Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio has done plenty of business with Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane over the years. From moving around the NFL Draft board to the much bigger trade involving Stefon Diggs, the two have developed a working relationship.
I’ve always been curious about what actually goes on during these negotiations. We hear about teams moving up two spots in the draft or trading a star player, but how do those conversations really happen? Does one GM call another and just throw something out there? Does it get heated? Are they worried about helping a potential playoff opponent?
Caserio was kind enough to spend some time talking with me about negotiating with Beane, how the Diggs trade came together, what happens behind the scenes during the draft and how much the NFL trade deadline has changed.
Negotiating With Brandon Beane
Joe from Queens: You’ve worked with Brandon Beane on multiple trades. How would you describe him as a negotiator, and what stands out about his approach compared with other general managers?
Nick Caserio: Brandon and I have known each other for a number of years. We’ve done a number of trades together. I think the big thing is he’s very professional. He listens, and he tries to figure out, like I think most of us do, does it make sense for our team, for our organization, or not?
We’ve been able to bounce ideas off one another through the years. When you get to the draft, everything is obviously heightened awareness, fast-paced. But you try to plant the seed. Typically, what we try to do during a draft is reach out ahead of time. Before you get to however many picks out you are, you might start making some calls. Is there a team that’s willing to move straight out, or are they going to stand pat?
I’ve always found Brandon to be very professional, very respectful, and ultimately trying to figure out if there’s a solution in there somewhere. I think both of us are pretty solutions-oriented and solutions-minded. We’ve been able to work together on a number of different deals that hopefully have benefited both teams.
Joe from Queens: What have you learned about his negotiating style? Is he someone who might throw out a trade proposal just to test the waters? Almost like fantasy football, where you send someone a trade you don’t really expect them to accept, just to see what happens.
