Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots
In the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills made a highly controversial decision. Both the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs were interested in acquiring the Bills’ 32nd overall pick. Instead of trading with a divisional rival, the Bills chose to trade with a team that has a history of eliminating them from the playoffs.
While neither option was ideal, one team posed less of a threat to the Bills than the other. Ultimately, Buffalo made a decision that one NFL insider believes has a high potential for backfiring.
“I worked for Al Davis, who had a rule against trading players within the division or to any team on our schedule,” said Michael Lombardi. “In this situation, they could have made a deal with New England. New England was aggressively pursuing Xavier Worthy. They were making calls to get that pick, and Buffalo had them on the phone, as well as Kansas City. If you’re Brandon Beane, you have to consider that maybe Kansas City offered more, but why would you give Worthy, a potential future Tyreek Hill, to the Chiefs?”
The Bills have struggled against the Chiefs in the playoffs, with this past season being the most recent example. From the Bills’ perspective, and as Lombardi noted, “why would I do anything to help the Chiefs?”
“Especially after losing to them with 13 seconds left and missing a 44-yard field goal to send the game into overtime,” Lombardi added. “I don’t get it. I would have been more than happy to send him to the Patriots, who are rebuilding with a new regime and quarterback.”
While it’s uncertain what Worthy will become, placing him on a team in rebuilding mode rather than one with a high chance of winning another Super Bowl would have been more beneficial for the Bills.
“I’m focused on today, and helping the Chiefs would be the last thing I’d want to do,” Lombardi said. “It’s a puzzling decision, and it could come back to haunt them if Worthy lives up to his potential. Reid excels at coaching young talent.”
In the end, it seems that having Worthy in a Patriots jersey might have been a better long-term move for the Bills. However, time will tell if Beane’s decision was the right one.
