Cardinals sign fullback Derrick Coleman to one-year deal
May 10, 2018, 8:57 AM | Updated: 8:59 am
Atlanta Falcons' Derrick Coleman (40) controls the football as he is taken down by Carolina Panthers' Luke Kuechly (59) during the second half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. The Panthers won 20-17. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
(AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
The Arizona Cardinals signed fullback Derrick Coleman to a one-year contract and released running back Bronson Hill, the team announced Thursday.
The 27-year-old Coleman spent 2017 with the Atlanta Falcons, where he appeared in all 16 regular-season games and took just two carries for eight yards, primarily acting as a blocker. He also had two receptions for 20 yards.
Arizona did not utilize a traditional fullback under former head coach Bruce Arians over the past five seasons, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that the 6-foot, 233-pound back is expected to be the starting fullback for first-year coach Steve Wilks.
The new head coach has emphasized that the Cardinals will lean more upon a running game led by starting running back David Johnson.
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John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station added that the Cardinals worked Coleman out on Wednesday.
Coleman will join the 6-foot-2, 234-pound Elijhaa Penny and undrafted rookie fullback Austin Ramesh as the bulkier options in the backfield.
Prior to his stint in Atlanta, Coleman appeared in 31 games for the Seattle Seahawks from 2013-15. He only carried the ball 10 times and received 11 targets as a receiver in that span, taking two catches for touchdowns.
With the Seahawks, Coleman became the first legally deaf offensive player to play in NFL history.
He entered the league as a Minnesota Vikings camp invitee after he went undrafted out of UCLA.
Coleman faced legal trouble for a 2015 hit-and-run incident. He pled guilty and was forced to undergo community service.
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