Browns wide receiver Corey Coleman is a popular pick to make a jump in production this season after an injury-plagued rookie campaign.
After missing half of last preseason with a hamstring injury and six regular-season tilts with a broken hand, Coleman is currently on the mend from another tweaked hammy. Still, his position coach believes a big step forward is in the cards if last year's No. 15 overall pick can stay on the field.
"The way he understands the offense now is so much better than he did last year," Al Saunders said recently, per Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. "He had a long way to go based on the college offense that he ran [at Baylor] and the limited exposure he had to route adjustments and the different route trees, but he's come a long way."
Coleman showed flashes of tantalizing playmaking ability -- like his five-catch, 104-yard, two-score outburst against the Ravens in Week 2 -- but the hand injury wiped out a huge chunk of his season. So did Cleveland's annual merry-go-round at quarterback.
"It's tough," Coleman said this offseason. "As a rookie coming in, you have to learn a lot of stuff. Then I get hurt. I miss a lot of time. I miss six games. I'm not getting the practice reps. It's just a little bit different.
"Then I come back [and] I'm not even playing with the same quarterback I played with the first two games. A lot of stuff buys into it, but now I know what to expect. I'm looking forward to a great season this year."
With Terrelle Pryor out the door to Washington, the Browns have Coleman penciled in as their No. 1 target ahead of new addition Kenny Britt and a cast of unproven names including fellow second-year wideouts Rashard Higgins and Ricardo Louis.
Another year of learning coach Hue Jackson's scheme should help the entire group, but nobody is under more pressure than Coleman to live up to his lofty draft pedigree in 2017.
