Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Buffalo Bills hiring Brandon Beane as their general manager. Beane has his fingerprints all over the current Bills roster. A lot of those moves set themselves up for the 2018 NFL Draft. Along with trades, there have been numerous splash signings and players who have been cut.
8/7: Anquan Boldin signing
This move was the first that made a lot of noise. (Sorry, Cyrus Kouandjio.) Boldin was a member of the Bills for 15 days before announcing his retirement. The wide receiver never played a down with the Bills and shortly became an afterthought.
8/11: The trades heard around the world
Fans scratched their head when Beane shipped off two of the Bills youngest and most promising talents in wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. Collectively, the duo brought WR Jordan Matthews, CB E.J. Gaines, a second-round pick, a third-round pick, and a sixth-round pick. Matthews and Gaines are no longer with the team.
9/3: Another young prospect is shipped off
Kevon Seymour looked like a steal of a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. His rookie campaign was promising as anyones on the Bills and he was sent to the Carolina Panthers for Kaelin Clay and a 2019 seventh-round pick. Clay was cut about halfway through the season before he was signed back as a free agent in March.
10/27: Marcell Dareus, his contract, and personality traded
Dareus was the Bills best interior defender before he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for what turned into a fifth-round pick. It created a hole the Bills waited until the offseason to fill for the long-term.
10/31: A number one threat is finally added to the roster
Minutes before the trade deadline, the Bills worked out a deal with the Carolina Panthers to get Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo. The Bills gave up their third round pick to do so. Benjamin is set to become a free agent after the 2018 season and they haven't entered contract negotiations with him thus far.
11/4: Travaris Cadet gets the call behind Shady McCoy
Cadet proved to be a solid number two option as a versatile back. Cadet’s season was cut short due to an injury at the end of the season. Cadet will rejoin the Bills this season with an opportunity to earn his spot back.
2/27: Finding EJ Gaines replacement
Gaines and the Bills were unable to come to an agreement on contract number and he bought a ticket to Cleveland. Vontae Davis, who was released by the Colts in the middle of the season, signed a one year deal with the Bills to tighten up their secondary.
3/12: The push for a quarterback heats up with Glenn trade
Cordy Glenn is a franchise left tackle when healthy. Dion Dawkins played well enough that the Bills were comfortable with shopping Glenn. Gaining the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft for Glenn and the 21st pick made it easier for to trade for their quarterback.
3/15: The Bills bridge the gap and load up the front four in free agency
The first day of the league year, the Bills added multiple new faces to the roster. Star Lotulelei signed a monster five-year deal to keep the interior of the defensive line in tact, Trent Murphy signed a three-year deal to make up for a lack of production from the edge defenders in 2017, and eventually AJ McCarron signed a two-year deal to most likely bridge the gap for the Bills
4/26: The faces of the franchise are welcomed
Beane set up the Bills to take a quarterback in this year’s draft in August when the shipped Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby elsewhere. It all came full circle when the Bills moved up for their franchise quarterback, Josh Allen, and their soon-to-be quarterback on defense, Tremaine Edmunds.