Tevin Coleman out to prove he still has gas in the tank
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When the Jets signed Tevin Coleman this offseason, it wasn’t clear if he was brought in to lead the running back unit, operate as a member of a committee or just to provide some veteran leadership in the locker room.
Coleman himself said he doesn’t care what his role is. He just wants an opportunity to show he’s still a viable offensive option.
“I feel I’ve got a lot left in my tank to prove myself,” Coleman said Thursday. “It really doesn’t matter to me. Whatever they do with me, wherever they put me on the field, I’m going to do my job. I’m going to make plays.”
The 28-year-old Coleman has averaged 5.1 yards per touch over his six-year career and is a solid pass-catcher out of the backfield. The issue with Coleman isn’t production, but durability. His only 16-game season was in 2018 when he rushed for a career-high 167 carries for 800 yards with four touchdowns in 14 starts. He battled through a couple of injuries last season with the 49ers and missed half the season.
Coleman said he is back to 100 percent health now, but he’s competing with a plethora of younger running backs. Ty Johnson, La’Mical Perine and fourth-rounder Michael Carter should all be in the mix for touches this season. Splitting carries isn’t new to Coleman, though. He played second-fiddle to Devonta Freeman in Atlanta and played in backfields in San Francisco that included Raheem Mostert, Jerick McKinnon, Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson Jr.
Coleman’s multidimensional skillset and experience will be important to Mike LaFleur’s offense with rookie Zach Wilson under center. His running and pass-catching ability are well-documented, but Coleman added that he is a good pass-blocker, too.
Robert Saleh certainly is excited to work with Coleman again. The head coach called Coleman “pure gas” when asked about him last week.
“When he gets the ball in his hand and he makes that one cut, it’s like he shot out of a cannon,” Saleh said. “He’s got a tremendous mindset when the ball is in his hand in terms of breaking tackles, falling forward, creating positive yardage. And, his leadership, his on-the-field demeanor, his practice habits, he represents what we covet.”
