The Detroit Lions might want to add a little punch to their offense, and the easiest way to do that at this point would be to beef up the running back position.
A player they could have a ton of interest in was just released, and the Lions might be set to move in the coming days. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Devonta Freeman from the Atlanta Falcons could be a name to watch for the Lions to boost their running back room.
The Lions might want to upgrade their defensive line first, and that could be the next move for the team to make in order to boost their fortunes for next season.
Still, a running back could be next up, and Freeman is the name to watch out for according to someone in the know.
Lions Nearly Acquired Devonta Freeman During Trade Deadline
Not only did the Lions try to land cornerback Chris Harris from the Denver Broncos, they apparently had their sights set on running back Devonta Freeman of the Atlanta Falcons. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Freeman was a target of the Lions the past week as well, but the Falcons merely decided to hang on to their running back when all was said and done.
That decision was in spite of the team being one of the worst in the NFL and later, releasing Freeman this offseason. Whatever the reasoning on Atlanta’s end at the time, the Lions missed on yet another target which would have helped them in both the short and long term a few months back.
Devonta Freeman’s Fit With Lions
No question that Freeman would fit the Lions as a guy who would have been useful not just in 2019, but in 2020 as well. While his numbers have slipped this season considering just 333 rushing yards, Freeman has been a dynamic weapon before as evidence of his 30 career touchdowns.
Freeman’s contract ran through 2023, and while the question might be how much he has left, the Lions could use him as a solid complement to Kerryon Johnson. Freeman has been good at catching the ball as well, which would have been an asset to the Lions and their offense this past season, given their hot start.
Lions Need Running Backs
Detroit has a solid player on their team currently in Johnson that they are developing. Johnson, however, has run into a few issues with injuries the last few years, so the team is looking for someone else that can be a solid running mate for Johnson moving forward. On the roster, Bo Scarbrough showed late last season that he could be a potential answer for the team, but if the Lions are looking for someone else to build around, they may want to target the draft if they wish to find a younger option for the roster. The team could also look to free agency for a veteran running back, or could make drafting a runner a bigger priority than a mid-round selection.
Adding another running back in the draft or free agency would allow the Lions to enter the 2020 season with much better depth, and be covered if something were to happen on the roster, as has been the case in the last few years.
Freeman could be the top name to watch.
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Lions Revealed as Potential Fit For Free Agent Running Back