NFL Agent Survey from The Athletic: Beane ranks highly in several "best GM in the league" categories

[Thurman#1]

11 hours ago, Rc2catch said:

So he’s just lacking in the super important fan approval category 

 

 

The super-important nutty-fan approval category.

[Thurman#1]

8 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

No one will agree with me (I enjoy being a lone wolf) but I do think Whaley built some really good teams. He just never hit on the qb and that’s what separates GMs. 

 

 

He had some other problems. Plenty of them.

 

And again, most of the players on Whaley's best teams had been brought in during the Buddy Nix era rather than the Whaley era.

 

His whole "if you really believe in it, do whatever you need to to get it done" idea was essentially his way of buying into his own confirmation bias. It led to dumb moves, the worst of which was trading two first round picks and a bit more for the right to pick a WR. Just a dumb move. And there were a few others.

 

He also just didn't have much of an overall plan. Seemed to just bring in guys who he thought were good. There's more to it than that. 

 

Agreed that not getting the QB was a huge problem for him. Bad coaching decisions as well. There's some evidence that others were too involved with those decisions, but in both cases Whaley might very well have made an impact if he'd balked. He didn't. Marrone wasn't awful till he quit, but Rex was just terrible.

[Thurman#1]

8 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

Well it only takes 2 or 3 voters out of 23 to get you top or top 5.

 

The  only thing one can take away from such a sample. is that Howie Roswman is the only standout as”best GM” as far as those polled are concerned 

 

 

Man, that's some serious spin there. You must feel dizzy.

 

Yeah, it only takes two or three voters. But if only one or two teams get more, it's because you're good.

 

Roseman does stick out there, but there's plenty more to be taken from this. Including that Beane is one of the best overall according to the agents, which is important. Not surprising. Everyone thinks Beane is one of the best.

[MJS]

He is a top 5 GM and he is clearly well respected around the league.

[Dr.Sack]

Beane has draft average overall.

 

He also has done a great job at bringing in seemingly good FAs. 
 

2023 might be Beane’s masterclass if the acquisitions help fuel a Super Bowl run. 

[Thurman#1]

33 minutes ago, Dr.Sack said:

Beane has draft average overall.

 

He also has done a great job at bringing in seemingly good FAs. 
 

2023 might be Beane’s masterclass if the acquisitions help fuel a Super Bowl run. 

 

 

He's drafted better than average. He's been a good drafter, particularly factoring in how consistently they've drafted late. 

 

Not great. And in many other areas he's been great, but not in drafting. But better than average.

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/04/14/nfl-draft-ranking-best-and-worst-teams-at-picking-players#gid=ci02bc99ec7006253f&pid=1

 

https://www.the33rdteam.com/category/nfl-draft/which-teams-have-been-best-at-drafting/

 

https://nypost.com/2023/04/22/five-year-nfl-draft-analysis-ravens-are-no-1-as-giants-jets-both-rise/

 

https://www.runyourpool.com/articles/2023/04/27/5-best-nfl-draft-teams-of-the-last-5-years/

 

Only spent about 20 minutes looking, and there just aren't many articles that are recent, don't go back way before the McBeane era and rank the teams over the years rather than just one year. Of the ones that I found, all of them list the Bills pretty high.

 

There's a good reason for that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thurman#1]

 

9 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

In all seriousness.........I think if this poll took place in 2006 that Marv Levy would have been the "GM you trust the most".

 

It speaks volumes that none of the "trusted" are on the "best overall" list.

 

That's just business..........the easy marks are the one's that are most liked.........always the favorites to deal with..........but the shiesty one's get the best deals.

 

Being much too accommodating to players and their agents has been a huge weakness for Beane.      

 

 

 

6 hours ago, JGMcD2 said:

Isn’t Brandon Beane on both? 

 

Cha-ching!!

 

Not to mention that the Niners had guys listed on both of those best lists, though it was a different guy. But that makes them an honest and effective franchise according to these agents, despite the votes likely getting split.

 

Lotta nonsense in BADOL's post there. Just confirmation bias.

