KC Chiefs: Kurt Coleman Signs With Panthers
By John Viril

The KC Chiefs lost safety Kurt Coleman after he agreed to a free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers on Monday. Fox Sports reporter Mike Garafolo tweeted the news:
Panthers announce the signing of S Kurt Coleman.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 16, 2015
ESPN.com’s David Newton reported that Coleman received a two year deal from the Panthers, but did not mention the contract terms.
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Losing Coleman is a blow to the Kansas City Chiefs secondary, which ranked no. 2 in the NFL against the pass in 2014. Coleman ranked no. 26 among safeties on Pro Football Focus, despite only getting 396 snaps.
Kurt Coleman was a versatile piece for the KC Chiefs in 2014, playing in sub-packages and both safety spots. He has even lined up at corner on a few occasions. Despite limited play, Coleman was productive. He led the team with three interceptions in 2014, which was half of the team total of six.
Coleman’s contributions to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014 were not limited to defense. He was also a useful special teams player that special teams coach Dave Toub will miss.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera commented to ESPN.com’s David Newton about the Coleman signing:
"“Kurt gives us a versatile safety who can play both spots,” coach Ron Rivera said in a team release. “He’s athletic, he’s intelligent, and will understand the system, having worked with Sean [McDermott, defensive coordinator Carolina Panthers] before.“He’s a very consistent player and also adds special-teams ability. That is something we’ve talked about improving upon and we’ve made some moves this offseason looking for guys that can help us on special teams.”"
Kurt Coleman signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free-agent in 2014, after spending his first four seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played three seasons for the Eagles under current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who drafted Coleman in the 7th round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
Kurt Coleman earned a starting position with the Eagles in 2011 and held the job through 2012. However, Coleman got bumped from the starting lineup in 2013 with the arrival of Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.
For his five-year-career, Coleman has compiled 10 interceptions, 17 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles, and 244 total tackles.
While Coleman’s defection hurts the versatility of the KC Chiefs secondary, his loss is offset by re-signing Ron Parker and the addition of strong-safety Tyvon Branch from the Oakland Raiders.
KURT COLEMAN’S CAREER STATS
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 3/16/2015.
Next: KC Chiefs Should Address Defense In First Round Of 2015 Draft
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