Robert Saleh will bring one of the 49ers’ running backs with him to the Jets. Tevin Coleman agreed to terms with Gang Green on Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Coleman played out his two-year San Francisco agreement. He will follow the 49ers’ former defensive coordinator to the Big Apple, joining a backfield transitioning after the Le’Veon Bell free-agency misstep. Coleman agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $2M, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Originally a Falcons third-round pick, Coleman has played each of his six NFL seasons in Kyle Shanahan‘s scheme. That will make his transition to the Jets offense easier. Longtime Shanahan assistant Mike LaFleur will call the Jets’ plays next season. LaFleur was with Coleman from 2015-16 in Atlanta and for the past two seasons in San Francisco.
While Coleman proved to be a valuable contributor in his first 49ers season, he is coming off a forgettable contract year. The 27-year-old back suffered an injury against the Jets in Week 2 and finished last season with just 53 rushing yards. He totaled 544 in 2019, playing a key role in San Francisco’s backfield committee.
However, Coleman suffered two injuries during that season as well. In 2019, Coleman suffered a high ankle sprain and a shoulder injury. The knee strain he encountered at MetLife Stadium last September wrecked his 2020.
The ex-Indiana Hoosier teamed with Devonta Freeman in multiple productive Falcons rushing attacks, including the one that helped Shanahan’s offense reach historic success in 2016, and he ended his Falcons tenure with an 800-yard rushing season. Coleman will enter the 2021 season with a 4.2 career yards-per-carry average. He will join a Jets backfield that may need more help via the draft. The team, which cut bait on its disastrous Bell deal midway through last season, has La’Mical Perine, ex-Lion Ty Johnson and ex-Eagle Josh Adams.
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