Getty Former Cleveland Browns WR Corey Coleman #19.
Not to be dramatic, but the Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot seem to be holding more tryouts in their first year than the past head honchos ever did during their entire tenure.
On Tuesday, Oct. 26, the Falcons worked out former first-round wide receiver Corey Coleman, according to NFL insider Field Yates.
Some notable workouts around the NFL today:
Atlanta: WR Corey Coleman
Baltimore: OT Cedric Ogbuehi
Cincinnati: LB Tahir Whitehead
Chargers: K Dustin Hopkins and Elliot Fry
This move is odd considering the Falcons are once again, healthy at the wideout position after welcoming back both Russell Gage and Calvin Ridley last week.
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Coleman Was Drafted 15th Overall in 2016
Coleman,27, went 15th overall to the Cleveland Browns in the 2016 NFL Draft. He didn’t see much action in the preseason but was on track to start Week 1 due to the suspension of Josh Gordon at the time. In his first two starts that season, Coleman recorded seven receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns. However, his season was cut short with a broken hand.
He returned happy and healthy in 2017 but suffered yet another broken hand injury in Week 2 which put him on the injured reserve list until November. The Browns went 0-16 that season and Coleman demanded a trade at the end of the year. He was traded to the Buffalo Bills, but his time in New York didn’t last long as he was released a few weeks later.
From there, Coleman spent the 2018 season on the New England Patriots and New York Giants’ practice squad. He was activated for one game with the Giants and had a tender placed on him the following year, but a torn ACL on the first day of training camp kept him sidelined for the entire 2019 season. He was re-signed to the Giants practice squad for the 2020 season and then was suspended in January for the first six games of the 2021 season due to violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Through five seasons thus far, Coleman has recorded 61 receptions for 789 yards and five touchdowns.
Ridley Has Not Lived Up to His Expectations
With Julio Jones no longer in the picture, Ridley was set to be his replacement as Matt Ryan’s go-to guy. However, that hasn’t been the case this season.
He started the season off on a not-so-hot note, which ultimately led to him missing the Falcons trip to London due to a “mental health break.”
Ridley returned in Week 7 against the Dolphins and while the Falcons came up with a win, Ridley was targeted a total of ten times, catching only four for 26 yards and one touchdown. He even let the opposing team rip the ball away from him at one point which led to an interception.
It’s safe to say this isn’t the same Ridley we saw pop off last year with 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine touchdowns.
So far this season, Ridley has recorded 31 receptions for 281 yards and 2 scores. The Falcons still have a lot of ball left to play, but Ridley needs to step it up if he wants a lengthier contract.
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