"He loves the process" - Brandon Beane makes feelings known about Bills owner Terry Pegula's involvement in decisions

One of the understated responsibilities of being a general manager in the NFL is dealing with the owner, but Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has no issue with it. He discussed his positive working relationship with Bills owner Terry Pegula on Wednesday's episode of Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth's "Fitz & Whit" podcast.

Beane said that Pegula is very involved in player recruitment.

"Terry loves the process," Beane said. "He's got an analytical mind. He's one of the few owners."

He added that Pegula would join in player interviews with potential draftees without the players recognizing him.

"He comes to the combine," Beane said. "He sits in all our interviews. He likes to get to know those 45 players that we bring in there for 15 minutes. We watch film with them, and he doesn't say a word. They don't even know he's the owner."

He would also join pre-draft scout meetings as the team is formulating their plans.

"Terry will sit in on our April meeting," Beane said. "He'll sit in there. And again, once in a while, he'll ask a question. He takes a lot of notes on what this scout said, what this coach may have said, and how I see it. He'll write some questions down that he has."

Pegula would also question the scouting team on their draft boards to understand their thought processes.

"He'll say, 'Hey, y'all were talking about these two running backs, and you put this guy on top of this guy, but the way I heard it, I felt like the room like this guy more. What am I missing here?' And it's some great questions. ...

"He loves the action, and he loves the banter of the room, and he loves the process."

Beane did not reveal if Pegula had executive authority to unilaterally decide on draft picks.

Brandon Beane has an impressive draft record

Brandon Beane was hired as the Buffalo Bills' general manager in 2017, partially thanks to his prior working relationship with head coach Sean McDermott, dating back to their time with the Carolina Panthers.

Since becoming the Bills GM, Beane has done a stellar job drafting players. Beane's first pick was probably his most successful, trading up to select quarterback Josh Allen seventh overall in 2018. He also drafted Pro Bowlers like Dawson Knox and James Cook.

However, not every pick has been perfect. Beane selected Kaiir Elam, a first-round draft bust that the organization gave up on by trading him to the Dallas Cowboys.