One of the players most frequently connected to the Buffalo Bills in the pre-draft process was Iowa State running back Breece Hall.
Why, exactly, that was the case is a bit of a mystery to Bills General Manager Brandon Beane.
“I don't know where the reports come from,” Beane said Thursday night after using the 23rd overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam. “I know they don't come from our building. We don't put out smoke screens. Like, it's not something we do. I definitely heard about it, we tracked it. Locally, it seemed to be more receiver or corner. Nationally, it was definitely Breece Hall and I'm assuming a lot of people are kind of studying what other people are saying, too.
"Whatever reason it picked up a trend, and so maybe that's what happened. I'm not sure, but we don't really get into trying to put out smoke screens, I think it's a waste of time.”
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Asked if that’s something someone who puts out smoke screens would say, Beane replied: “I don’t lie. I can honestly say we don't put out smoke screens.”
The Bills will still see Hall twice a year. He was chosen by the New York Jets with the 36th overall pick in the second round Friday night. The Jets traded up with the Giants, leapfrogging the Texans in the process. The Giants received the 38th and 146th overall picks to move down two spots.
Beane gave his stock answer when asked if upgrading the running game is a priority.
“If there's a runner there that we think can help us, we wouldn't hesitate to turn it in,” he said. “That's any round. Same as corner. It's got to fit the value for what that player is going to add to our offense. What does that runner do for us? Is he a sub back? Is he a three-down back? Is he a speed back, home-run hitter, but not really between the tackles? How does he hold up in pass pro? So, all those things kind of puts his value where he is on our board, but again, we think there are a lot of positions that we can add to. I don't really rank that as, 'man, we've got to leave this draft with that.'
“You can always add to it. I'm not sweating it. Corner was definitely a higher need, without going through where each position is on the pecking order.”
A year ago, Beane double dipped at defensive end, taking Gregory Rousseau and Boogie Basham in the first two rounds. The GM also wasn’t ruling out that possibility after taking Elam in the first.
“If he's the best player, I'll take him,” Beane said of drafting another cornerback. “I really will, wouldn't hesitate. Again, like last year, I did not intend to draft back-to-back D-ends and back-to-back offensive tackles. So yeah, I mean, if there's a really good corner in the second round tomorrow, we'd take him.”
