Is Falcons RB Devonta Freeman Worthy of a Mega Contract Extension?

Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman is a talented, multipurpose threat, but he's not yet counted among the league's elite. As such, any contract extension he signs over the coming months should not reflect an inflated sense of value. 

With a potential deal being discussed this offseason, where Freeman fits within the league's running back hierarchy doesn't warrant "elite" status, contrary to what his representation stated prior to Super Bowl LI. 

"It's time for the Falcons to pay him like the elite back he is," Freeman's agent, Kristin Campbell, told NFL.com's Michael Silver. "I expect them to make him a priority this offseason, as he's been an integral part of the dynamic offense that has gotten them to the Super Bowl."

There's no denying Freeman's place within the Falcons offense, or the fact he's among the league's top backs. But the definition of "elite" is where a divergence occurs. 

To be considered elite, an individual must be counted among the best two or three players at his respective position. Even if we tweak the qualification to include top-five performers, Freeman still falls short in multiple areas. 

Campbell admitted as much. 

"During the season, it has been frustrating for Devonta," Campbell said. "He has been trying to establish himself as a top-three back in the league, and yet when you look at his snaps, he gets significantly less opportunity than the others vying to be in that category."

The Falcons employ a running back rotation featuring Freeman and Tevin Coleman, but Atlanta isn't the only team to do so. True workhorse backs have gone almost extinct. Only one ball-carrier, Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys, carried the ball more than 300 times last season. Ten years prior, 10 different backs had more than 300 carries.

The league continues to trend toward reducing workloads for running backs, so that can't be an excuse for why Freeman is not a top-three back. Chicago Bears rookie Jordan Howard finished second in the league with 1,313 rushing yards, yet he carried the ball only 25 more times across the season than Freeman. That's a difference of roughly 1.6 more carries per game over a 16-game slate. 

Even if the former fourth-round pick carried the ball as many times as Howard, his extrapolated yardage still wouldn't have finished among the top seven backs last season. His 1,079 yards qualified for ninth without the extra wear and tear. 

"Yet he has made his case nonetheless," Campbell argued. "He is versatile. He's durable. He's productive. And he's a team player—he has played his role and helped his team go to the Super Bowl."

Every word of what Campbell said is true regarding Freeman's versatility, durability and productivity, but 
it still doesn't make him a top-three back.

A disconnect exists between the actual top backs in the league and those paid like it. LeSean McCoy, Doug Martin, Chris Ivory, Leonard Fournette and Lamar Miller currently possess the most lucrative contracts, and their overall values range between $26-40 million in total value, per Spotrac.

Players	Team	Years	Total Value	Guaranteed Amount
LeSean McCoy	Bills	5	$40M	$18.25M
Doug Martin	Bucs	5	$35.75M	$15M
Chris Ivory	Jaguars	5	$32M	$10M
Leonard Fournette	Jaguars	4	$27.15M	$27.15M
Lamar Miller	Texans	4	$26M	$14M

This group excludes names such as Ezekiel Elliott, David Johnson and Jordan Howard, all of whom are operating under their rookie deals. Le'Veon Bell is also set to become the league's top-paid back once he signs his franchise tender or agrees to a long-term extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Theoretically, a Freeman extension could set the table for those upcoming deals. After all, the Falcons back is only 25 years old and is already a two-time Pro Bowler. However, his statistics don't justify a megadeal worthy of eclipsing the current market. 

Multiple barriers should prevent the Florida State product from becoming one of the league's highest-paid ball-carriers. 

First, the running back market continues to flounder. None of those deals previously mentioned, sans Fournette's slotted rookie contract, were signed this offseason. 

Instead, proven commodities such as Adrian Peterson, Eddie Lacy, Latavius Murray and LeGarrette Blount all signed short-term, prove-it deals despite their previous production. Murray agreed to the highest dollar amount at $15 million over three years. Even before playing a down for the Minnesota Vikings, the organization might have drafted Murray's replacement with the second-round selection of Florida State's Dalvin Cook. 

The market isn't pretty, even for a back as talented as Freeman. This fall, he's projected to make $1.797 million in base salary. 

