The Buffalo Bills moved on from head coach Sean McDermott after nine years on Monday, adding another shocking firing to the list of moves made around the NFL this season. After a devastating loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round, it was easy to rationalize why the Bills had to let their coach go.
But McDermott wasn't the primary reason for Buffalo's playoff failures. Outside of a few big names, the Bills' roster is severely lacking in multiple areas.
McDermott may be the one taking the blame for the Bills' consistent shortcomings, but general manager Brandon Beane isn't as innocent as the team is making him seem.
Bills pin failures on Sean McDermott over Brandon Beane
Shortly after firing McDermott, the Bills announced that they will keep Beane in his current role. The general manager will lead the search for the team's next head coach.
The argument in Beane's favor is clear: He drafted Josh Allen and helped lead this team to contender status. But behind the shiny front of acquiring an MVP quarterback, the general manager's resume is sorely lacking. As NFL analyst Benjamin Solak pointed out on "X," "Since drafting Josh Allen in 2018, the Bills have drafted 56 players. Two of them (James Cook and Dawson Knox) have made Pro Bowls."
That's an inexcusable drafting record. Sure, he should get credit for believing in Allen when many other teams around the NFL overlooked him, but a GM needs to show more consistent drafting success to stay in charge.
Beane has had multiple whiffs in the draft, especially in early rounds. Most notably, his decision to take Keon Coleman in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft has proved a costly one. Just two years into his NFL career, Coleman is now on the roster bubble heading into the offseason.
It's certainly more difficult to find impact players in the draft when selecting near the end of each round, but that doesn't excuse Beane's inability to fill out the roster. The Bills have now had multiple seasons where their lack of depth has cost them in the playoffs. While that can be chalked up to unfortunate injuries, it's the general manager's job to ensure that the team is set up for success in these cases.
It may have been time to move on from McDermott, but Beane should have followed him out the door.