Patrick DiMarco was force for the Atlanta Falcons the last two seasons. His lead blocking for Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman greatly contributed to the explosiveness of the young backs and he was also a reliable check-down option in case Matt Ryan was caught in a bad situation. In fact, he was named to the 2015 Pro-Bowl in recognition for his stellar play.

Unfortunately, Atlanta did not re-sign DiMarco after last season, as the Buffalo Bills signed him to a four-year, $8.4 million contract on March 8, leaving the Falcons with the task to find another player to contribute as a strong lead blocker and capable safety valve option. To address this hole, the Falcons signed free agents Derrick Coleman and Soma Vainuku.

Derrick Coleman previously spent five years on the Seattle Seahawks, where he won a Super Bowl and contributed to their Russell Wilson-led offense. Even though Coleman was not famous for impressive pancake blocks in Seattle like DiMarco was in Atlanta, Coleman is about the same size as DiMarco and could perhaps take on the role well.

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Soma Vainuku was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Houston Texans following the 2016 NFL Draft. He has yet to make any impact in the NFL or even have a stat recorded. Vainuku was a special teams star in his college career at USC, earning All Pac-12 honors, though. Further, Vainuku has some incredible potential given his frame and athleticism. He possesses some surprising speed for his size, making him a great candidate for a lead blocker.

However, Vainuku couldn’t keep the starting job as lead blocker for the Trojans and also had some penalty struggles. If he could learn to play more disciplined and perfect his blocking techniques then he could offer some significant competition for Coleman.

Both of the newly-signed fullbacks are players the Falcons feel like they know, as Coleman was in Seattle at the same time as Dan Quinn and Vainuku was at USC at the same time as Steve Sarkisian. They are also both solid contributors on special teams, with some athletic potential.

Ultimately, Atlanta isn’t looking for a star FB, they are looking to for a capable lead blocker and role player for the team. Coleman and Vainuku both have the potential to be that player for the Falcons, it just depends on who shines this offseason. It is easy to make the prediction that Coleman will be the starting fullback, given his experience edge.

However, Atlanta has also recently met with Will Johnson, the former New York Giant who missed the 2016 season due to injury. This implies that the Falcons might still be looking for the perfect fit.

DiMarco will be missed in Atlanta, but the Falcons have capable replacements lined up to step in and fill his role. Also, it should be noted that DiMarco only played 31.2 percent of offensive snaps in 2016 according to Football Outsiders. He contributed well but is definitely not irreplaceable.