New Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman seems like he has a pretty clear path to a starting gig this season.
The Falcons currently boast little in the way of established talent at the ballcarrier position - unless you consider Devonta Freeman's 65 carries last year as having established him in the league - and considering Coleman was the first hand-picked offensive piece by new Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn, he seems like a fairly safe bet to contribute from the get go.
Unfortunately for Coleman and fans of the Falcons though, that bright not-too-distant future may not be as readily possible as previously perceived.
According to a recent report, Coleman is hindered by a health issue which may actually limit his rookie year production and, further, could affect his NFL future.
"Sources with teams said that Coleman fell in the 2015 NFL Draft because of a health issue," writes Charlie Campbell of Walter Football. "Teams had concerns about Coleman's ability to be an every-down back because of a medical condition that impacts his stamina. They thought that he may not hold up as an every-down starter, and that hurt their view him as a first- or second-round pick. Similar to former Steeler Ryan Clark, some teams also thought that Coleman may not be able to play in Denver because of how the high altitude impacts his illness."
Widely expected to be a second-round pick, Coleman seemingly fell to the Falcons in the third due to limited elusiveness, in terms of both broken tackles and second-level creativeness.
Now, it seems that a previously undisclosed medical issue could be the real culprit.
Clark, the long-time Steelers safety, suffers from sickle cell trait - a genetic abnormality that can affect red blood cells. The Steelers would never allow Clark to play whenever they traveled to Denver because during a 2007 game at Mile High, Clark developed significant pain in his left side and subsequently lost his spleen and gall bladder after becoming incredibly ill.
While there's no indication that Coleman suffers from the same or a similar illness, if Campbell is correct, there is something in his medical history which would affect his NFL future.
Coleman is still in a favorable situation to make an immediate impact for the Falcons - it may just never be as anything more than a rotational player.
