The Falcons say they’re not going to change the style of their high-powered offense even though coordinator Steve Sarkisian is new to running the show, yet they’re changing some of the horses in their running-back room.
You might say the front of the stables will appear the same, but a few of the studs inside will be different after fullback Patrick DiMarco left the team via free agency. The Falcons also drafted a Clydesdale-type running back, Brian Hill, with the hope of tag-teaming him with thoroughbreds Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.
Fourth-year veteran Derrick Coleman (6-foot, 233 pounds) and rookie free agent Tyler Renew (5-11, 217) are competing at fullback, and the Falcons might consider using a tight end to do some of the many things they asked of DiMarco.
They’re definitely not abandoning DiMarco’s position — few NFL teams still use fullbacks — just because he left.
“We do a lot with our fullback, with Pat a year ago,” Sarkisian said. “We’ll continue to do that with Derrick. We motion him. We move him all over the field. We align him, and we ask him to do a lot of different things in the run game.”
In two seasons as assistant offensive line coach, Keith Carter became familiar with the way former coordinator Kyle Shanahan ran things, and now that Carter is the running backs coach, he wants to maintain the backfield with some new faces.
“(Two-back) personnel, and the fullback are extremely important … ” he said. “We ask the tight ends to do everything a fullback does, but we think there’s a lot of value in having both (two-back) and (one-back, two tight ends).
“We’re really excited about Derrick Coleman, getting him from Seattle, and obviously we signed Renew as a free agent. We expect to be in (two-back) personnel this year like we were last year.”
He’s not sure yet how it will happen at fullback, or if Hill (6-1, 219), a fifth-round draft choice out of Wyoming, will fit into a rotation with Freeman and Coleman.
Hill rushed for 1,860 yards and scored 22 touchdowns last season, as a junior, and he caught 41 passes in three college seasons.
Competition is underway, and not before training camp and the preseason will coaches know what they have, and how exactly they’re going to deploy players.
“I don’t think the two (fullbacks) we have limit us in any way in the run game,” said Carter, who before his coaching career played tight end, fullback and H-back at UCLA. “You have to be able to get out in front of Tevin and Devonta. … They’re so fast. I think we have that in two fullbacks.
“Derrick Coleman is extremely intelligent, and we expect him to be able to take some of Pat’s role. Like, we used Pat in third-down protection a lot. We’re still learning about Renew.
Freeman and Coleman, who combined for 1,599 rushing yards, and 85 receptions, 883 receiving yards and 24 combined touchdowns, are back. Whether Hill earns a spot on the team remains to be seen.
“When we evaluated Brian, we knew he was tough and smart, and he is unselfish,” Carter said. “We’re trying to push him in all these directions to see what he can go and where he can’t go.
“Obviously, he’s a bigger back, so we do have an expectation for him to come in and be able to be physical.”
If Hill turns out to be the player that the Falcons scouted in college, he’ll be quite the change-of-pace.
“At the end of the day, he’s a very good mix-up,” Carter explained. “Free is extremely elusive; he’ll break your ankles. T-Cole is not only powerful, but will out-run you. Now, you’ve got (Hill), and he’ll thump you, turn it into more of a smash-mouth game.”
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