Sean McDermott has left tongues wagging following his recent awkward statement about the Bills team and supporters.
NFL GMs and coaches tell lies. Every single time.
It’s only a requirement of the job. Being truthful has no merit in a sport where people are hyper-paranoid and would stop at nothing to obtain even the smallest advantage. Lying or at the very least, obscuring the truth could be advantageous. The NFL’s coaches and general managers are never known for being open and vulnerable, whether it’s through coach-speak, obvious word salad, or a purposeful diversion.
The greatest time to question those notoriously dishonest people in a formal context is during the end-of-season press conferences, though, if you want a chance of getting the most honest version of them. A coach and general manager are often less circumspect than they would be during the season or in the lead-up to the NFL Draft when they don’t have a game to prepare for and most other clubs are preoccupied with their own coaching searches, offseason staff changes, Senior Bowl prep, and upcoming playoff games.
But the best time to get some reasonable feedback from them that may be used as a window into their thinking for the offseason is still right after the season ends. Head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have historically been on the more open side of the scale when it comes NFL HC/GM duos (Beane even being voted the most trustworthy GM in the NFL through an agent poll done by The Athletic).
After they had a chance to speak, the following are my thoughts based on the details that I learned from Beane and McDermott during their news conferences at the end of the season:
Expect no significant changes to the coaching staff.
Eric Washington, who accepted the role of defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears under Matt Eberflus, will need to be replaced by a new assistant head coach and defensive lineman for the Bills. Sean McDermott commended special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley for his ability to play the hand he was dealt every week, which contributed to a special teams decline for a team that had been at the top of the league in 2022. Additionally, linebackers coach Bobby Babich has received some attention from around the league as a possible defensive coordinator. Since that many of Smiley’s multi-phase special teams players are defensive back seven players, it seems sense that McDermott would think that the defensive injuries that forced backup second-level defenders onto the field would have affected Smiley’s ability to field an effective unit. I think Smiley will return in 2024, even if punter Sam Martin has been inconsistent and kicker Tyler Bass has had a difficult season. Washington’s departure from his leadership role as DL coach will require a replacement, however it is still possible that Babich will be moved to DC or DC/assistant head coach in addition to his duties with the Bills’ line.
Conversely, Josh Allen openly recommended Joe Brady to be the offensive coordinator on a full-time basis. Josh Allen publicly recommended Ken Dorsey as well. Josh Allen, in my opinion, would publicly recommend any OC he knew.
However, Sean McDermott will ultimately have to make that choice. McDermott praised Brady for joining the team in the middle of the season, adapting quickly, and winning Josh Allen over. Brady’s role as the long-term OC going forward was also influenced by Brandon Beane:
“I see both Kennedy and Knox assisting us in the future.” Again, give Joe a range of choices according on the player you’re playing.
Joe Brady was used in a future state in that statement.
Brady will likely return in 2024 as well, based on the remarks made and the lack of urgency with which the Bills are interviewing other candidates for offensive coordinator with the Senior Bowl approaching (many staffs view this as a deadline for coaching staff changes to allow for scouting with a fully intact group).
In general, the Bills could have to close a few holes, but it would be unexpected to see a significant rebuild following another Divisional Round playoff elimination.
Anticipate one or two new faces among the top four wide receivers on the Bills depth chart.
It seems likely that this addition will be included in the draft given Brandon Beane’s remarks about not shopping on Main Street in New York City (related note: someone should give Beane a quick geography lesson). During the same press conference, Sean McDermott expressed his desire to ensure that the offense was “explosive” and elaborated on his belief that passing the football is the key to winning. Beane made the point that it was critical to acquire additional weapons in order to relieve some of the load on Stefon Diggs, who he characterized as the team’s top receiver.
It’s simple to imagine the possibility of two new faces ranking in the top four on the WR depth chart in 2024 when you take these remarks along with those regarding Gabe Davis. When a general manager states that a player has “earned the right to see where their market is,” they typically mean that the player will only return if they find that the free-agent market is not as lucrative as they had anticipated. Beane has previously stated that, when negotiating contracts, he adheres rather strictly to a set of values. Given that Beane had said something similar about linebacker Matt Milano prior to free agency, many were taken aback by the news of his contract extension. That implies that Davis’s return is not out of the question, although it would probably come as a greater surprise than when WGR550’s Sal Capaccio revealed the Milano news prior to 2021’s free agency. In 2024, Diggs, Shakir, and two fresh faces will most likely be at the top of the Bills’ wide receiver depth chart.
