Buffalo Bills General Manager Brandon Beane spoke with Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio about the team’s attempts to strengthen their receiving corps before the trade deadline. Despite active efforts, the Bills ultimately failed to secure a receiver, a shortcoming that persisted throughout the season and ended with their playoff exit at the hands of the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. Beane continues to face scrutiny over the missed opportunities and defends the decisions made.
Trade Targets and Challenges with Salary Cap Constraints
The Bills explored acquiring receivers such as Jakobi Meyers, Rashid Shaheed, and Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle. Meyers eventually moved from the Raiders to the Jaguars—who were in a similar playoff hunt—and helped boost that team’s postseason hopes. However, negotiations with Meyers’ previous teams were complicated by salary cap limitations.
Beane explained,
“I mean, listen, we were very active [at the deadline]. Meyers, he had a higher cap number than we had availability to do. And in speaking with those guys, they weren’t really interested in eating cap space, which, you know, they traded him in Jacksonville,”
he said.
“So when you, you know, when you’re trading for a player, we ran into that with Davante Adams going to the Jets, we checked on him. We ultimately made the trade for Amari Cooper a year ago. It’s got to work within our financials, and unless a team is willing to eat money, Cleveland had already converted Cooper down and so, you know, you’re able to do that. If a club’s not willing to do that, that can kind of limit, you know, the possibility of making that happen at the deadline.”
Efforts Involving Rashid Shaheed and Jaylen Waddle
Rashid Shaheed, who played a pivotal role in the Seattle Seahawks‘ Super Bowl run after being traded from the New Orleans Saints, was another target. Buffalo was also heavily linked to a potential trade for Jaylen Waddle, a rare intra-division deal between the Dolphins and Bills that ultimately collapsed. Reports at the time suggested Buffalo offered a first-round pick in 2027 and a third-round pick, though the timeline of the first-rounder was a year later than usual.
Regarding the bills’ engagement in various deal talks, Beane stated,
“We talked about a lot of those guys. Shaheed with New Orleans, we were involved in that. Obviously he gets shipped to Seattle. And you’re right, in the division we talked to one or two of those teams about their players,”
before adding,
“But at the end of the day, I know we had the strongest offer on one, I know that, but they ultimately decided not to pull the trigger. Maybe they decided it wasn’t enough or maybe they just decided they didn’t want to send him in the division, they would have to answer that.”
Uncertainty Surrounding the Waddle Trade Breakdown
When asked if he anticipated the Waddle trade to be completed, Beane appeared surprised by the failure of the deal.
“Uhh, you know, I never really, I felt like we had the best offer from all my intel, which I did find out we did. But I don’t know the reason why they didn’t pull the trigger,”
Beane shared.
“I don’t know if they got cold feet on trading the player altogether or if they just decided they needed more compensation. They never really countered back to us ‘hey if you do this, you can have him,’ so you never really know. Was he really available? Was he not? Or were you just going to have to go to a deal that was so unbelievable that there’s no way that they could turn it down? I don’t know. When you don’t get a counter back, it’s hard to know how willing or not they were to move the player.”
Background on Trade Targets: Meyers, Shaheed, and Waddle
Jakobi Meyers, 29, entered the NFL as an undrafted player from North Carolina State in 2019, eventually securing a roster spot on the New England Patriots for three seasons. The Patriots tendered him as a restricted free agent in 2022 at the second-round level, offering a $4 million contract. He signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars midseason, where he signed a three-year, $60 million extension. In 2025, Meyers played 16 games across both teams, registering 75 receptions on 110 targets for 835 yards and three touchdowns.
Rashid Shaheed, 27, also entered the league undrafted in 2022 out of Weber State, where he was a four-time All-American as a kick returner. Shaheed impressed immediately with the Saints, scoring a 44-yard rushing touchdown on his first carry and a 54-yard touchdown reception on his first catch. Tendered as an exclusive rights-free agent prior to 2025, he signed a contract extension and earned $4.2 million in that season. In 2025, Shaheed participated in 18 games for the Saints and Seahawks, catching 59 passes on 92 targets for 687 yards and two touchdowns. His versatility includes rushing, punt returns, and kickoff returns with touchdowns in each category.
Jaylen Waddle, 27, was a standout player at Alabama where he earned first-team All-American honors as a sophomore before an ankle injury sidelined him for part of the 2020 season. Drafted sixth overall by the Dolphins in 2021, Waddle signed a four-year contract worth over $27 million, including a significant signing bonus and a fifth-year option. Ahead of the 2024 season, Miami extended Waddle with a three-year, $84.75 million deal. His salary commitments include $17 million and $24 million in the next two years. During the 2025 season, he recorded 64 receptions for 910 yards and six touchdowns over 16 games.
Implications of Missed Trade and Team Outlook
The breakdown of acquiring a receiver like Jaylen Waddle highlights the complexities the Bills faced balancing competitive needs with salary cap realities. Beane’s reflections reveal the difficulties in securing high-value players without financial compromises from trading partners. With the Bills missing out on these acquisitions, Buffalo’s receiving options remained limited, contributing to their postseason challenges.
Looking ahead, the Bills will likely continue exploring various roster moves to reinforce their offense as they prepare for future campaigns. Meanwhile, the elusive Waddle trade serves as a cautionary tale of how intra-division deals can stall despite strong offers and apparent mutual interest, underscoring the volatility and unpredictability of NFL trades involving key contributors.
Jakobi Meyers, Rashid Shaheed, a mystery AFC East WR??#Bills GM Brandon Beane takes @AdamSchein inside the Bills trade deadline negotiations including one deal he "know[s] we had the strongest offer on." 👀⬇ pic.twitter.com/ZlQmUt5LHJ
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) February 2, 2026
