Bills GM makes surprise 5-word statement on Rookie WR combo struggle

Many analysts saw a red flag when wide receiver Keon Coleman struggled in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, but Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane saw an opportunity.

The Bills selected Coleman with the first pick of the second round, trading up twice in the first round to accumulate picks before snagging the Florida State receiver. This came after what CBS Sports analyst Jared Dubin called a “disappointing” performance in the 40-yard dash, where Coleman’s time of 4.61 seconds placed him near the bottom of wideout prospects reception.

A recently released behind-the-scenes video from the NFL Combine showed that Beane was happy that Coleman fell short of expectations.

“I’m glad he led that,” Beane told assistant general manager Brian Gaine and director of player personnel Terrance Gray, adding that the slow time would help Coleman fall to the Bills late in the first round.

Bills GM got his wish

This isn’t the first time Beane has pushed for a sought-after prospect to go unnoticed at the NFL Combine. In 2020, video taken at the combine showed him favoring wide receiver Gabe Davis to record a 40-yard dash time that wouldn’t make him stand out.

“It’s amazing how many good receivers there are in this thing,” Beane told then-assistant general manager Joe Schein and head coach Sean McDermott in a video clip shown on Bills: Embedded 2020. “I like Davis. I hope he doesn’t run too fast, because he plays faster — you know what I mean? Just be 4.58 or something, you’ll be fine GOOD.

Davis ended up clocking 4.54 seconds and Beane caught him in the fourth round that year. Davis then played four seasons with the Bills, making 163 receptions for 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns before leaving in free agency this offseason.

Keon Coleman learns his role

Coleman got his first taste of real NFL football this week, participating in the team’s rookie minicamp that began May 10. The former Florida State wide receiver said he worked closely with wide receivers coach Adam Henry on the team’s playbook and concepts to get up to speed.

“Coach Henry has helped me a lot,” Coleman said, via Nick Sabato of the Niagara Gazette. “We Zoomed in last week and just broke it down into pieces, understanding the terminology and, in each piece, what they need to do with the reading. This makes things very, very simple, because there are so many concepts you can execute.

Coleman added that he’s learning what the Bills value most in wide receivers, which is a deeper understanding of the game.

“(The bills) require you to have a higher IQ,” Coleman said. “…Defense dictates what you’re actually trying to accomplish. So being able to check things on the line, knowing multiple positions, that’s the baseline. But once you get into the complex part of football about routes and moves and movement and attacking certain defenses with levers and such, I think that’s the biggest adjustment and it’s a lot.