Buffalo Bills hire Brandon Beane as general manager

The Buffalo Bills announced today that they’ve hired Brandon Beane for the role of general manager. Beane replaces Doug Whaley, who was fired at the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Beane, 40, had been with the Carolina Panthers in a variety of roles since 1998, most recently as assistant general manager. He served as the interim general manager in the latter half of the 2012 season, prior to the hiring of Dave Gettleman.

Over the last six years, he’s worked in close proximity to current Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who was the defensive coordinator in Carolina over that time frame. The working familiarity between the two men should alleviate any issues of control or a split vision for the franchise.

Beane has a diverse résumé when it comes to front office experience. He’s worked in pro personnel, scouting, draft preparation, and salary cap management. The Panthers website also notes that he’s been responsible for orchestrating a few trades over the years. He really has all the experience one could ask for in a rookie general manager.

Here is what Bills owner Terry Pegula had to say on the Beane hiring:

Beane comes into an unusual situation. Whaley, who had held the position since 2013, was fired a day after the draft along with most of the front office, including longtime director of pro personnel Jim Monos. The only major player to hold on to his role, Senior VP Jim Overdorf, could also be on his way out (a definite possibility, given Beane’s experience managing the salary cap). Beane will essentially be able to build a front office from scratch, although it’s hard to build a dream scouting staff when the best scouts already have jobs.

There will be some more changes in the coming days, as Beane fills his staff and makes the decision on Overdorf’s future. The first (and largest) domino has fallen.