 

To be successful you can be trustworthy or you can be less so. Being trustworthy does make people more likely and happy to work with you, though. It can bring in FAs who might not otherwise sign here, it can greatly assist in negotiations and Beane has an excellent record of getting guys to sign at good values to the team. Probably a good deal of that comes from being trustworthy about what the player will be getting in Buffalo.

 

Beane doesn't have major weaknesses. Small but real ones? Yeah, sure, as absolutely everybody does, but he's overall excellent. This is shown by the extreme success the team has had under him. Few teams have such excellent W-L records in the last five years, and that's the basic thing you want a GM to be working on and the best way to judge him.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Thurman#1

[CSBill]

15 hours ago, Logic said:

 

This poll loses all credibility when Jerry Jones shows up on it.

[Mr. WEO]

4 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Man, that's some serious spin there. You must feel dizzy.

 

Yeah, it only takes two or three voters. But if only one or two teams get more, it's because you're good.

 

Roseman does stick out there, but there's plenty more to be taken from this. Including that Beane is one of the best overall according to the agents, which is important. Not surprising. Everyone thinks Beane is one of the best.

 

Serious spin?  Come on.  The data presented  simply tells you that fewer than 1 int 10 of the respondents thinks  Beane is the best GM.  He got 1 more vote than Jerry Jones!

 

"Serious spin" is concluding anything else from that poll.

 

He's a good GM, leave it at that.

[JerseyBills]

Very well deserved! 

Him and McDermott have been nothing short of a blessing to this franchise 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

14 hours ago, Billl said:

  He had an amazing draft in 2018.  Since then, he’s managed 4 postseason wins in 5 seasons with an elite QB.  At what point does he get judged on his recent history?

 

4 postseason wins in the last 5 seasons and 4 postseason wins in the last 3 seasons. One sound better than the other. One is also more recent and answers the question you asked about being judged on his recent history. As long as the Bills continue to win postseason games as they have in each of the last three seasons, Beane will be fine. 

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Serious spin?  Come on.  The data presented  simply tells you that fewer than 1 int 10 of the respondents thinks  Beane is the best GM.  He got 1 more vote than Jerry Jones!

 

"Serious spin" is concluding anything else from that poll.

 

He's a good GM, leave it at that.

 

I think that means that Beane is twice as good as Jones!

[Mr. WEO]

3 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

 

I think that means that Beane is twice as good as Jones!

 

now THAT'S how you spin!!

[BADOLBILZ]

11 hours ago, JGMcD2 said:

Isn’t Brandon Beane on both? 

 

 

You are correct, I misread the graphic.   The same agents who gave him props for talent evaluation probably gave him modest top GM consideration.  But if people read the comments in the story.........it only further re-inforces my point.   Here is the positive quote on Beane:

 

• “First off, they’re all the enemy. It’s a really hard question because there are guys that I think do a good job that I like dealing with. And then there are guys who I actually think are really good GMs but I just don’t like dealing with. Beane is honest, direct, a strong evaluator and respectful.”

 

As a person who has to do his share of sales.........that's exactly how I play it with client corporate.   I try to make the people who are easy to deal with look as good as possible so I don't have to deal with the Howie Roseman types.   In fact, it's mission statement level important.

 

Howie Roseman is the overwhelming choice for best GM but nowhere to be found on the "nice" list and the comments about him are just plain grudging respect.

 

[JGMcD2]

7 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

You are correct, I misread the graphic.   The same agents who gave him props for talent evaluation probably gave him modest top GM consideration.  But if people read the comments in the story.........it only further re-inforces my point.   Here is the positive quote on Beane:

 

• “First off, they’re all the enemy. It’s a really hard question because there are guys that I think do a good job that I like dealing with. And then there are guys who I actually think are really good GMs but I just don’t like dealing with. Beane is honest, direct, a strong evaluator and respectful.”

 

As a person who has to do his share of sales.........that's exactly how I play it with client corporate.   I try to make the people who are easy to deal with look as good as possible so I don't have to deal with the Howie Roseman types.   In fact, it's mission statement level important.

