Bills GM Brandon Beane rips into critics of team's wide receiver depth

The Buffalo Bills are once again reeling after falling short of making and winning a Super Bowl. This offseason, the Bills set their focus on bolstering their defense. They were able to retain key players like linebacker Terrel Bernard and defensive lineman Greg Rousseau, while bringing in free agents like Joey Bosa and Larry Ogunjobi.

This offseason, fans may have been looking for more improvement on the offense, specifically at wide receiver. Besides signing former Los Angeles Chargers wideout Joshua Palmer and former Jacksonville Jaguar Laviska Shenault, there weren't any major moves. Those hoping that the Bills would address the wide receiver position in the NFL Draft. Instead, the Bills prioritized improving the defense. They did select one wide receiver, Maryland's Kaden Prather, but with their final pick in the seventh roundb.

General manager Brandon Beane made an appearance on WGR 550 in Buffalo to discuss the fallout from the NFL Draft. Before getting started, Beane had something to get off of his chest, and that's the criticism of the team's wide receivers room.

"Well you guys were b****ing in 2018 about Josh Allen — you wanted Josh Rosen — and now you guys are bi***ing that we don’t have a receiver. I don’t get it.”

Brandon Beane goes after critics of Bills' wide receiver room

It's not exactly odd for a general manager to defend the roster they built. But Beane was extremely defensive about the wide receivers he had on the roster last season, citing how productive the offense was in 2024.

"We just scored 30 points in a row for eight straight games," said Beane. "A year ago, I get you guys ask why we didn't have receivers, but I don't understand it now. You just saw us lead the league in points, when you add all the postseason [games], no one scored more points than the Buffalo Bills, including the Super Bowl champions. So you just saw us do it without Stefon Diggs, same group. How is this group not better than last year's group? Our job is to score points and win games. Where do we need to get better? Defense. We did that."

The Bills' wide receiver group is relatively the same as last year, but without Mack Hollins, who left for the rival New England Patriots, and Amari Cooper, who remains a free agent. Hollins caught five touchdown passes in the regular season, the most for anyone on the team. Cooper, meanwhile, didn't make much of an impact as a trade deadline acquisition, catching 20 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns.

Buffalo will still have their leading receivers in Khalil Shakir (76 receptions for 821 yards and four touchdowns) and Keon Coleman (29 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns). They are bringing in Palmer, who caught 39-of-65 targets for 584 yards and a touchdown in 15 games.

Beane is confident that the offense will be just as productive as it was last year, and he's tired of hearing the criticisms over the lack of star power at the wide receiver position. We'll see if the Bills are able to prove Beane right once again in 2025.