By Jordan Long
NFL free agency opens up on Wednesday. The Denver Broncos are looking to upgrade the running back position behind Philip Lindsay. There are rumors they are interested in Melvin Gordon. Denver should take a look at Devonta Freeman.
Freeman was just released by the Atlanta Falcons. He had 3 years and $21 million left on his current contract. The Falcons made this move to save $3.5 million in cap space this season.
Freeman has been with the Falcons since they drafted him in 2014. His top season was in 2016 rushing for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his career, Freeman totaled 3,977 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns with an average yards per rush of 4.2 yards.
Freeman is also used in the passing game. He would do his best to sneak out of the backfield to catch a pass in the open field. He has 2,015 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. His average yards per catch is an impressive 7.8 yards.
Denver wants to upgrade the running back position in free agency. Broncos’ new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur would like to use the running backs more in the passing game.
Freeman fits what Denver is looking for. Freeman can run the football in the open field as well as catch it for large gains. He blocks to stop the blitz giving his quarterback more time to throw the football.
The downside with Freeman is holding onto the football. There are times when Freeman runs and he doesn’t protect the pigskin. When this occurs, defenders hit the football out of his hands for fumbles, causing 12 in his career while losing 7, far too many. Those kill drives and allow opponents to have a chance to score which can change the course of a game.
Denver knows how important the running back position is. They can trust Lindsay, but after him, there isn’t much depth. Adding a veteran like Freeman takes the pressure off of Lindsay to be the only back to make plays. Denver will do what is best to improve the running game. Freeman could be the answer.
Leave a Reply