Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane’s latest move is a desperate attempt to make amends for not adding a wide receiver this offseason.
On Tuesday, the 7-4 Bills signed wide receiver Brandin Cooks after losing four of their past seven games. The collective reaction of Buffalo fans should be meh.
Why Brandin Cooks signing shouldn’t move the needle
Cooks, a former New England Patriots star, is a shell of his former self. The 32-year-old veteran last finished with 1,037 receiving yards or more during the 2021 season when still playing for the Houston Texans.
Over the past four seasons, Cooks has failed to surpass 699 receiving yards. Before the New Orleans Saints released him after Week 11, he averaged a career-low 8.7 yards per reception (165 yards) in 10 games with the team.
Beane may have thought fans would recognize Cooks’ name, but they shouldn’t be fooled. They know he should’ve added another WR much earlier.
How this move highlights Brandon Beane’s failure to add quality WRs
The Bills didn’t make any splashes at WR this offseason. They signed WR Josh Palmer to a three-year, $29M deal in free agency and waited until the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft to take Maryland WR Kaden Prather (pick No. 240).
After the draft, Beane defended himself for not doing more to improve the WR room. He told WGR-AM in Buffalo that the Bills had one of the best offenses in the league in 2024, so he didn’t need to. Additionally, he told fans to stop complaining. The GM probably wishes he could retract that comment.
Palmer has zero touchdown catches after 12 weeks, and Prather was waived with an injury settlement in August. WR Khalil Shakir has been the team’s top receiver this season, but he’s not a true No. 1. In 11 games, the former Boise State star has a team-leading 564 receiving yards, which ranks 32nd in the NFL.
To make matters worse for the Bills, second-year WR Keon Coleman, whom they hoped would blossom this season, is facing disciplinary issues. He has been a healthy scratch for two games after missing a team meeting before a Week 11 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The lack of quality pass-catchers is clearly impacting QB Josh Allen. The 2024 league MVP has thrown nine interceptions in 11 games after tossing six in 17 last season.
Beane reportedly tried to acquire Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle before the trade deadline passed on Nov. 4, but the AFC East rival rejected him. Now, he’s going to Plan B in Cooks.
That doesn’t cover for refusing to add another WR this offseason. The GM’s error may prevent the Bills from winning a Super Bowl, wasting another year of Allen’s prime.