Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans definitely are familiar with Devonta Freeman, who was recently released by the Atlanta Falcons, as the Buccaneers have seen a lot of Freeman over the past six seasons in the NFC South.
If the Buccaneers are looking to add depth at running back by bringing in a veteran who would ultimately be cheaper than a free agent such as Melvin Gordon, Freeman could be a good fit. Head coach Bruce Arians believes in Ronald Jones, who became the starting tailback last year in his second pro season, and I certainly wouldn’t anticipate the Buccaneers just giving up on Jones. But running back by committee might be the best option for Arians’ team. With Freeman, 28, showing signs of wear and tear over the past couple seasons, his asking price likely would be significantly less than Gordon, who is two years younger.
During his six seasons with the Falcons, Freeman rushed for 3,972 yards and caught 257 passes for 2,015 yards. Like Gordon, Freeman would provide a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield for a team that sent wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to the Pro Bowl.
Although Freeman averaged just 3.6 yards per carry last season with the Falcons, he caught 59 passes for 410 yards. He caught four touchdown passes in 2019 and rushed for two more touchdowns.
Brady is reportedly going to earn upward of $30 million per year, and is still work to be done on the roster, such as re-signing free agent Ndamukong Suh. In the meantime, Freeman could be an affordable option to bolster the backfield behind Brady.