“His style of play is what we needed”

A wide receiver getting the proverbial “seal of approval” from his quarterback is an important step in adapting to a new team and a new offensive system; a passer trusting his wideout will usually lead to an increase in the number of targets, which in theory would lead to an increase in production.

It didn’t take long for Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman to get the approval of quarterback Josh Allen. In fact, the former All-Pro signed the wide receiver before Buffalo even submitted the draft card.

Knowing he would likely select a receiver with a premium pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Bills general manager Brandon Beane asked Allen to watch film of the draft’s top pass catchers to see who he was considering. be able to link up offensively. He identified Coleman as an interesting player; Buffalo ultimately selected Florida State Seminole with the 33rd overall pick in the draft.

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Coleman should immediately play a prominent role in the Bills receiving corps that lost Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the offseason; the two veterans combined for 1,929 receiving yards last season, and it will be up to Coleman, free agent signee Curtis Samuel and third-year contributor Khalil Shakir to replicate the bulk of that production.

It will be a stylistically different receiving corps for Buffalo, but the diverse skill set that Coleman possesses compared to the team’s other receivers is part of what made him attractive to Allen. During a recent appearance on NFL Network InsidersThe quarterback spoke about the rookie, suggesting he brings something unique to the team’s wide receiver room.

“I think his style of play (is) what we needed in our offense,” Allen said. “I talk with our offensive coordinator (Joe Brady), our quarterback coach (Ronald Curry), Brandon Beane and obviously coach McDermott, a guy who has a big body and a guy who can win on a fade. shoulder back and not afraid to be a physical wide receiver.

“And again, I think you pair him with some of the guys we have in our room right now, I think Mack Hollins has been a really good addition so far to this room, his mentality, his state of mind. “Spirit, it’s contagious to others. Curtis Samuel, he obviously came here every day, ready to work. And then old faces like Khalil (Shakir) and Dalton (Kincaid), and again you start. to pair these guys with Dawson (Knox) ​​and a few other guys that we found in this mix now, we’re going to have a pretty solid group working together, and ultimately they’re working their butts off, which is fun to have.

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A receiving body that complements each other stylistically should, in theory, result in regular output from multiple sources; That said, Coleman still projects to account for the bulk of the targets. The 21-year-old, who caught 50 passes for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns in Tallahassee last season, projects as the team’s X receiver, indicating he will have a multitude of targets at the boundary.

Coleman and Allen are already developing a relationship with OTAs, with the passer telling reporters that the rookie has “the necessary tools” to be a good receiver at the professional level.