Devonta Freeman was once a force in the Atlanta Falcons' backfield, but over the last couple of seasons, the running back has lost a whole lot of his luster.
In 2018, Freeman played in just two games due to a groin injury that ultimately required surgery, and this past year, he rushed for just 656 yards and a couple of touchdowns while averaging a meager 3.6 yards per carry in 14 contests.
As a result, there has been considerable chatter that the cash-strapped Falcons could cut Freeman this offseason in order to free up some cap space, and owner Arthur Blank may have revealed his plans for the halfback this week.
“Well, I love him, too. But this has nothing to do with love. It has to do with building a roster,” Blank said of Freeman, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “The salary cap is not unlimited. It seems like it’s unlimited, but it’s not. And the investments we have made — which have been very, very substantial with a wide variety of players on both sides of the ball — have been significant. So personnel, and coach, and [team president] Rich McKay, they’ll be looking at everything and making sure we’re making investments in the right areas based on what the roster has to look like going forward.”
That isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for Freeman, and it certainly sounds like Atlanta does, in fact, plan on cutting him.
Doing so would leave the Falcons with $6 million in dead money and would provide them with $3.5 million more in cap room, which could potentially make a big difference for an Atlanta club that is in desperate need of some roster changes.
Freeman has spent the first six years of his career with the Falcons, making back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances in 2015 and 2016. He turns 28 years old next month.
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