Drama continues: Beane, who’s never seen a draft-day trade offer he didn’t like, might make more deals today
By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist
If you’re confused about what the Bills did in the final 30 minutes in last night’s first round of the 91st NFL draft … take a number.
The Bills went from having one pick (No. 26) to two (26 and 28) to none.
Oh, they got their second-round pick (they had none going into last night) have a third rounder now have three fifth-rounders and one each in the in the fourth, sixth and seventh rounds giving them nine overall.
If you’re confused — which I suspect you are — here’s how Bills general manager Brandon Beane’s three trades played out.
Buffalo traded its first-round pick (No. 26) plus its third-rounder (No. 91) to Houston for three Texans selections No. 26, No. 91, a third-rounder and No. 167 a fifth rounder.
The Bills traded their first-round pick (No. 26) and a third-round selection (No. 91) to the Texans for picks No. 28, No. 69 (third round), and No. 167 (fifth round).
Next, Beane dealt the No. 28 pick from Houston to the Patriots for choice No. 31 and a fourth-round pick (No. 125).
Finally, Buffalo traded picks No. 31, No. 69, and No. 165 to the Titans for No. 35 (second round), No. 66 (third round), and No. 101 (fourth round), effectively moving out of the of the first round.
The key acquisition was the 35th pick, the fourth selection tonight (7 o’clock) when the NFL conducts the second and third rounds of the this year’s draft.
Buffalo now has nine draft choices,
But here’s the tough question for Beane, who has a second and two third rounders, plus a fourth, three fifths, a sixth and a seventh.
Coming into this draft, in a global view, Buffalo’s biggest need was depth.
Instead, he traded away his first-round pick for a second-rouder 10 places lower and he has only three choices from the third round or higher… the make-hay area of any draft.
In fairness, Beane, who’s never seen a draft-day trade offer he didn’t like, might make more deals today.
But what happened Thursday didn’t leave Billls fans with a good feeling.
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
