The end is near for Devonta Freeman and the Atlanta Falcons
By Joe Beasley
When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Devonta Freeman back in 2014, fans were ecstatic. He had just helped FSU win a national title and he was among the most versatile running backs in the draft.
The Atlanta Falcons finally landed a young running back and didn’t have to rely on signing veterans who had more than a few miles on their tires.
After he spent a season backing up Steven Jackson, Freeman had a pretty successful first season as the starting running back. In 2015, Freeman rushed for 1,056 yards and 11 touchdowns. The following season, he was able to match that touchdown total and set a career-high in rushing yards with 2016.
Even though the Falcons would go on to select Tevin Coleman in the 2015 NFL, Freeman was going to be the guy in the backfield. In 2017, his production declined a bit and in 2018, Freeman was pretty much injured for the entire season. 2019 was supposed to be the year that Freeman bounced back.
Fast forward to the 2019 season and you’ll see things didn’t go as expected. Rushing for only 656 yards and two touchdowns isn’t going to cut it in the NFL especially for a team with playoff aspirations.
Falcon fans have finally grown tired of Freeman and the lack of production coming out of the backfield to the point where some wished that the team would have kept Tevin Coleman instead of Freeman. Even during the season, fans wanted to see Ito Smith get the snaps that Freeman was wasting with his “east to west” juke moves.
It’s been reported that the Atlanta Falcons have already interviewed 13 running back at the NFL Combine, which can’t be a good sign if you’re Freeman. Prospects like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor, and Cam Akers are all running backs who could come in and have a positive effect on the offense.
Falcons need look at LSU players in the 2020 NFL Draft. dark. Next
The writing is on the wall for both sides. The Falcons need someone that can produce in the backfield and Freeman needs a change of scenery. Either way, you can count the days for Devonta Freeman being an Atlanta Falcon.