The injuries, dropped passes, and constant reminders of how Coleman failed to play to the Browns' first-round draft-pick expectations can all be set aside.
The Bills are offering him a clean slate.
"We all go through things in life that don't go our way," Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Monday, a day after acquiring Coleman in a trade. "I don't know all what went right or wrong for Corey in Cleveland. But we view it as a fresh start here to earn and compete."
For the relatively small price of a 2020 seventh-round draft pick, Beane took what he called a "low-risk" gamble in a bid to add breakaway speed and play-making potential to one of his team's most unsettled positions.
In Cleveland, first-year GM John Dorsey parted ways with a player who came to symbolize the overall dysfunction of the Browns' previous regime.
By trading down in the draft order to select Coleman with the 15th pick in the 2016 draft, the Browns passed on an opportunity to choose eventual Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz.
Hand injuries limited Coleman to playing just 19 games, during which he caught 56 of the 131 passes thrown in his direction for 718 yards and five touchdowns. That was a significant drop in production for a player who scored an NCAA-leading 20 touchdowns receiving and led the Big 12 with 1,363 yards receiving at Baylor in 2015.
Coleman's tenure in Cleveland will be best remembered for his drop late in the fourth quarter in last season's finale at Pittsburgh that sealed the Browns' 0-16 finish.
None of that now matters in Buffalo, where the Bills lack established depth at receiver behind starter Kelvin Benjamin.
Including Benjamin, acquired in a mid-season trade from Carolina, Buffalo's four returning receivers combined for 57 catches for 681 yards and six touchdowns last season. Jeremy Kerley, an eighth-year player, was the team's most notable offseason free-agent addition Anthony Rizzo Jersey , while the Bills also used two late-round draft picks to select Ray-Ray McCloud III and Austin Proehl.
Beane revisited previous discussions he had with the Browns regarding Coleman, and elected to make the trade two weeks into training camp.
"I just thought now was the opportunity to get him in here to start learning this offense versus waiting any longer," he said.
Nothing, however, is guaranteed.
"He's not going to automatically get anything," Beane said. "He's got to come here and compete. That's what I told him on the phone last night."
Pending a physical, Coleman is expected to make his practice debut Tuesday. It's too early to determine whether he'll play in Buffalo's preseason-opener against Carolina on Thursday.
Kerley welcomed the added competition Coleman brings to the Bills.
"Here, it's a better opportunity for him to compete. It's a better opportunity for everyone. Competition is good," Kerley said. "It's going to definitely help us boost up a little bit."
As for Coleman's past, Kerley said the best advice is to forget it.
"Whatever happened in Cleveland, that's over with," Kerley said. "You're in a different place, a different atmosphere, different coaches, different situation. You kind of get to redeem yourself."
The trade caught Coleman's now-former teammate Roquan Smith Bears Jersey , receiver Jarvis Landry, by surprise.
The three-time Pro Bowler, who came to Cleveland in a March trade from Miami, mentored Coleman during their few months together. Landry convinced the 24-year-old to change his diet and schooled him on what it takes to succeed.
"Just continue to work hard, continue to grind at it," said Landry, who spoke to Coleman after the trade became official. "I think he's got a great grasp of that. And who knows, maybe in Buffalo that continues to carry over, and he has a hell of a career."
Coleman also had issues off the field.
He was named in a police report regarding an alleged felonious assault last year, but never charged. He was also sent home from the Browns' trip to Houston for missing curfew while he was injured.
The Bills were assured Coleman doesn't face possible NFL disciplinary action resulting from the alleged assault.
AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.NEW YORK — When the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox get together for their next series, both teams could feature somewhat different rosters.
After Sunday’s finale of the three-game series at Yankee Stadium, the longtime rivals will not meet again until Aug. 2 at Fenway Park — two days after the non-waiver trade deadline.
Both teams will play 25 games before the next installment of the rivalry.
