The annual NFL owners’ meetings are taking place this week in Phoenix, Arizona, and Buffalo Bills President of Football Operations and General Manager Brandon Beane graced local reporters with his presence just shortly after 12 p.m. ET Monday afternoon at the Arizona Biltmore Luxury Resort under the sunny skies of the Southwest.
And although Buffalo’s front office head man didn’t have too many newsworthy nuggets to divulge, there were a few tidbits revealed by the one they call Big Baller Beane.
Aside from revealing EDGE Michael Hoecht’s recovery from midseason achilles surgery likely won’t be complete until the start of training camp — which was caught on a hot mic following the conclusion of his press conference — Beane also touched on things such as staying in contact with free-agent wide receiver Brandin Cooks, while admitting the wideout position could still be a target for the team in round one next month.
Furthermore, in addition to also discussing the idea surrounding what it might cost from Buffalo to keep fourth-year guard O’Cyrus Torrence in the fold beyond 2026, in the same breath, Beane also noted that the Bills did indeed pick up the fifth-year option on the contract of Torrence’s fellow 2023 draft pick, tight end Dalton Kincaid.
Both players became eligible for extensions following the conclusion of last season.
“We love Cybo (O’Cyrus Torrence),” Beane stated.
“I think we’ll get through the draft (and) we’ll see if there’s any more moves we do free agency-wise, and we’re definitely looking at (an extension). He’s done, you know, an excellent job. A three-year starter for us. So, yeah, as you know we’ve also done guys’ (deals) in the summer if we don’t do something in the spring. We’ve had conversations. You’re always having dialogue with most of your players.”
As for Kincaid, the paperwork for his fifth-year option has been submitted to the league offices, cementing the former first-round pick’s status on the team for at least the next two years in Western New York.
The move, which guarantees Kincaid $8.1 million in 2027, was widely expected amongst many in league circles, but nevertheless the transaction is still noteworthy.
What may have been more eye-opening, however, was the fact that Beane didn’t outright dismiss the thought that the Bills may still need to use a bit of “load management” moving forward when it comes to the playmaking tight end and his drawn-out knee issues, which stem from a torn PCL the former Utah Ute suffered in 2024 before he reaggravated the knee again last season.
“I think Dalton did get stronger (last year). I think — his whole body — he did hold up better. I think just the knee was bothersome and what happens is you’re fighting that battle of rest and not playing and getting out of rhythm versus keeping him going. So, we tried to — when you’re in season you can’t just shut him down — so we tried to manage that (as best as we could). You know, his reps kind of came (down). When he was on the field — you know, for a lot of the time — it was probably a passing situation. We’d like for it to be where he’s able to play more,” Beane said while standing in front of reporters during a media scrum in Phoenix, Arizona, on Monday.
“You know, Dawson probably ended up playing the most just because of where Dalton was (with his knee). But, the number one thing is — let’s get it stronger — not only the knee itself, but around the knee, you know? You can strengthen the quad. There’s a ton of things that our (trainers) have done. We’ve been in contact with him. He’s not in Buffalo, but he’s been really working with some people on a plan to (deal with it), and then just hopefully you have no setbacks.”
After appearing in 16 of 20 total games in his second season with the team, Kincaid appeared in even less games last year as he managed to hit the field for just 12 regular-season matchups and two postseason contests in the 2025 season with a total of five starts.
Needless to say, it’s been an up-and-down career thus far for the Nevada native, and his production on the field isn’t anywhere close to where it was expected to be when the team traded up the board to get Kincaid three springs ago.
He’s certainly had his moments, particularly in terms of being a steady target for quarterback Josh Allen, but his consistent dealings with nicks and bruises throughout the course of each season has taken a toll on getting the most out of that connection with Buffalo’s former MVP.
The potential for a Travice Kelce/Patrick Mahomes-esque pairing between Allen and Kincaid has always been there — heck, the two combined for seven touchdowns alone last year in the regular season and playoffs combined, which was the most in a given year during their brief time together — but, something simply has been missing.
Whether it be a pass skirting just past the outstretched arms of Kincaid on what could be a potential game-breaking play — or the 26-year-old just not being available on any random given week — there’s been plenty of meat left on the metaphoric chicken bone when it comes to Allen and his presumed top target.
So, with the news that the tight end could still be hindered by the PCL injury for a third consecutive season dropping on Monday, it’s certainly a cause for concern as offseason workouts begin in under two weeks at One Bills Drive on April 6.
“Unfortunately — that thing — it flared up and it was tough to calm down, you know? We sat him a little bit, but — again — it’s kind of that fine line. But, I do think — to Dalton’s credit — the rest of his body held up pretty good (last year). I do think he got stronger, and the goal is to continue to do that again this year,” Beane added.
“We’ll just see how that goes. Some of these guys — they can (fluctuate), you know? In my experience, you can get them through the offseason because we can (limit them), but training camp is training camp. So, I think we’ll kind of see how that’s going in camp. Is he having to do two days on and one a little less or one off? I think we’ll see how it’s doing, and we just have to make sure (the plan is) smart. We’ve got to get him ready, get him kind of armored up (and) callused, if you will, and make sure he’s ready for a 17-game stretch.”
Good luck, Brandon. Fans likely won’t be holding their collective breath.
The Bills’ offense needs all of the playmakers it can get on the field next year, and it’s not hard to imagine that Buffalo will likely be without Kincaid once again at one point or another in 2026, especially considering how the tight end opted for resting his knee this offseason versus having a procedure performed to remedy the annoying ailment.
And, should he ultimately miss any material amount of time, that decision will likely be frowned upon by many in the media and the FAMbase.
Regardless, here’s to hoping Kincaid can finally put together a full season for the first time in his career outside of appearing in 16 of 17 games with 11 starts in his rookie campaign.
The 6-foot-3, 246-pound playmaker has produced 156 receptions for 1,692 yards and nine touchdowns on 215 targets in 41 career regular-season games, on top of adding 23 receptions for 286 yards and three touchdowns in seven total postseason contests.
As always, stay glued to the Buffalo FAMbase blog for all the latest news and nuggets revolving around your beloved Bills this offseason.
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