Outside of a No. 1 receiver, the Raiders don’t have many holes on offense. They fixed up their offensive line last season, found an elite tight end in Darren Waller and found several complementary pieces such as Hunter Renfrow, Foster Moreau and Alec Ingold (UDFA) in the 2019 NFL Draft.
However, one position the team could still try to address on offense is the backup running back spot behind Josh Jacobs. While the team did sign Jalen Richard this offseason, his role is more on passing downs. If Jacobs were to go down, his role in the offense likely wouldn’t change.
That means the Raiders could be in the market for a true backup running back. And luckily for them, the free-agent market just got a whole lot better. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Falcons have decided to release two-time Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freeman to gain cap space.
The #Falcons are releasing RB Devonta Freeman, source says, saving more than $3M against the salary cap and moving on from their former starter.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020
Freeman played 14 games in 2019, but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry behind the Falcons’ offensive line. While he’s had some injury concerns during his career, Freeman has proved to be one of the better runners in the NFL. But at the age of 28, his days as a feature back are likely over.
If the Raiders want a proven and reliable backup behind Jacobs, Freeman would be a pretty nice haul if they were able to secure him. Don’t expect him to command a lot of money on the open market, but for him to find a home in a part of a running back by committee rotation. It will be fascinating to see if the Raiders decide to pursue Freeman this offseason.
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