Bills GM turns heads with warning on rookie WR Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman comes to the team with high expectations, but general manager Brandon Beane cautions against putting too much on his shoulders just yet.

The Bills selected Coleman with the first overall pick in the draft, helping fill the massive hole in the offense created by the departures of top receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Although Coleman has impressed during the early stages of practice and will have the opportunity to prove himself more once training camp begins in July, Beane said the team needs to temper its expectations and realize that There would be ups and downs.

“But I see a guy who works hard, who is competitive. You get to know his personality, he’s authentic, that’s really who he is,” Beane told reporters at the end of minicamp this week, via reporter Dov Kleiman on X. “Like anything, he’s going to have obstacles on the road. He’s a rookie, and I think we all need to understand that. I think he and Josh are working on that relationship that will be needed between the quarterback and the receiver.

Bills want Keon Coleman involved in all phases

Beane praised the work Coleman has done in adjusting to the NFL. The Bills general manager also said the team wants to see him involved in the offense beyond just the passing game.

“I think Keon worked hard,” Beane said. “As with anything, (a) college playbook versus an NFL playbook, big difference. The verbiage, where he lines up, the aim settings, all the deviations he has to make. Even what we ask of our guys in the running game, I don’t know specifically what was asked of him there. In some schools there are very few, it’s like it’s not a passing play, you have to take a play away. It’s not here. He must be involved in all phases of our attack.

The Bills relied heavily on receivers to contribute in the running game, with Davis frequently earning praise from the coaching staff for his blocking. The team had a strong rushing attack in 2023, led by James Cook who had the first 1,000-yard season for the Bills since LeSean McCoy.

Some analysts expect slow start for rookie receiver

While Beane attempts to set appropriate expectations for Coleman in his rookie season, some analysts believe it will take some adjustments before he can begin to fill the void left by Diggs and Davis. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus noted that there were some concerns before the draft regarding Coleman’s abilities and cautioned that it could be some time before he can begin to make a significant difference on the field for the Bills .

“Coleman is an intriguing prospect, but his profile presented many red flags and he would appear to be one of the riskier responses to a team that intends to install him as an X receiver and essentially replace Diggs” , Monson wrote. “Coleman has exceptional size and body and hand control – traits that Diggs possesses – but he doesn’t have the route running skills or ability to separate against man coverage that Diggs has.”