Devonta Freeman played just two games last season. Suffering from injuries in each tilt, he earned just six and eight carries in those games, respectively. Then his season was over.
After dealing with knee and groin issues, the latter of which ended his 2018 campaign in October, Freeman is finally healthy and back with his teammates for OTAs.
"It felt good just to be out here running around and having fun," he said Thursday, via the Associated Press. "This is fun. Just having fun running around brought back memories of when I was a kid, playing in the middle of the field. It was fun."
Relegated to just 14 carries last season, Freeman watched as an inconsistent Falcons offense led Atlanta to a 7-9 record. Missing basically the entire season reminded the running back how much being on the field means.
"It was tough," Freeman said. "At the time I couldn't see the blessing that God had for me. But it was definitely tough not being able to go out there and compete and battle with my brothers. Just seeing all those guys, every time I watched a game, it was like 'Man, that was a missed opportunity for me.' I definitely took it to heart. I learned a lot from it, though."
With Tevin Coleman signing in San Francisco this offseason, Freeman projects to have a heavy workload in 2019 as a dual-threat out of the Falcons backfield.
"It's been awesome having Free back on the field and be back to having him look like himself, to see the energy that he brings has been good," coach Dan Quinn glowed.
With an improved offensive line, Freeman could be in for a big bounce-back campaign. First, he must stay healthy.
