Considering options across the NFL?
One thought that folks might’ve been thinking, or completely ignoring, is that… this thing took awhile, didn’t it? McDermott signed an extension, but it was all the way back in the summer. Why did Beane’s take so long? Well, we still don’t know… maybe dollars and cents, maybe contract length, maybe something else? But Beane did breakdown the idea that perhaps he could’ have left.
If a GM like him, who turned around perhaps the worst organization in the NFL, was on the market? Talk about a bidding war. Instead, he stayed put, and first and foremost, Beane mentioned potentially doing so wasn’t even on the table for him.
“Some things take time, but I wanted to be here all long,” Beane said.
In addition, Beane said that really the job isn’t even done for him yet. He’s not the type of guy to just bail out without winning anything, because technically he hasn’t, and even in that Beane doesn’t just want one AFC East title or one championship. He wants a lot more, for a lot longer, and in Buffalo.
“The last thing I want to do is build something, three or four years in, and then walk out on it in the middle of the road,” Beane said. “I put a lot into this place, and we [all] have here. I want to see this place win for a long time. That’s the goal and I want to be here to see a lot of it.”
Finally, Beane smartly mentioned his bosses, too. Team co-owners Terry and Kim Pegula got the job done in bringing Beane in the building. But it certainly sounds like giving him what he needs to do his job went a very long way for the GM in terms of re-signing with the Bills. While sounding like a simple thing, that’s not always the case in professional sports or many other walks of life.
“If you’re loyal to me, which they have been, I’m going be as tried and loyal two-fold back to you. That’s how I was raised by my parents. Your word is your bond and that’s what matters most. They’ve done everything that I could have ever asked,” Beane said.