The Bills selected wide receiver Keon Coleman at No. 33 overall in the recent 2024 NFL Draft, giving QB Josh Allen a 6-foot-3, 213-pound target at the X receiver position.
Allen had said that he wanted a big-bodied receiver and he got his wish.
The quarterback spoke about the addition on NFL Network’s The Insiders, stating that he thinks Coleman and his style of play are just the right match for the Bills.
“I think his play style (is) what we needed in our offense,” Allen said. “Talking with our offensive coordinator (Joe Brady), our quarterbacks coach (Ronald Curry), (general manager) Brandon Beane and, obviously, coach (Sean) McDermott, a guy that’s a big-bodied guy and can go win one a back-shoulder fade and not afraid to be a physical wide receiver.
“I think you pair him with some of the guys we have in our room right now, I think Mack Hollins has been such a great addition so far to that room with his mentality, his mindset is infectious to others. Curtis Samuel, he’s been showing up every single day ready to work. … You start pairing those guys up with Dawson (Knox) and Coleman in this mix now, we’re gonna have a pretty solid group that works together.”
Coleman played two seasons in college at Michigan State where he caught 65 passes for 848 yards as well as eight touchdowns before transferring to Florida State for his junior season where he caught a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2023.
After Buffalo lost both their WR1 and WR2 this offseason, they had big holes in the roster at receiver to fill, and Coleman was one of the bigger steps they took towards addressing them.
The team also added receivers Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins, and Chase Claypool by way of free agency to compete and provide depth.
Allen has now turned his focus toward building chemistry with his new teammates.
“I think it starts here in OTAs. I’m fortunate enough to have those guys in the building right now,” he added. “We’re throwing throughout practice. We’re taking extra reps after practice. Obviously, this time (of year), you’ve only got a certain amount of time where you can get those reps. So just doing some stuff extra and finding time. We’ll get that month off, if you will, in late June-early July, try to find a window where we can get together and throw again. Just make sure that we’re staying on top of things, and getting as many reps as possible.”