When the Atlanta Falcons hired Kyle Shanahan to be their offensive coordinator, he told the media that the run game would become a point of focus for the offense in 2015. With Matt Ryan, Atlanta had turned into a pass-first team and lacked the necessary balance to be successful. Shanahan intends to change that and made steps towards that effort by drafting Tevin Coleman over the weekend.
Atlanta was grateful with Tevin Coleman fell into their lap in the third round of the NFL Draft after many believed the former Indiana star would be a first-round talent. Coleman immediately fills the void left by the departures of Steven Jackson and Jacquizz Ridley and intends to immediately contend for the starting job upon arrival in Atlanta.
"I'm going to come in there and get a starting spot; that's what I'm going to do," Coleman said, via the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Whoever is the starting back, they're going to have to work. My mentality is, I love that dog mentality. You just have to go out there and show it. Time will tell."
Coleman is officially putting Devonta Freeman on notice who was the assumed starter after the release of both Jackson and Rodgers. The Falcons re-signed 2014 breakout star, Antone Smith, to a new deal, but he is not a starter. Shanahan has been very complimentary of Freeman and what the second-year pro can bring to the offense as a starting back. Freeman showed real progress as a rookie in the limited time he got on the field and fully intends to be the workhorse for the Falcons in 2015.
"Devonta is a terrific back," Quinn said, via ESPN.com. "I was most pleased with just seeing the speed that he has that he can get to the edge. ... And then I probably didn't give him enough credit in how good his hands are. He can really catch it. You can see why I'm so thrilled to get a chance to work with all of these guys. He's got a terrific future, Devonta does, in terms of the style, the attitude, the physicality that he plays with. I love that about him."
The Falcons are shaping up to have a much more productive offense than last season. The Falcons drafted Justin Hardy in the fourth round to replace Harry Douglas. He will pair well with Julio Jones and Roddy White as the three-headed running back attack should help keep Ryan out of trouble.
