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Offline liny  
#1 Posted : Thursday, January 2, 2020 1:13:52 AM(UTC)
liny

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Joined: 3/29/2019(UTC)
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PITTSFORD Ed Oliver Jersey , N.Y. (AP) — Two years removed from being a first-round draft pick, receiver Corey Coleman vows he’s got plenty to prove with the Buffalo Bills after falling well short of expectations in Cleveland.That’s the message Coleman posted on his Instagram account along with a video of him showing off his new Bills No. 19 jersey. And it’s something Coleman repeated following his first practice at Bills training camp Tuesday, two days after being acquired in a trade with the Browns.“It feels good to be wanted,” said Coleman, wearing a towel around his neck while a steady rain fell. “They have their trust in me. I really don’t want to let them down.”The Bills are providing Coleman a fresh start after his two-year tenure in Cleveland was beset by injuries and dropped passes. As an indication of how far his stock has fallen, Buffalo gave up a 2020 seventh-round pick to acquire the 15th player selected in the 2016 draft.“A lot of things don’t work out the way you want it to work out,” Coleman said.“I’ve got much respect for my teammates, man, those guys in the locker room over there in Cleveland are top-notch guys. We have a great fan base in Cleveland, too,” he added. “I’m going to leave it at that.”If only the Browns and their fans could do the same so easily.Traded by first-year general manager John Dorsey, Coleman came to symbolize the overall dysfunction of the Browns’ previous regime, which passed on drafting current Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz by trading down and selecting the Baylor receiver.Injuries limited Coleman to playing 19 games, during which he caught 56 of the 131 passes thrown in his direction for 718 yards and five touchdowns. And he will forever be remembered in Cleveland for dropping a pass late in the fourth quarter in last season’s finale at Pittsburgh that sealed the Browns’ 0-16 finish.“Right, it’s easy to point the finger and stuff,” Coleman said. “Every week in the NFL you see receivers drop a ball, drop a pass. It matters how you respond. And that’s a big thing.”The Bills took what GM Brandon Beane called “a low-risk” gamble in a bid to address a need at a position that lacks experienced and proven talent behind starter Kelvin Benjamin. Coleman also has the opportunity to provide the Bills’ retooled offense an element of downfield speed to keep opposing defenses from crowding the line to stop the run.“Look, speed is dangerous Color Rush Vosean Joseph Jersey ,” coach Sean McDermott said. “It opens up the defense a little bit for other things. So that element is important.”As for expectations, McDermott wants to provide Coleman time to learn the playbook and become comfortable with his new teammates and surroundings.“Can’t wait to watch him really just blossom into the player we believe he can become,” McDermott said.Coleman practiced on a limited basis Tuesday, and it’s unclear whether he’ll play in Buffalo’s preseason opener against Carolina on Thursday.He appreciates the amount of catching up he has ahead.“It’s difficult, you know, but we’ve got great resources here,” Coleman said. “I’m going to work my tail off to come here, do everything I need to do.”NOTES: McDermott wasn’t prepared to announce who will start at quarterback against the Panthers. Offseason free-agent addition AJ McCarron and returning backup Nathan Peterman have split time with the starters for the first two weeks of training camp, while rookie first-round pick Josh Allen continues to mostly work with the third-string offense. … LB Trent Murphy, an offseason free-agent addition, isn’t expected to play after missing the past week with a groin injury. McDermott expects Murphy to resume practicing next week.Five Buffalo Bills positional battles to watch With only one preseason game remaining, the Buffalo Bills have 87 players on their roster. That means that 34 of the players suiting up on Thursday against the Chicago Bears will not be with the Bills when they open the season against the Baltimore Ravens on September 9. With every preseason, there are positional battles to be waged, won, and lost. Here are five of the battles still brewing that we’ll be watching closely as the Bills play their last exhibition game of the 2018 season.QuarterbackA lot will be known not only by which quarterback starts this game, but also by which quarterback plays little, if at all. Rookie Josh Allen flopped in his starting debut against the Cincinnati Bengals, and second-year man Nathan Peterman continued his stellar preseason in the very same game. Veteran AJ McCarron should return Youth Vosean Joseph Jersey , and if he starts and plays the majority of the game, it may actually be a tell-tale sign that he has no chance at the starting gig come Week one. Traditionally, the starters play very little, if at all, during a team’s fourth preseason contest. Seeing which quarterback plays the least may actually mean the most in this matchup.Interior Offensive LineThe lack of pass protection on Sunday night played a huge role in Josh Allen’s putrid performance against Cincinnati. While Dion Dawkins and Jordan Mills appear to be the team’s tackles, the interior line has been shuffled about quite a bit. Russell Bodine and Ryan Groy are still battling for the starting center job, with Groy also in the mix for a spot at guard if he should lose the battle of the pivot. John Miller, Vlad Ducasse, and Wyatt Teller are all fighting for one or two starting spots at guard. A lot can happen in the next week, and the last preseason game will be the coaching staff’s final evaluation in a game situation before the real contests begin.Slot Corner/CB2These to are linked because one of the participants is the same in each battle. While rookie Taron Johnson seems to have edged in front of veteran Phillip Gaines for the slot corner job, that doesn’t mean that the latter player will be off the roster. In fact, Gaines supplanted fellow newcomer Vontae Davis at outside corner for a time during the game against the Bengals. The top four corners seem to be set, with Davis, Gaines, Johnson, and Tre’Davious White all near-locks to make the roster. The order in which they will be deployed, however, still seems very much up for grabs.Backup SafetyHas rookie Siran Neal fallen behind former Carolina Panthers backup Dean Marlowe for a backup safety spot? Neal is more versatile Womens Vosean Joseph Jersey , possessing the ability to play both safety and corner; however, Marlowe is bigger, standing at 6’2” and 205 pounds, perhaps giving head coach Sean McDermott the ability to play a “big nickel” look that he ran during his time in Carolina. With Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde locked in as the starters, the order in whicht eh backups are deployed on Thursday should give fans some insight into the coaching staff’s thinking.Wide ReceiverI believe that the top five receivers are already set, but the sixth spot is the wild card. Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones, Jeremy Kerley, and Corey Coleman should all be on the roster no matter what. Andre Holmes is probably going to remain with the club due mostly to his special teams ability. The team could choose to go with only five receivers, but they could also keep a sixth. Most likely, the decision will come down to veteran Rod Streater, who is once again enjoying a solid camp and preseason, and rookie Ray-Ray McCloud III, who provides youth and explosiveness in the return game. The Bills could keep seven receivers, but I doubt that happens. My gut says that Streater stays and McCloud goes, with general manager Brandon Beane trying to sneak McCloud onto the practice squad.
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