Dion Dawkins Warns Receiver
Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s 44-32 win, left tackle Dion Dawkins said he already had a talk with Coleman about taking his obligations more seriously.
“I’ve already spoken to him,” Dawkins said. “When I spoke to Keon before, I said, ‘Bro, look, don’t even worry about it. Everybody goes through a different journey. Let’s just say that this is the last time, and let’s just move forward.’ And he said, ‘I’m with you.’ That’s all we need.”
While Dawkins stressed that he was still supportive of Coleman, he issued a warning that the second-year receiver needed to “grow up.”
“Nobody’s perfect, but in this league we need guys to come on. And Keon knows now he’s in the hot seat, and he needs to come on and show up for us,” Dawkins said. “Pats on the back are over with and it’s time for him to grow up and he knows it. As an older player on the team, we’ve got to hold everybody accountable. And we shoot straight. We don’t sugarcoat it.”
Keon Coleman Was Already in the Crosshairs
Coleman already faced pressure coming into this season, with head coach Sean McDermott saying this summer that his rookie season was “rocky.” Coleman showed flashes of strong play but also missed a long stretch due to injury, then struggled to bring the same production once he returned.
“I thought he got off to a start that he built momentum through, and then he got injured, and then from there on, it was rather rocky,” McDermott said.
“We’re looking for him to learn from those moments of adversity, and come back and have a really, really, really strong offseason and get himself going into the start of season two,” the Bills head coach added. “And that takes a certain type of person with a certain drive and determination and fire in their heart, and it’s going to be Keon’s turn to show that he has that this offseason.”
Dawkins had been supportive of Coleman in the summer, talking up the receiver and predicting he was headed for a big season.
But the receiver continued to struggle with his play, leading to questions about his effort. McDermott again criticized Coleman after last week’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, saying he was not satisfied with his play.
“He knows if I’m not satisfied. It’s fair that you’re asking about,” McDermott said, via SI.com. “I can promise you it gets addressed when it isn’t (satisfactory) or where it needs to be. It’s been addressed … at times it’s been good and other times it can improve.”
