Brandon Beane, Carolina Panthers
The vibe: Beane seems to be the odds-on favorite at this point given that he’s back in the news on Monday and will receive a second interview. The Bills are still making decisions to talk to some people for the first time, e.g. Brian Gutekunst, but they might be checking in on future options or one-offs before they really buckle down and hire Beane if he’s interested.
Current role: Assistant general manager
Why the Bills would bite: Current head coach Sean McDermott would be very familiar with Beane and is likely championing this very hire since both worked together in Carolina. The reality is that McDermott is being given more personnel input that most NFL coaches, so any potential GM is going to have to be okay with a interactive coach. Through a negative lens, that’s viewed as meddlesome, but in a great partnership, it can be a tremendous asset to have a meaningful coach-GM relationship. Beane has also been waiting a long time for his turn to run a team and has showed incredible loyalty to the Carolina Panthers organization given his 20-year tenure.
Why they might pass: No one has ever talked about the incredible personnel tree of the Carolina Panthers.