Buffalo’s owner just rewrote draft history to absolve his GM, but the Bills’ own 2024 behind-the-scenes footage shows Brandon Beane pounding the table for Keon Coleman—months before the coaching staff supposedly forced the pick.
The Pegula Bomb: “Coaching staff pushed Coleman”
Speaking at the Bills’ season-ending presser, Terry Pegula hijacked a routine question to declare:
“The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player… He’s taken heat and not said a word. I’m here to tell you the true story.”
Translation: Sean McDermott’s staff, not GM Brandon Beane, owned the Coleman decision. Pegula absolved his front-office chief and heaped another log on the fire that consumed McDermott’s job two weeks earlier.
But the Tape Doesn’t Lie—Beane Loved Coleman Early
Buffalo’s own 29-minute “2024 Draft Room” documentary, released days after the draft, shows Beane:
- openly rooting for Coleman to run a slow 40-yard dash so “he falls to us”;
- telling Terry’s daughter, Laura Pegula, “We’re locked on Coleman at 33” minutes before the second round began;
- high-fiving scouts when Coleman slid past pick 32.
Why This Matters Now
1. Cap Casualty Incoming? Coleman is owed $2.1 M guaranteed in 2026, none after. If the new regime wants a reset, June 1 cut saves $1.7 M.
2. Allen’s Wrinkle. Josh Allen finished 2025 targeting 32-year-old Brandin Cooks and practice-squad call-up Mecole Hardman in a playoff loss. He needs a true WR1; the owner just hung the last high pick around the ex-coach’s neck.
3. Front-Office Shield. Pegula protected Beane—who has final roster say per the Bills’ own org chart—signaling the GM survives the coming overhaul.
What Beane Says Today
Minutes after Pegula spoke, Beane told reporters:
“Keon is my pick. We still believe in him. His issues are maturity, not talent.”
Bottom Line
Pegula’s revisionist history is a slick PR pivot, yet the franchise’s own video archive shows Beane was the driver, not a passenger. Coleman’s next 12 months—either a third-year leap or a quiet exit—will decide whether this becomes a footnote or another front-office scar on a roster still searching for a true No. 1 wideout for its $52-million quarterback.
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