Pros and Cons of Lions Acquiring RB Devonta Freeman

Should the Lions look into acquiring former Falcons RB Devonta Freeman?

John Maakaron | Mar 23, 2020

Veteran running back Devonta Freeman was a highly productive and important part of the Atlanta Falcons 2016 run to the Super Bowl.

In 2016, Freeman tallied 1,541 total yards and 13 touchdowns.

However, injuries started to become an issue for Freeman in recent seasons.

He missed two games with a concussion in 2017 and also dealt with a nagging knee injury all throughout that season.

In 2018, Freeman played in only two games and his season ended prematurely when he underwent core muscle surgery.

Freeman returned in 2019, but only recorded 656 yards on 184 carries with two rushing touchdowns. He missed two games with a foot sprain.

The Falcons made the decision to move on from Freeman last Wednesday. The newly acquired ex-Ram Todd Gurley will likely slide into the No. 1 running back role for Atlanta.

The Lions are in search of a complementary running back to add depth behind starter Kerryon Johnson and Bo Scarbrough.

Lets take a look at the pros and cons of acquiring the veteran running back.

Pros

When Freeman was healthy, he displayed the ability to find the end zone with regularity. He recorded 11 touchdowns in 2015 and 2016.

Also, his pass catching abilities make him a nice option in the passing game.

According to SI AllSeminoles Writer Mike Settle:

"The Lions need a lot of help, even though Bo Scarbrough seems to be an answer for the franchise. Adding Freeman to the mix could make for a potent 1-2 punch that takes pressure off Matt Stafford -- or whomever the quarterback is by that time. Freeman is also familiar with running on turf for home games."

CONS

"The big part of Devonta was just the concussions," NFL Network's Brian Baldinger told 92.9 FM in Atlanta last week. "You know, that hasn't been a problem with Todd Gurley."

"I mean, we all love Devonta Freeman. He played with his hair on fire; we loved the way he played, but we saw diminishing skills there," Baldinger said.

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JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!