The New York Jets have supposedly signed running back Tevin Coleman to a one-year, $2 million arrangement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The veteran will join a running back bunch that includes La’Mical Perine and Ty Johnson, and he will play in a familiar offense from his San Francisco days under new head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, who were both on the Niners’ coaching staff.
Coleman, 27, appeared in only eight games for the 49ers last season, rushing for 53 yards (1.9 YPA). He added four receptions for 34 yards.
After a promising start to his career in Atlanta, featured by 800 rushing yards and nine all out touchdowns in 2018, he failed to make a similar mark in San Francisco, rushing for 544 yards and six scores (14 games) in 2019.
With Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson still in San Francisco, Coleman was deemed superfluous.
It’s impossible he’ll be a huge update for a Jets team that completed 23rd in rushing last season (105.2 YPG). Johnson and Perine consolidated for only 486 surging yards and three touchdowns last year. The team’s current running back group is probably not going to strike dread in the hearts of opposing defenses.
That doesn’t mean the Jets are finished redesigning the position, nonetheless, with April’s NFL draft another outlet to add a playmaker in the backfield. The Jets have in excess of a couple of openings to fill, so running back might be fairly down the list.
In the case of nothing else, Coleman offers the team a short-term stopgap who knows the offense and will be consistent, if unspectacular, in 2021. In the event that he can remain healthy—something he battled with during his time in San Francisco—he ought to be a nice, low-cost addition.
