The New England Patriots are giving Corey Coleman another shot.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that the Pats signed the former first-round receiver to a one-year contract, per a source informed of the deal. The team later made the signing official.
Coleman visited with the Patriots on Monday and was scheduled to take a trip to Philadelphia Tuesday. New England didn't let the receiver get out of town.
The Patriots are in need of help at the receiver position. With Julian Edelman still suspended, New England has rolled with a thin receiver group, consisting of Phillip Dorsett, Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson. Coleman's signing comes a day after the Pats waived receivers Chad Hansen and Riley McCarron.
The Patriots are the latest AFC team to give Coleman a chance to earn a job. The two previous clubs gave up on the receiver.
During training camp, Coleman was traded from Cleveland to Buffalo for a 2020 seventh-round pick. The Bills decided he wasn't worth keeping around, despite a $3.5 million cap hit.
Coleman suffered several fluke injuries during his first two seasons in Cleveland, missing 13 games. He also struggled with drops and picking up the offense. In 19 career games, Coleman has 718 yards on 56 receptions and five touchdowns.
The former first-round pick owns enticing athletic ability. His pedigree continues to offer him more chances. Those opportunities are drying up quickly, however.
The receiver-starved Bills believing Coleman couldn't pick up the offense quick enough to warrant a roster spot speaks volumes of what they thought of him once they got a first-hand look.
Coleman will try to re-write his story in New England. He'll also join several other players who know what it's like to be given up on as first-rounders.
Joining his third team in a little over five weeks, Coleman's journey exemplifies that NFL teams are willing to give high draft picks many more chances to succeed.