The teams head into the ninth meeting with four wins apiece after Chris Sale fanned 11 in seven one-hit innings in an 11-0 rout Saturday. Rafael Devers hit a grand slam among a career-high five hits while J.D. Martinez drove in three runs as the Red Sox rebounded from opening the series with an 8-1 loss Friday.
Devers has 14 RBIs in his last 12 games while Martinez is hitting .432 with 12 of his major league-leading 67 RBIs in his last nine games.
The Yankees will be looking to rebound from getting shut out for the fourth time this season and third time since June 23.
Off the field, trade talks were a popular topic as both Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski addressed it.
The Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher to bolster the back end of their rotation anchored by Sunday’s starting pitcher Luis Severino (12-2, 2.10 ERA).
With the crosstown New York Mets falling to one of the worst records in the National League, talk of a possible deal for Jacob deGrom is circulating Cheap Daniel Kilgore Jersey , though Toronto’s J.A. Happ or Texas Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels could be more realistic.
“If the best business decisions happened to be with a rival, that’s not a problem for me,” said Cashman on Friday, while noting he has been in touch with Omar Minaya, one of three men holding the Mets GM role in Sandy Alderson’s leave of absence. “As far as I’m concerned it match just makes sense, I don’t care who (it’s) with.
As for the Red Sox, they already filled a need by adding a right-handed hitting first baseman in Steve Pearce. Pearce was obtained Thursday night from the Toronto Blue Jays but Dombrowski said Saturday the deal could have been completed earlier and any changes would not be overly significant.
“People are calling, and you just kind of check in and make sure they know what’s taking place and vice versa,” Dombrowski said Saturday afternoon. “The one thing with us is, we’re going to try to be the best club we can, regardless of what the Yankees do. And we all know that they have a really good team.”
Neither team is motivated to get something done now and both executives will watch Severino face David Price (9-5, 3.66) in a matchup of pitchers who are rolling of late.
Severino can become the first 13-game winner in the majors after he allowed six hits in seven scoreless innings Tuesday in Philadelphia.
“There’s no question that he’s our ace, and we know that when he gets the ball, he has a chance to dominate and we have a good chance to get it done that day,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday.
Severino also is 7-0 with a 1.83 ERA in nine home starts this season. He also is 10-0 with a 1.98 ERA in his last 13 regular season home starts Cheap Jeff Locke Jersey , the longest streak at home since David Cone went 16 starts without a home loss from Aug. 17, 1997, to Aug. 27, 1998.
Severino’s home unbeaten streak matches Seattle’s Wade LeBlanc for the longest active streak in the majors.
The right-hander has turned in 14 straight starts without allowing more than three runs. It is the longest active streak in the majors and the longest by a Yankee starting pitcher since Rudy May from Aug. 2, 1980-April 20, 1981.
Besides racking up wins, Severino also is maintaining velocity, especially late in outings. His 98th pitch Tuesday was tracked at 100.1 mph, was among 12 at least 100 mph and his 44 pitches tracked at 100 leads all starting pitchers.
Severino’s last home loss was to the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 3. He is 2-5 with a 4.61 ERA in 10 appearances (nine starts) against Boston.
Price is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in his last nine starts and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each outing. He last pitched Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels and recorded his ninth win by allowing one run and five hits in six innings.
Things are going so well that he ended his press conference following his last outing by making fun of his carpal tunnel syndrome that some speculated was due to playing the video game Fortnite and kept him out of a game in New York in May.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to go, so I don’t think so,” Price said before adding “Yeah, Fortnite.”
Price is attempting to reach double-digits in wins before the All-Star break for the first time since 2012 with Tampa Bay and third time overall.
The left-hander is 15-12 with a 4.67 ERA in 39 appearances (38 starts) against the Yankees. At the current Yankee Stadium, he is 8-6 with a 4.27 ERA in 19 starts.
Since joining the Red Sox in 2016, he is 2-4 with a 7.42 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees.
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