I know this isn’t directly Pittsburgh Steelers related but this is a look behind the veil that’s too good not to share. And might offer some insight to what GM Omar Khan was dealing with during his first draft.
Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane appeared on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast to discuss the 2023 NFL Draft and the team’s first-round trade, moving up two spots in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, to #25 to select Utah TE Dalton Kincaid. Two picks later, the Jags grabbed Oklahoma OT Anton Harrison.
But to hear Beane tell it, getting Jaguars GM Trent Baalke to agree to it was easier said than done. Jacksonville was worried about Buffalo taking the player it was targeting and it led to a humorous back and forth.
“You’re going to have tell me who you’re taking,” Baalke told Beane.
“Well Trent, I don’t want to necessarily tell you who I’m taking.”
According to Beane, Baalke said he wouldn’t do a deal unless he was comfortable knowing the Bills weren’t taking the player Jacksonville coveted. And the two had to play a game of “Clue” to narrow it down. Here’s the exchange, per Beane.
“[Baalke] goes, offense or defense?”
“Offense.”
“Alright, I need more. Big or small?”
“Medium.”
“Are you taking a tight end?”
“Yeah.”
Baalke hung up and Beane waited what he described as the longest two minutes. Beane called back and finally convinced Baalke he wasn’t taking the Jaguars’ target and they agreed to the deal. Buffalo got Kincaid at 25 while the Jaguars still got their target, Harrison, two picks later.
Here’s the full story from Beane below.
As sophisticated and dialed in as NFL teams are, sometimes they’re all just playing a kid’s game to figure out first-round deals that change futures and shape draft classes.
Do all trades work this way? Probably not. Omar Khan confirmed he did not specifically tell the New England Patriots the Steelers wanted to trade up for OT Broderick Jones. Based on the board, team needs, and the New York Jets’ targets at #15, it was probably easy to infer what direction Pittsburgh was going.
Honestly, I’ve always wondered about how draft-day trades are made. The angst from the teams trading back, hoping they won’t see their top targets fly off the board and burn them on the move down. Every trade is unique and there is no script teams follow but this is one of the many ways deals get done.
The full interview with Beane, who offers rare candor for a GM, is below.
