Surprising Advice From Bill Belichick About Bills’ Draft Strategy
Bills Mafia were beside themselves on night one of the NFL Draft when the Bills traded down twice in Round 1. Here's what the former Patriots coach thought about it.
It's not often that you get to hear something positive out of Bill Belichick's mouth, especially when it comes to the Buffalo Bills. But this season, ESPN decided to bring him on to talk about the NFL Draft and get his perspective on moves that were being made. What he said after the Bills traded out of the first round was pretty surprising to Bills fans.
Read More: 8 People Buffalonians Love To Hate - Buffalo's Biggest Villains
The Bills lost a lot of players in the off season
The Bills have had a wild offseason. They parted ways with a bunch of players in what many think is just a sign that they are in a reset year. They lost a lot of veteran leadership in players like Mitch Morse, Jordan Poyer, Tre'Davious White, and more. The biggest hit was probably in the wide receiver room where they traded away their WR1 Stefon Diggs and lost their WR2 Gabe Davis in free agency. They made some trades in the offseason to get players like Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins but it hardly seems like they've got replacements for what they lost.
Bills fans were expecting them to draft a wide receiver
For weeks now, most of the world was expecting the Bills to grab a wide receiver in the draft. It was a wide receiver-rich pool and Bills fans and "draft gurus" were sure that the Bills would either pick one at 28 or they would move up to get one there.
Read More: Buffalo Bills Celebrating A Major Anniversary Today, April 26th |
Then when their time came, Buffalo traded their pick to none other than the Kansas City Chiefs. It was very reminiscent of the year that they traded picks with them and they grabbed Patrick Mahomes who has turned out to be arguably one of the best quarterbacks the NFL has seen.
Bill Belichick actually had comforting words for Bills fans
Bills fans were livid that they saw all these players go by that they had already envisioned wearing a Bills uniform while the Bills were still empty-handed. Why would they not just take these players? And if you're going to trade, why would you allow Kansas City to take the player that you needed?
Read More: Everything You Need To Know About The Upcoming Tom Brady Roast
Belichick didn't see it that way. Essentially, he said to just have patience. The Bills front office knows what they're doing.
The best part is at the end. "I don’t know exactly what their overall strategy is, but I’m sure they have a good one. They’ve proven that. They’re doing what’s best for Buffalo. They can’t worry about what Kansas City is going to do.”
We don't know what Beane has planned
I'll admit, I've been baffled by the decision today too. But until the draft is over, we won't know what they're planning on doing. They might have something up their sleeve. They might not.
When you look back over the last couple of years though, some of the best players we've seen have come in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Players like Terrel Bernard, O'Cyrus Torrence, and James Cook, who weren't any of them first rounders are some of the most recent examples.
The Bills have some big picks on night two. Let's see what they end up doing with them!
Every Pick Made By Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane
Gallery Credit: Brett Alan
Updated List Of Buffalo Bills Available On Cameo
Gallery Credit: Brett Alan
A.I. Visualizes The Typical Buffalo Bills Fan
Gallery Credit: (Canva/Magic Media)