Beane addressed questions regarding a range of Bills players and his thoughts on their 2023 performance and their roles on the team moving forward.
Terrel Bernard
Beane gave credit to linebacker Terrel Bernard for stepping up into a leadership role in his first year as a starter and just his second year in the NFL. Ahead of the season Bernard was named the starting middle linebacker, meaning he called the plays on the defense, and lost his counterpart All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano just five weeks into the season.
The Bills linebacker sustained an ankle injury against Pittsburgh in the Super Wild Card round of the playoffs, and it was clear to the team doctors that he would not be able to play the following week against Kansas City.
“This kid kept saying every day, ‘I’m playing, I’m playing,” Beane said. “And we go work him out the day before the game and some of the things look good, some of it he still struggled. And he got done and knew he couldn’t do it and just the tears, I mean the tears in his eyes. … That’s what gets you excited … this guy was going to go out there and play on one leg and one foot if he had to.”
DaQuan Jones
Beane said the defense greatly felt the absence of Jones after he sustained a pectoral injury in Week 5 and did not return until Week 17 against the New England Patriots. The defensive tackle finished the season with 2.5 sacks and three stuffs while playing in only seven games.
“DaQuan is a good player, first and foremost, a longtime starter in this league,” Beane said. “Beyond that, he’s a leader and he’s well-respected. He makes others around him better, so you would want a DaQuan Jones around. We would love to get him back.”
Beane said that Jones, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has “earned the right to test his market” but that the Bills would “be a fool not to entertain bringing him back.”
Gabe Davis
Davis, who the Bills drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, has scored seven touchdowns in all but one of his four seasons — with the lone exception being a six-touchdown performance in 2021.
“Gabe is just a relentless worker, almost too much. You have to tell him to get away from it,” Beane said. “And he deserves everything he’s gotten, all the success he’s had. He believes in himself and he sees himself as a guy that can do more and wants the opportunities.”
Beane said that, similar to DaQuan, the Bills would love to have Davis back on the roster but understand that the wide receiver will test the market in free agency.
“It has to work for him. It has to work for us,” Beane said.
Kaiir Elam
The Bills’ 2022 first round draft pick was placed on the injured reserve on Nov. 2 but was activated in late December. In total, Elam played in three games for the Bills this season while being listed as active for five.
Beane said that Elam’s foot injury was bothering him long before he was placed on injured reserve.
“I do think the foot deal bothered him more than he let anyone know at the end of training camp,” Beane said. “And yes, he was playing with it, but I don’t think he looked like himself there. … I think the best thing we did was let our medical team work on him and get him healthy.”
Beane said Elam “works hard” and while they are not necessarily going to name him a starter next season that “anything can be earned.”
Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer:
The safety tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer has been a defining duo in the Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane era. From their play on the field to their impact in the locker room, Hyde and Poyer have been integral leaders for the defense as well as the building as a whole.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen two safeties play seven seasons together. I know Micah’s year got cut short last year a little bit, but I’m amazed at all they did for us, not only on the field but the culture here and every day,” Beane said. “You’re not going to find two better pros than that and two guys to be back there. What they did was amazing.”
With the 33-year-old Hyde entering free agency and Poyer entering his second of a two-year deal, Beane said the future of the secondary is yet to be determined.
“Micah is a free agent. So we’ll see where his head is at and Jordan has one year left. We haven’t gotten down the road as far as what we’re going to do from that standpoint,” Beane said. “I would just say if Micah retired or we couldn’t afford to sign him if he played or something like that, we would definitively miss that.”
