11 takeaways from Bills’ Brandon Beane end-of-season press conference

11 takeaways from Bills’ Brandon Beane end-of-season press conference

The Buffalo Bills have started to put their finishes touches on their 2024 NFL season.

Following an early exit by their standards after a 32-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship, players and coaches took in locker room cleanout day. During that, both speak with reporters for the final time.

General manager Brandon Beane had his presser and discussed numerous topics during his chat.

Here are 11 takeaways from Beane’s end-of-season press conference:

Still confident

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After a heartbreaking end of the year in Kansas City, like head coach Sean McDermott, Beane expressed he still has confidence in his team’s roster. Changes will come, but the correct core is there in his mind.

“This team did a lot of really good things this season,” Beane said. “Keep kicking the door and you’re going to knock it down.”

Thinks Allen had it

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It’s not even a Bills fan thing anymore, it’s turning into an NFL fan feeling. Many across the football world thought quarterback Josh Allen did get the first down late against the Chiefs… but was ruled short.

Consider Beane among those who believes that.

“It’s frustrating,” Beane said. “There’s only so much I can say. You know, I don’t,  you know, we work with the league to try to get clarity. And I’ll give them credit. They’ve taken our calls. They’ve sent video and things like that. I just, you know, I wish, you know, if you’re talking about the fourth-down play that was, you know–I feel like, you know, he got that. And I still feel like he got that. I felt that in the moment, and nothing has changed my mind on that.”

Not going to focus on Chiefs

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Beane said he does not believe in building a roster just to beat one team specifically. Considering the Bills will face many foes in 2025, that’s probably smart.

Naturally, he was referring to Kansas City.

In fact, the GM called it “dangerous.”

Two directions for tight ends

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Both Beane and McDermott have admitted the front office expected more out of tight end Dalton Kincaid in his second season. Kincaid is in the spotlight now because of his late drop against the Chiefs. Beyond that, more was needed in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Beane added some praise for Dawson Knox, saying he had his most consistent year of his career.

No signs on a few futures on defense

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A few names to watch on the Bills defense going forward are pass rusher Von Miller and defensive back Damar Hamlin.

Miller has an out in his contract and could be gone this offseason. Hamlin’s rookie contract will expire.

Beane did not provide much on what could happen. He beat around the bush.

Not a good nod for Kaiir Elam

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Cornerback Christian Benford went down with a concussion and did not return against the Chiefs. Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam replaced Benford and the messages about Elam have finally started getting truthful from both Beane and McDermott. He has not been good.

Micah was never getting out there

Veteran Micah Hyde surprisingly returned to the Bills in the middle of the 2024 season after flirting with retirement. He has since gone on to confirm that he is done playing.

Hyde never actually got on the field despite coming back… and Beane admitted that was always the plan.

Keon needs to be better

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Likewise to Kincaid, Keon Coleman was discussed. Beane said after a wrist injury, the rookie did not play as well as he did prior to it. The GM and McDermott both expect more from Coleman in 2025.

“I would say probably was a little disappointed in the return from the injury,” Beane said. “I did not see the same player down the stretch.”

Not big spenders

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In what has become a yearly tradition as his end-of-season presser, Beane said he does not expect the Bills to be big spenders in free agency.

Then again, that can change and has for Beane in the past.

Amari Cooper trade review

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No regrets from Beane on trading for Amari Cooper at the 2024 NFL trade deadline despite his up-and-down play. Like Coleman, Cooper had a wrist injury and he could have gotten surgery on it but he decided to play through it… which didn’t help.

“I do think Amari helped our offense,” Beane said. “Did he put up All-Pro numbers in the games he was here? No. I think that’s for various reasons. Again, our offense improved

It remains to be seen if Cooper is back in 2025 as he is a pending free agent as well.

Defending Sean

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If anyone is a critic of McDermott coaching the Bills, do not let Beane hear it. He backed McDermott in a big way, not that we’d expect the GM to do anything else.

But Beane did go a further step and take any blame anyone has and put it on himself.

“Blame me. Like there’s things I could have done better to help Josh Allen more, or to help Sean McDermott more,” he said.”Maybe there’s things if I did better, that would have made the play. Maybe if I would have signed a different person, draft a different person. Traded a different … like there’s so many different things that I go through. I think you just got to ignore that noise.”