Latest news with #KeonColeman
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Analyst Predicts Breakout From Bills' 2nd-Year Receiver
Analyst Predicts Breakout From Bills' 2nd-Year Receiver originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Scouts were split when the Buffalo Bills drafted Keon Coleman in the second round of the 2024 draft. Some believed that Coleman's size and speed was a deadly combination for the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen. Others had concerns about his consistency as a receiver, and injury problems in college. Advertisement After one season in the league, it seems that each side of the aisle has a point when it comes to the 22-year-old. Coleman missed four games during the season due to a wrist injury, and only caught 29 passes. Despite the low catch total, he averaged over 19 yards per reception - an outrageous mark and one of the highest in football last season. Heading into Year 2 of his NFL journey, one particular analyst believes that a breakout is coming for a fully healthy and energized Coleman. Pro Football Sports Network's Jacob Infante believes second-year wideout Keon Coleman is the breakout player to watch in Buffalo. Advertisement "Amidst a loaded 2024 wide receiver draft class, Keon Coleman had a pretty low volume with just 29 catches," Infante said. "But he made the most of his targets, finishing third in the NFL with 19.2 yards per catch and scoring four touchdowns. 'The Buffalo Bills signed Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore in free agency, but Coleman projects higher than in 2025. A big-bodied target with tremendous ball skills and physicality, expect him to put up bigger numbers in Year 2.' Allen is a league MVP throwing players like Coleman the football. So long as that continues, the Florida State product should be able to excel in his second year in the offense. Perhaps an improved year from Coleman can get people to stop criticizing Buffalo for gifting the Kansas City Chiefs Xavier Worthy just a few picks before. Advertisement Related: Bills' 'Storm Cloud' Threatening To Derail 2025 Season Related: Bills See History Repeat Itself In 'Nightmare' Season Scenario This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills Second-Year Receiver Demanding Greatness
Bills Second-Year Receiver Demanding Greatness originally appeared on Athlon Sports. No matter what Keon Coleman does in his NFL career, he will always be seen as the player the Buffalo Bills traded back for to allow the Kansas City Chiefs to draft Xavier Worthy in the 2024 draft. Advertisement The only way that those talks and comparisons end, is if Coleman ends up being a star in his own right. And that is precisely what the Florida State product is working to be. 'I demand greatness from myself, and I love to know my coaches demand the same amount of greatness, and we're on the same page about it," Coleman said via Dom Tibbetts of WKBW. Coleman was not bad in his first season in Buffalo. He recorded an impressive 19.2 yard-per-reception average. That was one of the largest in the NFL last season. Despite his obvious deep-threat abilities, Coleman caught just 29 passes while battling multiple injuries. Advertisement If Buffalo is going to take a jump as a Super Bowl contender, they will need their second-year receiver to reach a new level of his game that he hasn't shown yet. Part of that will be focused on staying healthy. Coleman missed four games due to injuries last year. The other part, though, is with his consistency. The 22-year-old needs to be more consistent with catching the football (7% drop rate), and finding ways to get open. Coleman has all the tools to be successful with the Bills. It will be up to him, though, to see just how good he can be. And from his comments this week, it's clear that Coleman knows exactly what he needs to do. Advertisement Related: Bills' 'Storm Cloud' Threatening To Derail 2025 Season Related: Bills See History Repeat Itself In 'Nightmare' Season Scenario This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Analyst Believes Bills Final-Round Draft Has 'Tools' To Be Roster Surprise
Analyst Believes Bills Final-Round Draft Has 'Tools' To Be Roster Surprise originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Six of the nine 2025 draft picks by the Buffalo Bills last April showed the focus on the defensive side of the ball. Five of the first picks were concentrated on that side as well. Advertisement But what if the organization's most underrated selection from this past draft wasn't on the defensive side of the ball? What if it was actually the team's last selection that left the biggest impact? That's what NFL reporter Ronnie Eastham is arguing with seventh-round receiver Kaden Prather. Locked in a loaded receiving room, Pratham will have to earn not just a roster spot, but any playing time at all. "There hasn't been a lot of talk about Bills' rookie wide receiver Kaden Prather immediately following the draft, but at nearly 6'4", over 200 pounds, with a 4,47 40-time, Prather has the tools," Eastham reported. "He also had a solid showing at the Bills' rookie minicamp. "Prather was praised for his route running and impressive catches during the two-day rookie camp. Prather is a long shot to make the Bills' 53-man roster and will likely be a practice squad candidate to begin his career." Advertisement There's one problem with the Bills and their seventh-rounder, though. He's involved in a depth chart that is completely loaded with higher draft picks, and name free agent acquisitions. Whether it's second-year starter Keon Coleman, newly signed free agent Joshua Palmer, or bottom of the roster candidates in Laviska Shenault, there's no guarantee that the Bills will have a spot for Prather. At the very least, the rookie has a long way to go. Related: Josh Allen Wins Big with Bills 'Most Underrated' Receiver Related: This 'Has To Be The Year' For Bills And Josh Allen This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills Receiver Tipped For 'Serious Splashes' With Josh Allen
