Falcons’ Devonta Freeman, Coleman could be out 2-4 weeks
Day six of Atlanta Falcons Training camp is in the books. The practice had a much more relaxed flow to it after three consecutive days in pads, but several key Falcons did not compete. Jon Asamoah, Justin Hardy and Vic Beasley all sat out of practice with a stomach bug and Brooks Reed continues to sit out, but another player made headlines for his departure.
With rookie running back Tevin Coleman already sidelined with a nagging hamstring injury, starting running back Devonta Freeman strained his hamstring half way through practice. Freeman injured the hamstring on a run in 11-on-11 drills and was seen walking slowly with a towel on his head for the remainder of practice.
Colin Hubbard; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White in action at Training Camp 2015.
Dan Quinn hopes that it will be a quick turnaround for Freeman, but it is hard to tell with hamstring injuries. The recovery time for a mild hamstring strain could be anywhere from 2-4 weeks. However, it is not clear as to what level strain Freeman has. Coleman injured his hamstring last Monday and has not practiced since then.
“You can see how disappointed he was not to be able to finish today. So hopefully, we’ll get him back out here soon,” Quinn stated. “He is an absolute competitor. Just every day, he brings it. And he stands for a lot of the stuff I love about our team: attitude, intensity, toughness and wanting to compete.”
With these two running backs out until further notice, undrafted rookie Terron Ward and veteran Antone Smith will get the majority of the touches while second-year running back Jerome Smith will see some action as well. Ward continues to impress and seems to fit the offensive scheme extremely well with his 5-7, 201 pound frame.
As for everyone else in practice, several players stepped it up on day six. Veteran tight end Tony Moeaki hauled in several catches and was much more involved with the offense. Ra’shede Hageman and Adrian Clayborn continue to light it up on the defensive line. Both men are getting first-team reps and will head into the first preseason game with a ton of upside.
Rookie corner back Jalen Collins struggled on one-on-one drills today. Collins was beat several times including a 40-yard touchdown to Leonard Hankerson. As far as the other receivers go, Devin Hester and Levine Toilolo caught everything thrown their way and Roddy White competed hard as well.
The Falcons will now travel to Buford High School for this year’s Friday night lights in which the team will scrimmage each other. If you plan on going, make sure you arrive early to find a parking spot. Parking is always a struggle at FNL!