The Falcons should be a better team next season simply by getting back some key defenders that were lost due to injury in 2018. Middle linebacker Deion Jones, along with safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen all missed significant time and Atlanta’s defense struggled awfully because of it.
One thing’s clear: re-loading at the cornerback position should be a priority for the team this offseason, both outside and in the slot. Today we will look at Justin Coleman, who played the last two years for the Seahawks under Dan Quinn’s mentor Pete Carroll.
Justin Coleman
Age: 25
Position: Nickel cornerback
Size: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds
2018 Stats: 55 tackles, one interception, 10 passes deflected, one forced fumble
Career Stats: 126 tackles, three interceptions, 27 passes deflected, two sacks, two touchdowns
Why he makes sense: Coleman is a potential breakout nickel corner and he should already be familiar with Atlanta’s defensive scheme from his time with the Seahawks. At just 25, Coleman has room to grow but would immediately offer an upgrade over Brian Poole at slot corner. He’d also give Atlanta another excellent option at the position if Damontae Kazee is needed somewhere else due to injuries.
Why he doesn’t: Coleman has been an effective coverage corner for Seattle but he isn’t exactly a game-changer. His Pro Football Focus rating of 67.4 made him PFF’s No. 54 ranked corner in 2018. That’s not exactly impressive, plus the team can probably find an effective nickel corner in the middle rounds of the draft, where general manager Thomas Dimitroff has preferred to build the defense so far.
Probability: Low
While he’s a brilliant fit in an otherwise underwhelming free agent cornerback class, Coleman is most likely going to get paid some serious money by a team with more cap space.
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