to take the bulk of the criticism. That’s what happens when you’re the offensive coordinator.
Walter James asks: With the annual problem of salary cap constraints, do you see a path for Brandon Beane to get relief for the Bills? I’m sure another veteran salary dump is one way, but is there another way? One more question: Do you see any qualities in Tre White’s game that could lead the Bills to consider him at safety to finish his career?
Jay: Looking at the Bills’ commitments for the 2026 salary cap, I see plenty of players who could be considered possible cap casualties. That list starts with Samuel, who has a $9.725 million cap hit. The Bills can save $6.725 million by cutting him after this year, which I fully expect. Tight end Dawson Knox is scheduled to count $17 million against the cap. The Bills can save about $10 million by releasing him after the year. I’d expect the team either does that or renegotiates Knox’s contract to include a sizable pay cut. What’s really tough to stomach is Milano having an $11 million cap hit when he almost assuredly won’t be on the team. That’s rough. After the season, we’ll have plenty more on the cap crunch the Bills are facing, and possible ways out of it.
As for White, he’s made his money in his career. My guess is he would lean toward retirement rather than learning a new position. One player on the current roster who I think could convert to safety at some point in his career is nickel cornerback Taron Johnson. He’s got the willingness to tackle that is a requirement for the position. He’s a bit smaller than is ideal, but that’s been the case throughout his career, and he’s made it work. If the team thinks he’s lost half a step, a shift to safety could make sense for both sides.
Matt in Cape Cod asks: What do you think is the timeframe or window for continuing to play Keon Coleman? While I realize the variables (high draft choice, hope for a young player improving, general manager determined not to be wrong in his assessment, etc.) involved in reducing his playing time, it seems like they need to face reality. Your thoughts on this glaring issue?
Jay: I’d do it now. Gabe Davis seems ready to go. I’d call him up from the practice squad and sit Coleman for a game and see what kind of an impact that makes. The Bills simply aren’t getting enough from Coleman to keep running him out there for 70% of the offensive snaps.
