While the Buffalo Bills already have a steady pair of starting veteran offensive tackles in Dion Dawkins and Daryl Williams, general manager Brandon Beane clearly didn’t want to rest on his laurels come the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Seeing Spencer Brown, the 6’8”, 311-lb tackle from Northern Iowa, still on the board towards the end of the second day, Beane quickly snatched him up. Although many analysts praised this pick given Brown’s massive upside, some were left questioning the team’s need at the position. That clearly doesn’t matter to Beane however, as he already envisions a plan for the season.
Following the end of the draft’s second day, Beane conducted his usual interview slate where he told reporters of his plan for Brown. “He played right tackle at Northern Iowa, we think he can be a swing tackle—right or left—come in and compete and be a backup year one and we’ll see from there.” Beane continued, speaking about how he admired how the rookie trained with former NFL left tackle Joe Staley and how well he did at the Senior Bowl.
Beane on Spencer Brown: "He played right tackle. We think he can be a swing tackle, compete and be a backup year one. He went and trained with former NFL LT Joe Staley. He also caught our eye at the Senior Bowl." #Bills
— Chris Brown (@ChrisBrownBills) May 1, 2021
That plan certainly makes sense, especially for a player like Brown, who went to a smaller college and opted out of the most recent season due to COVID-19. Despite training for the draft, the young man hasn’t stepped onto a football field since 2019. Meanwhile, Beane will have to deftly manage the team’s cap situation following Josh Allen’s inevitable extension, and finding young, cost-controlled talent is generally the preferred method for doing that. While Bills fans shouldn’t expect to see much of Brown—potential injuries aside—this season, he should be among the team’s future at the position.