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Buffalo Bills WR Keon Coleman
When Joe Brady was named head coach of the Buffalo Bills earlier this week, one of the first things he likely did was damage control with wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Just days prior, team owner Terry Pegula threw the second-year wideout under the bus during a press conference with general manager Brandon Beane after firing head coach Sean McDermott.
“I’ll address the Keon situation,” Pegula said. “The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but [Coleman] wasn’t his next choice.
“That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. And you know, he’s taken — for some reason — heat over it, and not saying a word about it. But I’m here to tell you the true story.”
Brady Has a Message for Coleman
GettyBuffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady
While Pegula may have already checked out on Coleman, Brady doesn’t appear as willing to give up on the talented 22-year-old WR just yet.
During his introductory press conference, Brady sent a clear message to Coleman.
“I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady told reporters on Thursday. “I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman.
“He’s going to continue to grow, but the elements that we saw in the draft process — the confidence that I have in him and his ability — and as long as he’s handling what he needs to do off the field, I have no doubt that he’s going to be successful on the field.”
Star quarterback Josh Allen also shared the same sentiment as his new head coach.
“I’m not going to give up on [Coleman],” Allen said. “He’s got too much ability. I will not give up on him. We’re going to work tirelessly, him and me and as well as everybody else in this building to make sure that whenever we step foot on the field that we’re going to find ways to win football games and he’s going to be a part of that.”
Where Does Coleman Go From Here?
GettyBuffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and WR Keon Coleman
Few will deny that Coleman possesses the talent to be a No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.
He was one of college football’s top deep threats during his time at Florida State, and he excels in winning contested catches. But for some reason, Coleman just hasn’t put it together in the NFL.
He was a healthy scratch multiple times during the regular season, which is likely why Pegula came down so hard on him during his press conference. His remarks also threw Coleman for a loop.
“He was taken aback at first, but he just went and worked out, getting ready for Year 3,” a source told The Athletic regarding how Coleman reacted to Pegula’s comments.
The Bills have two WRs set to hit free agency this offseason — Gabe Davis and Brandin Cooks — and many expect Buffalo to add another pass-catcher or two via trade, free agency, or the draft.
The team will also likely cut WR Curtis Samuel, resulting in a cap bump of $6 million or $7.78 million, depending on whether he’s a pre-June 1 or post-June 1 cut, respectively.
Coleman will presumably be competing for playing time with Khalil Shakir and Joshua Palmer, and if Brady is to be taken at his word, there’s a solid chance he could see a spike in his usage next season.
Michael Gallagher Michael Gallagher is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He has more than a decade of experience working for both local and national news outlets covering the NFL, NHL, NBA, WNBA, college football, and MMA. His work has been featured in Newsweek, Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Athlon Sports, The Hockey News, the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, and Yardbarker. More about Michael Gallagher
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