I thought it was a great move when the Cleveland Browns drafted Corey Coleman from Baylor with the No. 15 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. They needed a dynamic playmaking wide receiver and he was exactly that.
Things haven't worked out for Coleman in Cleveland. He has 56 receptions for 718 yards and five touchdowns in his first two seasons. Coleman has missed time due to injuries – playing in 19 of a possible 32 games.
Some believe the Browns want to trade him – they've made four trades in less than 24 hours.
The Bengals wanted to take Coleman in the first round that year. He was drafted nine picks before they could. They ended up with William Jackson III, who had a great second season. If Coleman is available now, should they consider trading for him?
They should consider it for a few reasons. Who knows what John Ross is going to be in his second season? They have plenty of wide receivers, but how many of them are dynamic? How many of them are big play threats?
Adding a player like Coleman – who they had a first round grade on two years ago, is worth a mid-round draft pick. The Bengals trust themselves and their evaluation process. Coleman would've been in stripes if he was available in 2016.
They should call the Browns and see what it'll take to get a deal done. I'm not saying they HAVE to make a trade. Giving up a third or fourth round pick for Coleman would be worth it. He flashed his playmaking ability as a rookie. He had three touchdown receptions against the Ravens. He's also had to catch passes from Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, Cody Kessler, Deshone Kizer and Kevin Hogan – I'm probably missing a quarterback or two.
Yes, he did struggle with drops, but that doesn't mean he's a bad player. Coleman has never had a quarterback like Andy Dalton and he's never played across from a wide receiver like AJ Green. Some will say what about Josh Gordon? Gordon played with Coleman for about five minutes in Cleveland.
If the Browns want to sell low, then the Bengals need to take advantage of the situation. Maybe Ross works out and becomes the deep threat they drafted him to be. If not, they're bringing in a young, promising player, who they wanted to draft in the first round less than two years ago. And heck, who knows, maybe both players shine and the Bengals' offense becomes fun to watch again!
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