New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has big plans for the Atlanta Falcons run game. The team has lacked a lot on the ground since letting go of Michael Turner two seasons ago. The Steven Jackson experiment failed and now the team has rookie Devonta Freeman to carry the load. While Freeman has nothing but confidence in his abilities to lead in 2015, the Falcons need to make additions.
A big question the Falcons must answer in the coming days is whether or not to re-sign Jacquizz Rodgers who is an unrestricted free agent come Tuesday. With Jackson out, the Falcons need to make additions to the roster and Rodgers could be a fairly cheap contract. Rodgers has value for Atlanta. He is young and a proven reliable player. He is strong in both pass blocking and acting as a receiver which could mean Atlanta opts to bring him back on a small deal.
The impression right now is that Freeman will enter 2015 as the starter. Shanahan has done nothing but praise his abilities in the new offensive system, but the question remains who comes back. Rodgers remains a fan favorite amongst the Falcons fans and he is versatile enough to even consider keeping around. However, even if Rodgers returns, the Falcons will still eye another addition. That could come in the form of Justin Forsett, Mark Ingram or even CJ Spiller depending on contract talks.
The Falcons are continuing to pump up the potential of Freeman which means they have no interest in bringing on a high-priced player in 2015. The rookie running back saw limited time last season on the field, but took advantage of what he was given. He put up 248 rushing yards and 225 receiving yards while sharing the field with four runners. Freeman is anxious to get the responsibility with the team.
"I've got high expectations of myself," Freeman said, via ESPN.com. "I look at myself in the mirror every single day and I know what I can do. I know what I am. I know what I'm capable of doing. All I need is an opportunity. Personally, I want to be the man. I want to be the guy. I want to make my own name with the Atlanta Falcons. I want to go really, really far. I want to set the bar high. I just want to win a Super Bowl and maybe be the MVP one day. You just never know. I feel like I'm hungrier right now. I don't know what's gotten into me this offseason. I just feel like a whole new monster. And I ain't just talking."