Looking back, there’s little to suggest that Brandon Beane overreached on his own in 2018 when he orchestrated a draft-day trade up to acquire franchise QB Josh Allen as general manager of the Bills. It’s ridiculous.
Beane sent Buffalo’s first-round pick and two second-round picks (53rd and 56th overall) to the Buccaneers, moving them from No. 12 to No. 7 in the first round. It was a costly move, a gamble that would result in team executives being fired if things didn’t work out.
Six years later, Bean is still working.
And while it’s easy to see Allen as a star now, six years ago he was a hard-armed, slightly scattershot pitcher out of the University of Wyoming, a physical specimen in need of refinement. The Browns liked Baker Mayfield more and drafted him No. 1 overall. The Jets liked Sam Darnold and selected him at No. 3. At the time, there was no real groundswell that the Browns and Jets made a huge mistake and that Allen should have been their pick.
