Devonta Freeman is hoping to be the man for the Atlanta Falcons in 2015 in terms of the team's rushing attack, but a nagging hamstring injury is keeping him from making an impact. Freeman has been out for almost all of training camp and the preseason following the injury and as a result, Tevin Coleman is taking most of the starting reps while getting preseason work in. After not getting a single snap in preseason work, is a return for Week 1 realistic?
The Falcons instead for Freeman to be the starter and work horse in 2015, but that might not come to fruition right away. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter, Freeman is inching closer to being 100 percent, but his early-season impact is still unknown. Freeman continues to get more and more work on the field in practice, but after not playing any preseason games, Coleman could be the starter at least for the season opener.
"I'm getting every rep," Freeman said, via the Falcoholic.com. "I'm taking every rep - not physically, but mentally, I'm repping it, and I feel like you need that to be a full pro, take mental reps, too, while you can't take physical reps and just learn from it. And I watch a lot of film, so I feel like I'm still practicing, just not physically."
Head coach Dan Quinn expects more of an even split when it comes to carries between the two running backs. Coleman made his preseason debut last week and while the numbers were not impressive, the rookie did earn the game ball after he put an impressive spin move on a defender. His second preseason offered much more excitement as he put up eigth rushes for 56 yards. It is that type of flashiness that has the Falcons excited about what he can bring to the field. In terms of fantasy sports, both running backs are more suited for an RB2 slot in the lineup. With Matt Ryan having Julio Jones and Roddy White to throw to, the run game will be important, but not enough to overpower the production of players like Adrian Peterson or LeSean McCoy.
The Falcons have heavy expectations on the offense this season especially the depth of players lined up. Jones is looking to prove why he earned that big contract while White is making it clear he is still a starter. Add in the chip that Devin Hester is carrying on his shoulder and the resurgence of Leonard Hankerson and the Falcons might have something special in 2015.
