Cooks signed with the Bills on Nov. 25 to help the Bills at one of their positions of need, partly because of their lack of confidence in Coleman. But Cooks also saw his job as trying to get the best out of a young player who had a strong training camp and strong first-week performance before going down.
Cooks does not know what Coleman’s intentions are but believes he is still capable of fulfilling his promise.
“I’m definitely in touch with Keon,” Cooks said. “When I came to Buffalo, that’s a guy I was going to lean on to help me. I think Keon can play this game at a high level, I definitely do. He’s going to continue to grow.”
“I think he’s been misunderstood, too. He’s a young kid, right? He’s still trying to figure it out. For me, I take it and say, ‘How can I help this kid grow and be the guy that they want him to be?’ Because obviously the talent is there. The guy can make plays. I think he’s going to continue to grow and I think he has been.”
Even though Cooks has been Coleman’s teammate for just a few months, he said he’s seen growth in that time.
“When I got there, to see where he was from Day 1 to the end of this season… you know, he’s in there at 6, 7 in the morning, working out. He’s becoming a pro, learning these things,” Cooks said.
First, the Bills need to find a new head coach. Then they can figure out if Coleman still fits into their plans, assuming he even wants to stay in Buffalo. But Cooks believes there is a way to make it work.
“I think all it takes sometimes is, [someone saying] “Hey, let me take you under my wing and show you the way,” Cooks said.