It's a new era for the Atlanta Falcons.
Coming off back-to-back sub-.500 finishes, the Falcons decided to replace head coach Mike Smith with former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Not only does Quinn leave the No. 1 ranked defense in the NFL over last two years for the No. 32 ranked defense last season, he also leaves the league's top rushing offense for Atlanta's No. 24 ranked ground game. It's fair to say that the Falcons are a bit of a fixer upper right now.
But Quinn has a young and talented secondary and rookie first-rounder Vic Beasley to help him rebuild the defense. The same pieces aren't in place on the other side of the ball.
"The Falcons used Day 2 draft picks on running backs in consecutive years, taking Devonta Freeman last year and Tevin Coleman in May," Steven Ruiz of USA Today wrote. "The two will likely split carries, but a training camp competition will decide who gets to start. Having been picked by the new coaching staff, Coleman should be the favorite. He has top-end speed but could lack the patience to thrive in Atlanta's zone-based rushing attack."
The competition between Freeman and Coleman will be a fun one to watch as each player brings something different to the table. Freeman is a compact runner at 5-foot-8 and 206 pounds. Although he didn't make a huge impression last season - 65 carries for 248 yards (3.8 YPC) and one touchdown - the former fourth-rounder will have ample opportunity to contribute.
Coleman, as Ruiz mentioned, is a speedster who will have to learn when to pump the brakes to be more effective at the next level. He carried the ball 270 times for 2,036 yards (7.5 YPC) and 15 touchdowns last season for Indiana. He also caught 25 passes for 141 yards. Coleman has more size - 6-foot-1, 210 pounds - than Freeman and was drafted a round earlier by Quinn and the new regime, making him the favorite to land the starting gig.
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