|
Corey Coleman.After two disappointing , injury-slowed seasons, Coleman was traded Sunday night to the Buffalo Bills for an undisclosed draft pick.Coleman has been a bust with the Browns, who selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in 2016 — the first selection by Cleveland’s previous, analytics-driven front office. Coleman played in just 19 games over two seasons because of injuries, and he never developed into the big-play receiver Cleveland thought it was getting, so the Browns decided to get something for him while they could.Coleman’s tenure with the Browns 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.But beyond Coleman’s problems on the field, he had issues outside the lines that hurt his standing with coach Hue Jackson and new general manager John Dorsey.Coleman was named in a police report regarding an alleged felonious assault last year. He was also sent home from the Browns’ trip to Houston for missing curfew while he was injured.In many ways, Coleman symbolized the overall dysfunction of Cleveland’s last regime.In 2016, former head of football operations Sashi Brown traded the No. 2 overall pick to Philadelphia, which selected quarterback Carson Wentz. Brown got back draft picks in return and used one on Coleman, a speed burner from Baylor who was considered undersized by most draft experts.And while Coleman struggled and the Browns remained without a franchise QB, Wentz blossomed into an MVP candidate last season before suffering a knee injury.This is the second major trade this year between the Browns and Bills. In March , Cleveland acquired quarterback Tyrod Taylor from Buffalo. Taylor led the Bills to a playoff berth last season and he’s expected to start for the Browns while rookie Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, learns and develops.Coleman caught 56 passes for 718 yards and five touchdowns with the Browns, who are still in the market for a wide receiver.Coleman’s departure adds another wrinkle to Cleveland’s muddled receiving situation. Former All-Pro Josh Gordon is currently not with the club in training camp as he attends to health problems, leaving Jarvis Landry as the only proven receiver atop the depth chart.The Browns believe Gordon will be back at some point, and until he returns rookie Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins could see increased playing time.Also, the Browns have considered signing Dez Bryant, the former Dallas star released earlier this year by the Cowboys.Coleman should help the Bills, who are back to square one with their offense after dealing Taylor and drafting rookie quarterback Josh Allen.Buffalo also released wide receiver Quan Bray. How would Jawaan Taylor fit with Buffalo?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections NewsNotesOpinionAnalysisDiscussionPodcastNFL DraftSalary CapNFL DraftAnalysisNotesJawaan Taylor could be the dominant blocker the Buffalo Bills need on their offensive lineNew,21commentsHow would Jawaan Taylor fit with Buffalo?EDTShareTweetShareShareJawaan Taylor could be the dominant blocker the Buffalo Bills need on their offensive lineWhen the Buffalo Bills began their offseason, no area of the team was a larger need than offensive line. Since that time, the group has been completely overhauled , but many of those players are signed to short-term prove-it contracts. There’s still room for a highly talented player to come into the room and establish himself as a long-term starter.At offensive tackle in particular, Dion Dawkins is entering the third season of his four-year rookie deal. He’s been playing left tackle, but he’s not locked into that spot. Ty Nsekhe on a two-year deal, LaAdrian Waddle on a one-year deal, and backups Jeremiah Sirles and Conor McDermott are the main competition for offensive tackle right now.Florida tackle Jawaan Taylor might have the talent to be Buffalo’s first-round pick. He’s an excellent athlete and has an encouraging mix of run-blocking and pass-blocking skills.Team FitThe way that Taylor would best fit with Buffalo’s “process” can be summed up with his weight. From 380 lbs as a high-school junior, Taylor dropped to 312 lbs four years later when he weighed in at the NFL Combine. He put in the work to transform his body and it paid off. He’s also a cold-blooded killer when blocking on the field.Taylor was benched for a single series due to a violation of team rules, but that was his only infraction. He also made the SEC All-Academic Roll in 2018.Taylor doesn’t quite have the gargantuan size of the 6’8” 330-lb Ty Nsekhe, but the 6’5” 312-lb tackle has a massive wingspan and would comfortably fit within Buffalo’s prototype thresholds at offensive tackle.As a player who only played right tackle (aside from a two-game stint at left tackle), Taylor doesn’t match up with all of Brandon Beane’s quotes about “versatility” on the offensive line. Most of Buffalo’s linemen were cross-trained with at least two positions, so Taylor is a bit behind the curve in that regard.Player ComparisonLance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Taylor to former first-round pick Vernon Carey. The 6’5” 340-lb tackle started 107 games in his career for the Miami Dolphins. In terms of measurements, another good fit might be Morgan Moses. Moses measured 6’6” and 314 lbs, with 35 3/8” arms—and he’s started four seasons at right tackle in Washington.Sample play: Swap Trick Right Up 16 Boad (aka Fly Sweep)Jawaan Taylor’s athleticism will really shine when running plays can put him on the move and ask him to block fast players in space. This running play , a designed fly sweep, is a great example. It’s not an easy assignment for Taylor—he’s asked to combo block the three-technique defensive tackle, then climb to the second level and block the weak-side linebacker. A pulling guard, working with the tight end, hopes to take out the defensive end, while the TE or RB needs to block the strong-side linebacker.If everyone blocks well, including those crucial second-level blocks, then the flanker receiver (John Brown coming across the formation) will have a wide-open lane to run through.In this day and age, right tackle is almost as valuable as left tackle on an offensive line. Taylor has the upside to eventually be a Pro Bowler at the position, but the Bills might have a logjam at the position in 2019 if they draft him. If that can be worked out, Taylor might be the long-term blocker Buffalo needs in front of Josh Allen.
|
