2018 – Buffalo Bills trade up to select Josh Allen
In a franchise-altering move, Beane actually executed two trades in order to move up to select Josh Allen with his first pick as Bills GM.
First, Beane traded starting left tackle Cordy Glenn and their first-round selection, which was the 21st pick overall, and a sixth round pick (185 overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals for the number 12 overall pick and a sixth rounder (187 overall).
Beane then traded that same #12 selection along with two second rounders, the 53rd and 56th picks overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the number 7 pick and the 255th.
With the number 7 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Bills selected Josh Allen, QB Wyoming. This was possibly the best move of Beane’s very successful career. Allen started the 2018 season backing up Nathan Peterman but took over as the starter in September before missing four games due to injury.
He was named a team captain prior to the 2019 season, which started a string of four straight seasons that ended in playoff appearances for the Bills. Allen became the face of the Bills franchise and signed a 6-year $258 million contract extension in 2021, which keeps him as the centerpiece for the Bills for the foreseeable future.
Despite landing his franchise QB with his first pick, Beane was not done trading in the first round: