Corey Coleman Trade: Who Wins and Who Loses?

The Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns conducted their second bit of trade business this year, this time involving former 1st round pick Corey Coleman.

Cleveland had high hopes for the speedy receiver out of Baylor in 2016 but various circumstances got in his way. Most of them involving injuries. After the return of Josh Gordon and the trade for Jarvis Landry, it became apparent the new Browns regime weren’t willing to wait around any longer for him to figure things out. So they called the Bills, who need help at wide receiver about a deal and got a draft pick in exchange.

It’s not yet known what the exact compensation is but one can guess it was a late rounder at most. This closes yet another chapter on the horrendous Browns draft legacy from 2012 to 2016. Coleman was the last 1st rounder from that period still on the roster and he’s now gone. GM John Dorsey seemed anxious to put that dead period behind the organization. All that’s left is to surmise who came out ahead in this trade and who took it in the face.

The #Browns traded former first round WR Corey Coleman to the #Bills in exchange for a late-round pick, source confirms (as @AdamSchefter said.) Second time in less than a year the Bills traded for a first round WR.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 6, 2018

Winner: Antonio Callaway

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Word out of Browns camp is that the Florida receiver is putting on a show. Despite have a mile-long list of red flags off the field, every draft expert saw clear potential in Callaway as a dynamic threat. Could he stay out of trouble was the biggest concern? It seems Cleveland grew comfortable enough with his development to cut loose Coleman. That pretty much assures Callaway not only makes the roster but could have a substantial role in the offense moving forward.

Loser: Corey Coleman

People can talk about a fresh start, but the reality is Coleman is not a winner in this trade. Yes, he’s likely to see more playing time but he’s going to a team that likely has a limited understanding of how to use him. Otherwise, why would they have willingly let Marquise Goodwin go last year, who is now looking like a potential stud in San Francisco? Not to mention he has a new quarterback in Josh Allen known for accuracy issues. It’s hard to envision how he ends up turning things around, presuming he even manages to stay healthy.

Everything about the trade feels like a flier. The Browns wanted to get rid of him. Buffalo felt comfortable sacrificing a throwaway pick to see if they could get a former 1st rounder to give them some decent depth and provide deep threat capability. Odds don’t favor that happening.

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