The Buffalo Bills are navigating some serious turbulence right now, and there’s no doubt that front offices around the league are watching closely. One of those front offices belongs to the Cleveland Browns, where general manager Andrew Berry has shown time and again that he’s not afraid to pounce when a talented player becomes available-especially when that player’s stock is low.
Enter Keon Coleman.
The 22-year-old wide receiver is coming off a rocky second season in Buffalo, and the situation took an unexpected turn this week when Bills owner Terry Pegula revealed that the team’s brass wasn’t entirely aligned on drafting Coleman in the first place. According to Pegula, GM Brandon Beane would’ve preferred to go in a different direction, but deferred to the coaching staff’s preference.
That kind of behind-the-curtain peek is rare-and telling. It suggests the organization may be ready to move on from Coleman, or at least open to the idea.
That’s where Cleveland could come in.
The Browns are in clear need of help at wide receiver. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued the group, and Berry has a history of taking swings on talented, if troubled, wideouts.
It’s a list that includes names like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jerry Jeudy-players who arrived with high hopes but didn’t quite deliver on them in Cleveland. Coleman fits that mold: a high-upside athlete with first-round traits who hasn’t yet figured it out at the NFL level.
Let’s talk about the player himself. Coleman came into the league with a reputation for explosive athleticism, strong hands, and the ability to rack up yards after the catch.
On paper, he looked like a perfect fit for Josh Allen and Buffalo’s high-octane offense. But two seasons in, the results haven’t matched the potential.
Coleman has totaled just 67 receptions on 118 targets for 960 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s underwhelming production-especially when you consider he’s been catching passes from the league’s reigning MVP.
What’s more, there have been whispers about maturity issues behind the scenes. Coleman was reportedly a healthy scratch multiple times this season, and his demeanor reportedly rubbed some in the organization the wrong way. That’s not the kind of situation a team wants to be dealing with, especially when the production isn’t there to justify the headaches.
Still, Coleman is under contract through 2027 and remains an intriguing talent. At just 22, there’s time for him to turn things around.
But that’s a big “if,” and it’s one the Browns would need to weigh carefully. They’ve been down this road before-taking a chance on a wideout with a big name and a bigger question mark-and more often than not, it hasn’t worked out.
That said, Berry has shown he’s not afraid to take risks. And with Coleman’s trade value likely at an all-time low, the cost to acquire him could be minimal. It’s the kind of move that fits Berry’s pattern: buy low on a talented player, hope a change of scenery and a new culture can unlock something, and fill a position of need without breaking the bank.
But the Browns also have to be realistic. They can’t afford to keep throwing darts at the board and hoping one sticks.
They need reliable, consistent pass catchers who can help elevate the offense-especially with a quarterback room that’s seen its fair share of instability. If Coleman is more of a project than a plug-and-play solution, Cleveland has to ask itself whether it can afford the time and resources to try and fix him.
There’s no denying Coleman’s upside. And there’s no denying Cleveland’s need. But history has a way of repeating itself in the NFL-and if the Browns aren’t careful, they could find themselves caught in a familiar loop.