The Buffalo Bills only just expressed a desire to add quarterback Case Keenum as far as outside observers are concerned.
But on their end of things, it’s nothing new.
After losing all of their QB depth behind Josh Allen early this offseason, the Bills had some work to do. They addressed it by trading a seventh-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for Keenum.
Despite that only just going down on March 19, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane revealed at the NFL owners meetings that interest had long been there.
Beane mentioned when Allen was a rookie in 2018, they looked into Keenum.
“He’s a winner, he’s tough,” Beane said.
Eventually, Keenum landed with the Denver Broncos that offseason.
With the 34-year-old now available again, Buffalo jumped at him.
In adding Keenum, Beane did not pick a guy that plays a similar mobile, athletic style to Allen. In the past, the team expressed a desire to do so, and did just that, in adding Mitchell Trubisky last offseason.
This time, the decision came down to Keenum being able to essentially keep things afloat if he needed to play and that’s it.
“You always look to–your starter goes down, next man up, can he at least play .500 ball or better for you? That’s kind of one of the measuring sticks, how confident are you in that?” Beane said.
Keenum comes to the Bills with a 62.4 completion percent in his career, 14,976 passing yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 78-48.
On Beane’s .500 note, Keenum’s career record is actually less than that at 29-35. The important thing to know might be the 2019 season with the Minnesota Vikings.
That year with a talented team (which also included Bills receiver Stefon Diggs), Keenum put up an 11-3 overall record and even won a playoff game. That’s the angle the Bills took here.
Like Beane, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott also mentioned “having his eye on” Keenum for a few years now.
Both the GM and coach said the re-acquired Matt Barkley will also factor in–but however it unfolds, things are starting off on the right foot in the QB room.
The Bills had mentioned this offseason having the correct mix of personalities was needed for overall success.
“The beginning part of it has been great so far,” McDermott said. “At the end of the day, having that room right as we’ve talked about before, having Josh in there, [QB coach] Joe Brady in there this year, is important to us.”
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