New England Patriots practice squad is exactly what Corey Coleman needs

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills

Talk about a downward spiral. We all knew that Cleveland Browns draft picks have been bad over the years, but former first-round pick, Corey Coleman has been in a whirlwind over the course of the offseason to now.

We all saw what happened a month ago. On HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series when Coleman rushed into Hue Jackson’s office with tears in his eyes demanding a trade, he got exactly what he wished for. Coleman was sent to the Buffalo Bills only to get released before the season even started.

The road didn’t end there, though. After Coleman was a cast off from the Browns and the Bills, he had a golden opportunity by signing with the New England Patriots. And while I say ‘golden’ opportunity because the Patriots are a competitive football team, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Coleman is in a great position to be a season-long contributor. In fact, wide receivers that sign with the Patriots are typically long-shots to stay on the team for a while. Because once Bill Belichick and the rest of the front office sees something better, they go for it.

The Coleman experiment was over before it started:

Just like in Buffalo, Corey Coleman didn’t have much time to adapt to the new system in New England. Hence why he was hardly a factor in the Patriots offense. The team must’ve assumed that maybe over time Coleman could build up steady chemistry with Tom Brady. But by the time the Patriots staff caught wind of Josh Gordon’s availability from the Browns, the Coleman experiment was over before it really even started.

Belichick wasted no time packaging a fifth-round pick to send over to Cleveland for Gordon. He also wasted no time telling Coleman to pack his belongings. It didn’t seem believable that Coleman would go unclaimed as many teams are in search of a wideout. But that’s precisely what happened.

Maybe Coleman just isn’t cut out for the NFL. Or perhaps the Browns broke the spirits of the former first-rounder. Whatever the case is, Coleman will have to figure things out while on the Patriots practice squad. Although it is tough to be the only first-round selection from the 2016 NFL Draft on a practice squad, maybe practicing with no pressure from an organization like New England is exactly what he needs to whip back into shape.

 

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