Seahawks Happy About Return Of FB Derrick Coleman

With his injury healed, the return of Derrick Coleman is nothing but good news for the Seattle Seahawks.

The 2014 season wasn’t what Derrick Coleman wanted. During pre game warm ups prior to the October 19th game in St Louis, the Seahawks fullback broke a bone in his foot, ending his season. The team brought in Will Tukuafu who filled the void nicely and made fans wonder if Coleman would be back in 2015. The Seahawks front office has made it very clear that not only does Coleman have a place on this team, they are excited to have him back.

Derrick Coleman has been an inspiration for everyone in football for the last few years. Deaf since the age of 3, Coleman has never let his disability slow him down. He played football through high school and college and is now the only deaf player in the NFL.

Both Carroll and GM John Schneider have commented during this year’s OTA’s that the return of Coleman is a huge bonus for the Seahawks. Schneider was quoted this week by Gregg Bell of the News Tribune as saying having Coleman back “will be a huge boost to all four special-teams units: kickoff coverage and return and punt coverage and return.”

In the five games he played prior to his injury, Coleman had 2 receptions, 14 and 15 yards respectively, and scored 1 touchdown. He has also been a solid player on special teams and that is where his return will be felt the most.

Seattle Seahawks running back Derrick Coleman (40) and quarterback Russell Wilson (3) Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle’s special teams was ranked 19th in the league last year. Other than Punter Jon Ryan’s touchdown throw during the NFC Championship game, there was little the Seahawks special teams did to impress and the return of Coleman could go a long way to improve that. Fans often talked about the return game lacking, but blocking was another huge issue. This is where Coleman shined, helping to make holes for the returners to exploit.

When looking at the fullback position, both Coleman and Tukuafu bring something different to the team. Coleman is a good blocker, a receiving threat out of the backfield, and a leader on special teams. Tukuafu, at 293 pounds, is a big body up front and a fantastic blocker for RB Marshawn Lynch. He is also versatile and has played back up for the defensive line on occasion. It will be fun to watch how the team uses both players in different packages.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded out Coleman’s performance last season as +0.4 on 50 snaps. Tukuafu, on the other hand graded out as -0.3 on 144 snaps. Small sample sizes issues aside, those number suggest that Seattle’s offense was better with Coleman in the lineup. In fact, despite playing in just a handful of games, Coleman was in the top third of all NFL FBs last season.

With the release of his new book “No Excuses”, and his community outreach program, Derrick Coleman is a great feel good story at a time when the NFL is in desperate need of one. However he’s not just that deaf guy in the battery commercial. His presence on the field has become just as important as his image off the field. Coaches and fans alike look forward to his return.