Patriots kickoff 2016: A look at Justin Coleman
Sophomore pro Justin Coleman wears the No. 22 jersey, so he is the subject of discussion today as we mark 22 days until the New England Patriots open 2016.
Size: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds
College: Tennessee
NFL experience: One season
Coleman entered the NFL at this time last year as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota VIkings. When the Vikings cut him, the Patriots picked him up, only to cut him again. After a very brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad, Coleman was brought back to the Patriots, where he has been ever since.
What Justin Coleman, Brandon King bring to the Patriots
As a rookie, Coleman escalated up the depth chart, eventually becoming the team’s best No. 3 cornerback (certainly better than Leonard Johnson and Rashaan Melvin). In 10 regular season games, Coleman recorded 23 combined tackles and recovered a fumble. While he did not record an interception, Coleman left his mark in the postseason, recording a pass breakup in both the Divisional Round and the AFC Championship.
Recent installments in Patriots kickoff countdown profile series:
23 days until kickoff: Profiling No. 23 Patrick Chung
This summer, Coleman has been in the thick of a tight cornerback competition. While he is expected to make the team along with Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Cyrus Jones, Coleman struggled mightily on Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. Alshon Jeffery got the better of Coleman on several times during the Bears’ opening drive, and Coleman also committed a holding penalty that extended a Chicago possession.
Patriots free agency Yes/No: Justin Coleman
Rookie upstarts Jonathan Jones and Cre’von LeBlanc as well as fellow sophomore pro Darryl Roberts and veteran E.J. Biggers are in contention with Coleman for the final two spots on the Patriots’ cornerback depth chart. We’ll see how it all pans out in the coming days and weeks.
Next: Here are the top 5 Pats rookies so far
Tomorrow marks 21 days until the Patriots open 2016, so stop by Musket Fire as we profile the owner of the No. 21, Malcolm Butler.