 

Howie Roseman is the overwhelming choice for best GM but nowhere to be found on the "nice" list and the comments about him are just plain grudging respect.

 

Does it reinforce your point? I think you originally tried to ***** on Beane, but misread the graphic.

 

It doesn’t mean that whoever wrote that blurb, DIDN’T vote for someone as a top GM because he doesn’t like them, he just didn’t vote them as trustworthy. 

 

I don’t disagree with the overall point that trustworthy doesn’t necessarily = good. It just seems that based on this poll, Beane may be the exception.

Edited August 29, 2023 by JGMcD2

[BADOLBILZ]

10 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

Yes. In this small sample size opinion poll he's ranked 4th Best GM overall and 5th Best Talent Evaluator.

 

I disagree with @BADOLBILZ comment that being a schyster is a better trait than integrity for a GM.

 

As an NFL GM you're gonna be dealing with the same people over and over. If they don't trust you they're not gonna do business with you. If they don't do business with you you're not gonna be effective in your job.

 

 

 

Well you are simply wrong about that.   It's a given that GM's who keep their cards close to the vest get the better of contract negotiations.   That's simple business.  Not sure how one can observe Beane's handling of the salary cap to this point and not understand this.   Even in the jam he's in now he gave surprisingly generous deals to Sharty and McGovern.   That's why agents love the guy.

 

As an NFL GM you're gonna' be dealing with the same people over and over........yeah.......and they have no choice but to do business with the highest bidder/most desirable team.  

 

And the latter has next to nothing to do with who the GM is unless you are Aaron Rodgers wanting roster veto control(at which level the agent involved is irrelevant).    If it's not about the money it's about QB, coaching staff and chance to win.

 

If it got out that an agent was cutting less lucrative deals or even putting his players in positions less likely to succeed for the same money because he "liked" the GM then that agent would be finished.    NFLPA would not approve of such relationships between player representatives and team management.     

[BADOLBILZ]

7 minutes ago, JGMcD2 said:

Does it reinforce your point? I think you originally tried to ***** on Beane, but misread the graphic.

 

It doesn’t mean that whoever wrote that blurb, DIDN’T vote for someone as a top GM because he doesn’t like them, he just didn’t vote them as trustworthy. 

 

I don’t disagree with the overall point that trustworthy doesn’t necessarily = good. It just seems that based on this poll, Beane may be the exception.

 

 

I was sh!tting on Beane and I did misread the graphic.   But my point is common sense.   It's business 101 level.   Tough negotiators get the best deals and people trying to sell things to tough negotiators HATE that.   Everyone wants the success to come easy.   Beane has delivered an inordinate amount of over-market deals in his years as GM.    He has done stup!d ***** like giving pay cuts to players who needed to be cut........like Star and Vernon Butler........and been rewarded with sh!t effort.    He has been taken advantage of by agents.   Facts.    His list of "steals" in UFA is one deep..........Daryl Williams in 2020.    I think Beane is a great office executive(which the Pegula's needed) and tremendous at PR but he really needs to turn the corner as a personnel man and negotiator.   And soon.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

4 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I was sh!tting on Beane and I did misread the graphic.   But my point is common sense.   It's business 101 level.   Tough negotiators get the best deals and people trying to sell things to tough negotiators HATE that.   Everyone wants the success to come easy.   Beane has delivered an inordinate amount of over-market deals in his years as GM.    He has done stup!d ***** like giving pay cuts to players who needed to be cut........like Star and Vernon Butler........and been rewarded with sh!t effort.    He has been taken advantage of by agents.   Facts.    His list of "steals" in UFA is one deep..........Daryl Williams in 2020.    I think Beane is a great office executive(which the Pegula's needed) and tremendous at PR but he really needs to turn the corner as a personnel man and negotiator.   And soon.

He's hopeless bro, give it up. He made good decisions on Allen and Diggs and it covers up a whole lot of crap.

[BADOLBILZ]

10 minutes ago, 2020 Our Year For Sure said:

He's hopeless bro, give it up. He made good decisions on Allen and Diggs and it covers up a whole lot of crap.

