The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Freeman deal is top priority
Dimitroff: Extension for RB is ‘100 percent’ focus entering camp.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff remains optimistic that the team can reach an amicable contract extension with Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freeman.
“Right now, we’ve had some good conversations over the offseason,” Dimitroff said Monday, when he made a community service appearance at the East Lake YMCA. “I’ve talked to him on the field a number of times. He’s in a good place.
“We’ve had discussions with his agent (Kristen Campbell). As a matter of fact, we will be focusing on that 100 percent here in the next few days. We are in a spot where we are really focused on sitting down and discussing where we are.”
With the offseason moves of Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch and Eddie Lacy, who all essentially signed oneyear deals, there is not a robust market for running backs.
The Falcons’ negotiations will be complicated by Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell deciding to reject a five-year, $60 million contact offer. He’ll play this season for the franchise tag of $12.12 million. Currently, Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy has the NFL’s highest running back contract, a five-year, $40 million deal signed on March 8, 2015.
Freeman’s representation has
indicated it expects him to sign an “elite” contract.
“Making sure that we are now re-creating a market, that’s not what we are talking about here,” Dimitroff said. “We are talking about making sure that we ... (have) him here for a number of years because he’s a very important part of this organization. So, I haven’t put a time frame on it.”
The Falcons report for training camp Wednesday. Dimitroff wouldn’t rule out having a deal done before the first practice, on Thursday, but was not overly optimistic.
“That’s just a few days away and I’ve always said that I think it’s going to be a fairly expeditious negotiation, but you never know,” Dimitroff said. “I would love for it to happen, but if it doesn’t we’re not throwing up the caution flag at all. We’ll just continue to work through it. We’ll continue to negotiate with Kristen.”
Freeman has clearly outperformed his fourth-round draft status, but the Falcons have a running back-by-committee approach with Tevin Coleman sharing carries. They don’t appear to be in a position to put Freeman at or near the top of the financial market.
Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin (five-year, $35.75 million contract, $15 million guaranteed), Houston’s Lamar Miller (four years, $26 million, $14 million guaranteed) and Jacksonville’s Chris Ivory (five years, $32 million, $10 million guaranteed) are comparable deals the Falcons will research.
Joel Corry, a former agent and CBSSports.com analyst, said: “The top of the market on a long-term deal is LeSean McCoy. But if I’m the agent ... the rejected offer of Le’Veon Bell is in the marketplace. That’s a tough sell, but that’s what the agent should be pushing for.
“(Bell) rejected basically $60 million over five years. That’s what the value of what an ‘elite’ running back is and then you try to work and try to piggyback off of that. That’s easier said than done, but that’s what the agent should be trying to do.”
Under Dimitr off, the Falcons have made it a practice of extending contracts for players they like and consider cornerstones of the franchise, like quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones.
“You’ve seen in the past where the guys that we’ve signed are really big-time contributors to our team,” Dimitroff said. “Where we have taken care of them before training camp or while training camp is (happening) or in the (exhibition) season, not the third game in the regular season, but (exhibition) season. Hopefully, we can get something done. I feel very confidently that we can. He’s got intelligent representation and we communicate well.”
The Falcons also have to consider the long-term ramifications of giving Freeman an extension.
Coleman is set to enter the third year of his fouryear deal and most teams don’t pay two running backs hefty salaries. But the Falcons appear ready to make a deal.
“The guys that we are signing, putting legitimate big-time contracts into, if you look at our roster, those are the guys that are full-on team guys,” Dimitroff said. “We are really proud of that. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Alex Mack (and Desmond) Trufant. Those are the guys that we want to build the team around and into the future with guys like Devonta. Those are the guys who are important.
“They are urgent football players and they represent what we believe and that’s a good feeling for us.”