Beane explains Bills' attraction to HBCU rookie acquired by intra-division trade

General manager Brandon Beane on why the Buffalo Bills added small-school return specialist Brandon Codrington.

Jul 25, 2024; Florham Park, NJ; New York Jets cornerback Brandon Codrington (43) warms up during training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Codrington took an unconventional route to the Buffalo Bills' return specialist role.

The small-school HBCU standout went undrafted in April before landing a free-agent rookie contact with the New York Jets. Then, came the unlikelihood of an intra-division trade that sent Codrington from Florham Park to Orchard Park, where he's expected to serve as primary kickoff and punt returner.

Although Buffalo drafted Penn State product Daequan Hardy with an eye on the return game, general manager Brandon Beane and his staff thoroughly examined the pool of prospects during draft season.

"We went through a lot of returners in the spring - guys that got drafted, guys that did not. Some guys did it a little bit. Some guys did it a lot. Some guys played at big schools. In this case, some guys played at small schools. You're looking at a lot different things. You're trying to make the best decision you can," said Beane on Wednesday at the team facility.

Although Buffalo still has hopes for Hardy, who landed on the Practice Squad Wednesday evening, team brass was impressed how Codrington handled the return role with the AFC East rival Jets.

"When you watch and then you saw it translate to what he did in the preseason. Again, for him, still a small NFL sample, but felt he made good decisions, fielded it cleanly," said Beane.

Codrington was smooth and effective returning both kickoffs and punts over the Jets' three exhibition contests. The North Carolina Central product ran back six punts for 83 yards with a long of 31. He had two attempts on the NFL's new kickoff play, taking one for 63 yards in a 15-12 win over the Carolina Panthers.

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"He did a really nice job at Central [NCCU] and then backed it up again this preseason over there with the Jets," said Beane.

On eight total returns, Codrington gained 158 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, the former All-MEAC performer forced 15 missed tackles on those plays.

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