 

 

I have hope for Beane because I think he can learn..........but he's no personnel man and he let's agents walk all over him.   Those deficiencies have to end.   He's not a blockhead like his mentor Gettleman so I think he can learn but the criticism of him is warranted.   He's got a young QB in his prime and somehow has turned this situation into a "window".    They should be in a much more advantageous cap situation and he should have found a lot more production on the cheap than he has.    The draft is one thing.........teams miss on players all the time.........but his pro personnel work has been terrible.   And that's where the agents come in.   He really needs to hit 2-3 HR with guys like Sharty, McGovern, Sherfield, Floyd and Rapp at this point to try to gain back some ground as a personnel evaluator/negotiator.

[BullBuchanan]

22 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Seeing Lynch voted that high for talent evaluating was kind of surprising given the Trey Lance debacle.  Im sure the votes were done well before that trade, but still, a month ago that looks like an absolute train wreck.  There isnt anyone even close in worse draft day deals, EVER.  Then again these are agents, who have different motivations then most involved in the sport. Cool article though!

It's one move. He also got them Brock Purdy. The 49ers have an incredible roster and have been a QB away for years. If Purdy takes a step and stays healthy, I could very easily believe the go to the Super Bowl this year. They've been to the Championship game in 3 consecutive seasons.

[Success]

Proof is in the pudding, imo.

 

This team has fallen short - but they have been good enough to win a Super Bowl each of the past 3 years.

 

[Alphadawg7]

22 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Seeing Lynch voted that high for talent evaluating was kind of surprising given the Trey Lance debacle.  Im sure the votes were done well before that trade, but still, a month ago that looks like an absolute train wreck.  There isnt anyone even close in worse draft day deals, EVER.  Then again these are agents, who have different motivations then most involved in the sport. Cool article though!

 

Not directing this directly at you, just more commenting on the over the top heat Lynch has been getting since Lance was traded.  The fans and media love to dwell on a single move as if it is an indicator of a GM's total track record even though no GM is perfect.  While fans and media have been railing on Lynch over Trey Lance, the 49ers have made 3 NFC Conference Championships in the past 4 seasons and one Super Bowl under Lynch.  And Lynch took over a bad team, this is what he built.

 

They enter this year as one of the SB favorites again and have one of the most talented rosters and teams in the league that Lynch built.  And even though they made a SB and 3 straight NFC Conference Championship games, this is probably their most talented roster yet.  They also found what seems to be a starting QB with the very last pick of the draft that is dubbed "Mr. Irrlevant" for a reason as it almost every case has ended up being a pick of a guy that would never do much in the NFL.

 

Pretty sure most teams would kill to have a GM in John Lynch miss on a QB while building one of the best teams in the NFL who have been to a SB and 3 NFC Title games the past 4 seasons.  He is legit one of the best GM's currently in the NFL.  

 

 

[Bill from NYC]

8 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I have hope for Beane because I think he can learn..........but he's no personnel man and he let's agents walk all over him.   Those deficiencies have to end.   He's not a blockhead like his mentor Gettleman so I think he can learn but the criticism of him is warranted.   He's got a young QB in his prime and somehow has turned this situation into a "window".    They should be in a much more advantageous cap situation and he should have found a lot more production on the cheap than he has.    The draft is one thing.........teams miss on players all the time.........but his pro personnel work has been terrible.   And that's where the agents come in.   He really needs to hit 2-3 HR with guys like Sharty, McGovern, Sherfield, Floyd and Rapp at this point to try to gain back some ground as a personnel evaluator/negotiator.

You see, I can't understand why Beane gets the lion's share of the blame. I just don't get it. In my line of work, there was always 1 person with the most authority. There wasn't really an "open door policy," nor "rule by committee" back then but I digress. 

 

McDermott was hired before Beane and there is no reason to believe that Beane was not brought in by his insistence, or at least request. We all know what McDermott did in the draft before Beane even arrived in town. It was disgraceful. Our drafts have been too focused on defense and negligent of the  OL and WR positions ever since. Where are the fingers pointing at McDermott? Again, who has the final say?

