IV – Pittsburgh Steelers
The history of the Pittsburgh Steelers is steep with the NFL running game. From Franco Harris‘ immaculate reception, the fans and personnel associated with the Steelers love their running game. The AFC North, known for some of the fiercest games in the NFL, offer no mercy to finesse players. The rule is simple. Suit up and be ready to hit pads. Lavon Coleman is perfect for that style of football.
Coleman won’t break your ankles. He decides quickly upon a lane, turns in that direction, and begins churning his legs to gobble up the yards. He won’t hesitate when aiming at the line of scrimmage, so he won’t cause many negative plays. Nor will he cough up the ball in heavy traffic.
Visions of Rocky Bleier
Coleman is a modern-day version of former Steelers great Rocky Bleier. Good vision. Solid power. Won’t outquick anyone through the hole, but will hit the lane with a head of steam. And he can run through arm tackles, so he becomes more effective the longer the game progresses. With the right opportunity, he can start a late game time-killing drive deep in his own territory and drive the ball to close out the game.
There is no way to believe Coleman can deliver a Rocky Bleier like career to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the style of Coleman is similar. So it does lend to the logical conclusion that if one NFL team could maximize Coleman’s impact in the NFL, the Steelers should certainly be on that short list.