Bills Receiver Tipped For 'Serious Splashes' With Josh Allen originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Bills' offense was one of the best in football last season, averaging 30.9 points per game, and Josh Allen led it with aplomb. Advertisement With a "everybody eats" mantra, things moved along smoothly for Joe Brady's unit, and that was without Keon Coleman really establishing himself. Yes, 556 yards and four touchdowns from 29 receptions is a solid return in Year 1, but Keon battled injury and poor form towards the end of the year, meaning more is expected of him in Year 2. And for CBS Sports, with the losses in free agency, Coleman could be primed for a jump in production in 2025. "The 2024 second-round pick had a solid rookie season but is primed to break out in 2025," CBS Sports writes. "While the Bills added Palmer, they also let fellow wideout Mack Hollins leave in free agency, which opens the door for Coleman to adopt some of his 50 targets from last season, adding to what should be a growing amount of volume from Josh Allen. Advertisement "Coleman showed his big-play ability, averaging 19.2 yards per reception last season. Given that Allen has one of the best arms in the NFL, this duo could make some serious splashes." Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) and Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) look for a pass during the fourth quarter in an AFC wild card game at Highmark Konezny-Imagn Images With Mack Hollins and Amari Cooper out, and Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore in, Coleman "should" see far more than 57 targets from Allen, but as we know, he has to show he warrants them. That begins in the offseason at OTAs and then training camp, but after a solid rookie season, we are fascinated to see how he progresses in Brady's offense. Now, we aren't expecting 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, but rather a more consistent season where the gap between his best and worst games is smaller. Advertisement Keon has all the tools needed to succeed, and we imagine he'll get the chance to do so. It is just a matter of whether he does or not. Related: Bills Given Surprise Grade For QB and WR Duos Related: Bills Signing Can Be More Than Just Emotional Reunion This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Frank Gore Jr.'s ‘elementary school' FGJ autograph a joke among Bills teammates that he vows to fix
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Frank Gore Jr. swears up and down he didn't sign that football card. Buffalo Bills teammates have a hard time believing him. 'I don't know what to think,' nickel back Taron Johnson said upon being shown a picture. 'But it's hilarious.' 'Is that AI?' receiver Keon Coleman asked. 'Either way, that s—'s funny.' Advertisement Gore is getting dragged about an autograph Topps inserted into packs and certified as authentic, a scrawling of only his initials: FGJ. A collector apparently pulled the card last week from a pack of 2024 Topps Chrome football cards and posted a photo on social media, asking 'Worst autograph ever?' The tweet made it into a Bills players group chat. They've been skewering Gore ever since. Ty Johnson and the rest of Gore's fellow running backs have been particularly merciless. 'They troll all day,' Gore said after practice Tuesday afternoon. 'They think it's funny, 'FGJ.' They say I have a poor, elementary-school autograph. 'But, in reality, I think it was fake. I'm 99.9 percent positive. I'm sure I didn't do that.' So there aren't any more 'FGJ' cards out there? 'Shouldn't be,' Gore said with a sheepish smile. 'I reached out to my team. It's social media. I'm not going to respond to it. But it was funny for sure.' The problem with Gore's claim is that an eBay search shows for sale dozens of 'FGJ' signatures that also carry a 'Topps Certified Autograph Issue' label. The backs of the cards read, 'The signing of all Topps autograph cards is witnessed by Topps representatives to guarantee authenticity.' But some of the same versions of Gore's 2024 Topps Chrome cards bear a gorgeous, flowing 'F. Gore Jr.' signature. Those cards feature the same Topps authenticity avowals. A third distinct signature can be found on his 2024 Panini Contenders insert cards with the back of the card stating, 'The autograph is guaranteed by Panini America, Inc.' 'FGJ' is worthy of ridicule, but not nearly the worst autograph out there. Card manufacturers have been frustrated for years over poor quality and the minimum effort players, who are getting paid for the endeavor, put into the assembly-line autograph industry. Google 'worst autographs' for a seemingly endless gallery of chicken scratch, spaghetti scribbles and kindergarten scrawls, including superstars such as Tom Brady, first overall pick Cam Ward, NBA great Luka Doncic and three-time NHL MVP Connor McDavid. Some in the collectibles industry consider such autographs vandalism when applied to valuable memorabilia. They're also easily forged. Advertisement Bills quarterback Josh Allen was shamed into improving his signature while playing for the University of Wyoming, where his offensive coordinator's wife saw Allen's slop and told him he needed to be more dutiful to his fans. For a feature on the trend of ugly sports autographs, 2013 National League batting champion Michael Cuddyer told The Athletic how Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew castigated him for a sloppy autograph while at a Minnesota Twins fan event. Cuddyer revised his signature and now is known for delivering one of the most beautiful around. 'Your signature is who you are,' Cuddyer said. 'It's your name. I respect my name, respect the people that gave it to me, respect the hard work they put into helping to make my name autograph-worthy. 'When people truly want your autograph because they're proud to have met you, you don't want them to remember you as a squiggly mark. I feel like I'm defacing my name if you can't read it when I write it.' Topps did not respond to questions from The Athletic about the 'FGJ' authenticity or whether it would assist in a proposal Gore made to remedy the situation. Gore offered to autograph the 'FGJ' card in question, which would create a humorous collectible — and maybe get him off the hook in the locker room. 'If they reach out to me, I'll sign the right one,' Gore said. 'I promise. However I can make it better, I want to make it better.'