 

What I have seen in my work life on occasion was big bosses making very dumb decisions. One was REALLY stupid and cost unnecessary injuries and bad blood. He blamed an underling, who got in trouble. I think that McDermott is doing precisely this. Would Beane have traded Boogie for next to nothing sans the approval of McDermott?  Would he be allowed to? Would Beane have traded up for Edmunds and Elam without approval (let alone encouragement) from McDermott?

 

What am I missing? 

[Dr. Who]

4 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

You see, I can't understand why Beane gets the lion's share of the blame. I just don't get it. In my line of work, there was always 1 person with the most authority. There wasn't really an "open door policy," nor "rule by committee" back then but I digress. 

 

McDermott was hired before Beane and there is no reason to believe that Beane was not brought in by his insistence, or at least request. We all know what McDermott did in the draft before Beane even arrived in town. It was disgraceful. Our drafts have been too focused on defense and negligent of the  OL and WR positions ever since. Where are the fingers pointing at McDermott? Again, who has the final say?

 

What I have seen in my work life on occasion was big bosses making very dumb decisions. One was REALLY stupid and cost unnecessary injuries and bad blood. He blamed an underling, who got in trouble. I think that McDermott is doing precisely this. Would Beane have traded Boogie for next to nothing sans the approval of McDermott?  Would he be allowed to? Would Beane have traded up for Edmunds and Elam without approval (let alone encouragement) from McDermott?

 

What am I missing? 

[BADOLBILZ]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

You see, I can't understand why Beane gets the lion's share of the blame. I just don't get it. In my line of work, there was always 1 person with the most authority. There wasn't really an "open door policy," nor "rule by committee" back then but I digress. 

 

McDermott was hired before Beane and there is no reason to believe that Beane was not brought in by his insistence, or at least request. We all know what McDermott did in the draft before Beane even arrived in town. It was disgraceful. Our drafts have been too focused on defense and negligent of the  OL and WR positions ever since. Where are the fingers pointing at McDermott? Again, who has the final say?

 

What I have seen in my work life on occasion was big bosses making very dumb decisions. One was REALLY stupid and cost unnecessary injuries and bad blood. He blamed an underling, who got in trouble. I think that McDermott is doing precisely this. Would Beane have traded Boogie for next to nothing sans the approval of McDermott?  Would he be allowed to? Would Beane have traded up for Edmunds and Elam without approval (let alone encouragement) from McDermott?

 

What am I missing? 

 

I believe the decisions are collaborative but that McD has the most authority and therefore the final say if he chooses.    But I also think that McD relies on the scouts and Beane to narrow the field of prospects and pro personnel greatly and has to give them the benefit of the doubt more often than not.   So if their recommendations are poor.........the end result is poor.    Ultimately I think they are tied together and if one goes they both do.........but if only one stays it would be McD and he would choose his next GM. 

[BillsVet]

12 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

You see, I can't understand why Beane gets the lion's share of the blame. I just don't get it. In my line of work, there was always 1 person with the most authority. There wasn't really an "open door policy," nor "rule by committee" back then but I digress. 

 

McDermott was hired before Beane and there is no reason to believe that Beane was not brought in by his insistence, or at least request. We all know what McDermott did in the draft before Beane even arrived in town. It was disgraceful. Our drafts have been too focused on defense and negligent of the  OL and WR positions ever since. Where are the fingers pointing at McDermott? Again, who has the final say?

 

What am I missing? 

 

I think it was former personnel guy Mike Lombardi who was an early NFL insider with CBS who said that fans don't care about front office dynamics.  And they don't.  It's the what you can see news like draft picks, UFA signings, the game results, and maybe in-game coaching decisions most people focus on.  

 

That includes the organizational relationship between Beane and McDermott.  The belief is GM's picks players and coaches coach and that's why front office decision making analysis goes almost nowhere on TBD.  Of course McD is running everything...it's just out of sight, out of mind.