The best move that Bills' general manager Brandon Beane never made

The Buffalo Bills could have made the same mistake that the Miami Dolphins did.

Ralph Ventre | Dec 17, 2024

Nov 3, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams (42) tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Sometimes no move is better than any move.

The Miami Dolphins' recent transaction is proof. Last week, the Dolphins released veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham after what was a failed experiment with the once-elite pass-catcher.

With Miami, Beckham was active for nine games and made nine catches for 55 yards. One year earlier, Beckham was somewhat underwhelming in 14 games as a Baltimore Raven.

Rewind back to 2022 when Beckham was coming off a torn ACL. Talking heads and a portion of the fan base were urging the Buffalo Bills to make the same mistake the Dolphins would eventually make two years later.

The 2022 Bills lacked reliable depth at wide receiver and were clearly in the market for a boost at the position. Beckham visited Buffalo, but it became clear that the wide receiver was nowhere near close to game shape only eight months removed from tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI.

Wisely, the Bills and multiple others passed on Beckham, who remained unsigned until April 2023.

Naturally, there were still talks about him coming to Buffalo via free agency up until he landed with the Ravens. There were also rumors that the Bills were in on Beckham prior to his signing with the Dolphins. It's likely, however, that general manager Brandon Beane never had the intention of adding Beckham, who really didn't offer much more than a name at the time.

Known to be a malcontent with a knack for negatively affecting team culture, Beckham could have been a disaster for Buffalo on multiple levels. He has proceeded to score only three touchdowns while catching only 44 of 82 targets since the ACL injury.

Despite the external noise, Beane never hit the panic button and forced a move that didn't fit. No move was the right move.