Buffalo Bills linked to two top receivers in offseason rumors
The Buffalo Bills missed out on one top receiver this offseason and were called about another. Brandon Beane decided to make other moves.
The Buffalo Bills made two nice acquisitions in Cole Beasley and John Brown. Both players have experience and can serve as trusted targets for Josh Allen.
Yet there are two other names the Bills were connected to that would have made bigger headlines.
The first of course is Antonio Brown. One night it seemed as if he was headed to Buffalo and all we had to do was wait to hear the compensation. Hours later it turned out there was no trade in the works.
The fact the Bills were connected to such a big name was interesting and may have been a shock to Bills fans. Alas, no one had to worry about arguing whether the move was good or bad as it never came to be.
The Bills followed up by signing both Beasley and Brown, but recent news made it clear the team also had a chance to acquire another big-name receiver.
Thread: Dave Gettleman insists the only team he called himself on OBJ trade was the Bills after they lost out on Antonio Brown. Mentions Niners as consistently interested & Browns who made the deal. Leaves out initial convos with Rams that started all this a year ago.
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) March 18, 2019
The Cleveland Browns pulled the trigger on a trade for Odell Beckham Jr., but it appears the Bills had the first chance to make a deal. Instead, Brandon Beane decided he wasn’t interested.
It is always fascinating to learn about the behind-the-scenes conversations had about players. The call from Gettleman to Beane could have led to a major deal for the Bills. However, I doubt Beane was too interested if Gettleman was the one reaching out about a deal.
It is also possible Beane was done trying to make such a monumental trade after things didn’t go well with trying to acquire Brown. Getting Beasley and Brown before the draft also helped him add some talent at receiver without having to give up anything other than cap space.
Next. Post-Combine full 2019 first-round mock draft. dark
Bills fans likely would have had polarizing reactions to the team trading for OBJ, so maybe all this is for the best. Still, it is nice to know Beane is working the phones and that the Bills are a team in the mix when it comes to adding star players.