Who should be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting running back?
Running the football hasn’t been a strength for the Atlanta Falcons for a number of years now, but it could be in 2015. Who should lead the rushing attack though?
One option is second-year pro Devonta Freeman. Freeman is coming off the back of a quiet rookie campaign in Atlanta, only carrying the football 65 times. He rushed for 248 yards and a touchdown, and also added 225 yards and a score from his 30 receptions.
He might finally get a chance to show what he can do in the NFL. In three years at Florida State, Freeman rushed 404 times for 2,255 yards and 30 touchdowns. A big strength was his versatility, and he caught 47 passes for 475 yards and a touchdown.
Despite not touching the football a whole lot, Freeman will enter 2015 with a year’s experience in the NFL under his belt. He understands the pace of the game at pro-level, whereas rookie Tevin Coleman will need to acclimatize.
On the other hand, there’s no reason why Coleman couldn’t make the step up immediately. We have seen it in recent years from Eddie Lacy (rushed for 1,178 yards, 11 TDs in rookie season) and Jeremy Hill (1,124 yards, nine TDs).
More from Blogging Dirty
- Atlanta Falcons are the perfect fit for Leonard Floyd
- 3 Largest Atlanta Falcons 2023 dead cap hits
- Atlanta Falcons trade up for a quarterback in this full mock draft
- Atlanta Falcons: 3 trade packages to land first-overall pick
- 3 Reasons the Atlanta Falcons shouldn’t fear Derek Carr and the Saints
In Indiana, Coleman rushed 452 times for 3,219 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also contributed in the passing game with 54 receptions for 383 yards.
Coleman is a violent runner and can hit the home run at any time. It’s possible due to the way he plays that Kyle Shanahan could split the reps between Coleman and Freeman, as the two backs would complement each other well.
Either way, one back is likely to emerge as the main guy, but who should it be?
Do you think Freeman is the best choice to be the RB1 entering his second year, or do you think the rookie Coleman should lead the way? Cast your vote and give us your take in the comments.