Buffalo Bills receiver Keon Coleman has a supporter in Joe Brady, and the team’s new head coach made sure to advocate for the second-year wideout during his introductory news conference Thursday.
“Keon Coleman is going to be on our football team,” Brady told reporters, including WKBW’s Matthew Bové.
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Brady’s definitive statement came a week after Coleman’s place on the roster appeared to be in question following remarks by team owner Terry Pegula during a news conference explaining the firing of head coach Sean McDermott.
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In addition to announcing McDermott’s dismissal, the Bills also promoted general manager Brandon Beane to president of football operations. That raised eyebrows among fans and media, as Beane’s roster construction was arguably as responsible — if not more so — for the team’s failure to get to the Super Bowl during the past seven seasons.
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Pegula defended Beane, choosing to single out Coleman as an example of the general manager being a “team player” who drafted a player whom coaches wanted more than the front office’s talent evaluators may have.
“The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice,” Pegula said, via Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein.
“That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player,” he added. “He’s taken, for some reason, heat about it and not saying a word about it. But I’m here to tell you the true story.”
One of the primary criticisms against Beane is he didn’t add an impact receiver to the offense for quarterback Josh Allen. Selecting Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft was an attempt to remedy that.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound receiver was a big target, one who caught 11 touchdowns in 2023 for Florida State. Though Coleman averaged 54 catches in his final two college seasons, he didn’t register 1,000 receiving yards in either campaign. That’s likely why he was available in the second round.
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Last season, Coleman finished third on the team with 38 receptions while his 404 receiving yards were fourth and his four touchdowns tied for second among Bills pass-catchers.
That will change, according to Brady. The new head coach was one of those on the staff advocating for the team to draft Coleman. The receiver’s production will increase with the former offensive coordinator now presumably taking a greater role in how the Bills’ offense attacks.
“The best thing to ever happen to Keon Coleman is me being his head coach,” Brady said, via News 4 Buffalo’s Carl Jones.
Also voicing support for Coleman was Allen, who appeared at Brady’s news conference wearing a walking boot on his right foot after undergoing surgery.
“He will come back from that. I m not going to give up on 0,” Allen told reporters. “He’s got too much ability.
“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, we’re going to find ways to win football games and he’s going to be a part of that.”
Stepping up his production would not only be in Coleman’s best interests for staying on the roster, but also for his future earnings. Going into his third season, Coleman’s performance will likely determine whether the team decides to pick up his fifth-year option.
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