Buffalo Rumblings
Earlier this season, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman was benched for two games for being late to a team meeting. It was at least the third publicly documented time Coleman was disciplined by the organization for off-field problems.
Since then, his teammates have rallied around him while also giving very direct and specific guidance to the 22-year-old second-year player.
Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Reed also spoke with Coleman. The pair talked for nearly two hours on the phone, with Reed sharing what it takes to make it as a professional football player.
“I didn’t berate him or say ‘you did this’ or ‘you did that’. I mean, he’s a young kid. I was 21 at one time,” said Reed via video chat this week. “I came into the league and I had to learn how to be a pro. Basically that’s the whole thing in one sentence: You gotta learn how to be a pro.”
It’s unclear whether or not Coleman fully received the message and internalized the changes he needs to make. While Reed says he thinks the conversation made sense to the young receiver, Coleman also brought up things he can’t control as part of the reason he hasn’t being successful.
“He was like ‘I got you’ and talking about what’s going on in the building as far as play calling and not enough targets and all that. I go, ‘you know every team has that. Believe it or not.’”
It’s that type of dismissive behavior that drew some pushback after the first game he missed due to the benching. He was dancing on the sideline before the November 16th game and while he did stand up and answer questions after the game, his answers weren’t entirely self-critical.
“Just got to be better,” said Coleman when talking to reporters in the tunnel after the game. “Better on my end… Mistakes happen. Things happen.”
Thad Brown from WROC in Rochester asked Coleman if there is a lesson he hasn’t learned at this point or a message that isn’t being received.
“Nah, I wouldn’t say that,” responded Coleman.
When the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen, they surrounded him with coaches and older players that had a ton of NFL experience. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey, quarterbacks Matt Barkley and Derek Anderson and later Davis Webb, Mitchell Trubisky, and Case Keenum. Not only did Allen seek outside counsel on his own during the offseason, there was a structure in place inside the building to help him.
It’s hard to say the Bills have done that Coleman, at least with the other players in the room. Wide receivers coach Adam Henry has a ton of experience coaching in the league.
Buffalo went into Coleman’s rookie season with journeymen Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the elder statesmen in the receiver room. Curtis Samuel at 28 was the closest thing to a successful...
