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Brandon Beane had nothing to say about Keon Coleman, who is entering his junior year.
The Bills’ GM made it clear during his press conference Tuesday at the NFL Combine that Coleman has talent. He just needs to get everything else sorted out. “It’s kind of a challenge for Keon, can he go back and do what he did in training camp and the offseason,” Beane said. “Don’t let maturity issues off-site affect your product in the field.”
It’s a fair question to ask.
Coleman showed up last offseason ready to work. Beane called his preparation “excellent” and said the Bills couldn’t have asked more from the first-year receiver. He called in from the start and participated in Phases 1 and 2 of the offseason program. Training camp just got better. Coleman turned his head and looked like he was going to get some serious work done during the break.
“You could tell he was working out and a lot of the guys here were in training camp,” Beane said. “He had a great camp. Let’s do it again.”
The 22-year-old has had a tough offseason on optics, but much of it was out of his control. Team owner Terry Pegula caused a bit of a stir when he said the coaching staff forced him to draft Coleman after firing Sean McDermott. 33rd overall Not in Vienna, but in 2024. GM has since addressed this. He made the selection despite the coaching staff and personnel department having different preferences on the draft board.
But Coleman’s inconsistency on the field was a bigger problem.
He hasn’t had a solid performance in two seasons in Buffalo. McDermott disciplined the former Florida State standout for showing up late to a meeting in November. Coleman ended up being a healthy scratch. four games. He hasn’t topped 50 receiving yards in a single game since opening the season, when he had 112 yards and a touchdown. His rookie year wasn’t all that smooth. He was benched for a quarter due to off-field timing issues.
By the end of the season, Coleman had fallen all the way to sixth on Buffalo’s receiver depth chart. He had 38 catches for 404 yards and four touchdowns over 13 games last season.
Joe Brady, now the Bills’ head coach after spending the past two seasons as offensive coordinator, publicly supported Coleman last month. He said Coleman would be Bill and that he believed in him. This is important considering that Brady is the guy who will run the play.
Beane also pointed out that Coleman’s absence last month had ramifications beyond simply missing game reps. “Every game he’s missed, the trust and camaraderie is kind of taking a downturn for him,” Beane said. “That just seems to be the truth. And I don’t know if it’s ever fully recovered.”
But the new coaching staff is looking at Coleman with fresh eyes. Beane said he was familiar with him during the draft process a few years ago and would like to work with him. “They want to see him on our team and try to mold him the way they envision him,” he said.
Buffalo’s receiver room is definitely something to watch as the draft approaches. In 2025, we are dealing with all kinds of inconsistencies, and some changes seem inevitable. Whatever they do at the position, they have to work with Josh Allen. That’s the key.
“Like any quarterback, (Allen) wants to be where they need to be when they need to be and they want to be dependable,” Beane explained. “Obviously he wants them to get the ball, but Josh is usually like, ‘Give me what you’ve got and I’ll make the most of it.’”
Beane’s plan is to find receivers with a variety of skills that can provide options for Allen. Allen is adaptable enough to use everything he has. But it’s the front office who will give him the work to actually stay on the field and contribute on a consistent basis.
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