In trying to establish his value based on his skill set and level of necessity within the Falcons offense, Freeman doesn't quite stack up compared to others around the league. 

Atlanta's lead back is a true three-down option, having managed 127 receptions for 1,040 yards over the last two seasons combined. He's yet another threat in an offense that features the reigning MVP in quarterback Matt Ryan and the NFL's second-leading receiver in Julio Jones. Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper also had their moments last season. 

Freeman became a necessary component in Kyle Shanahan's scheme, but last year's offensive coordinator is no longer with the franchise after accepting the job to become the San Francisco 49ers head coach. 

Upon Shanahan's departure, Steve Sarkisian took over play-calling duties. This is an important change within the team's structure, as Shanahan's zone-stretch scheme perfectly suited Freeman's running style. 

"I think it's going to be pretty much the same thing," Freeman said in May regarding Sarkisian's offense, per ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. "A few tweaks here and there, but the majority of the same play calls, the same offense."

Any time a new play-caller takes over, how the unit proceeds changes to a degree. The playbook itself may not be drastically different, yet the manner and sequence of the new coordinator's game-day rhythm can vary. Thus, the Falcons could wait to see how Freeman performs under Sarkisian before making a significant investment. 

The running back is at his best when asked to run outside the tackles, as Pro Football Focus noted [via Sports Politicen]: 

"

PFF: Devonta Freeman averaged at least 5.0 yards per on runs off both left and right tackle in 2016. pic.twitter.com/mFOxktOYBR

— Sports Politicen (@sportspoliticen) June 9, 2017"

The above graphic illustrates how effectively Freeman uses his quickness to attack the edges. However, the 206-pounder isn't as effective when asked to run between the tackles, as his yards per attempt dropped off dramatically on such plays.

Accordingly, he wasn't counted among the top backs in yards between the tackles, per PFF: 

It's not a coincidence that the top four all finished with more rushing yards than Freeman. 

Atlanta's odds of getting more from Freeman in this area may be worse after veteran right guard Chris Chester retired. Chester started 35 straight games for the Falcons, including this past year's playoff run. 

Freeman buttresses his abilities as a runner by being an adept receiver. According to PFF, Freeman is one of three running backs to finish in the top 25 in both run and receiving grades during the past two seasons (Bell and McCoy were the others). But in terms of total yardage from scrimmage, the fourth-year back finished last season seventh overall with 1,541 total yards.

Rank	Player	Team	All-Purpose Yards
1.	David Johnson	Cardinals	2,118
2.	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	1,994
3.	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	1,884
4.	Tyreek Hill	Chiefs	1,836
5.	DeMarco Murray	Titans	1,665

Freeman is dangerous both as a runner and receiver, yet he's still not among the top two or three backs when both are taken into account. 

If the Falcons didn't have a legitimate alternative on the roster, they might be enticed to overpay Freeman. Alas, Tevin Coleman is a former third-round pick with the potential to develop into a starter. 

The 210-pound back carried the ball 118 times for 520 yards last season. He also proved to be dynamite in the passing game, averaging a whopping 13.6 yards per catch. As PFF noted, Coleman led all running backs in yards per route run. 

He's a better blocker, too. The Indiana product received a higher grade from PFF in pass protection last season, per the Falcons Wire's Tim Weaver. While Freeman provided 121 total yards and a touchdown during Super Bowl LI, his performance will only be remembered for one thing: a missed block on Dont'a Hightower's strip-sack that changed the complexion of the game. 

David Goldman/Associated Press

As long as Coleman remains healthy—which has been a concern over his first two seasons—the Falcons plan to use him as a key component within the scheme. Sarkisian even envisions scenarios where he'll place both backs on the field at the same time. 

"I think first and foremost, we have two really electric tailbacks, and they are bad matchups on defenses," Sarkisian said, per McClure. "Just making sure we're putting those guys in the best position to be successful—whether it's separately on the field, whether it's being on the field together."

Whether it's rushing yards, yards per attempt, rushing touchdowns or all-purpose yardage, Freeman didn't finish last season as a top-five running back. He finished among the top 10 in each of those categories, but that doesn't warrant elite status. 

The Falcons don't have a lot invested in their starting back (mid-round pick). If the organization decides to let Freeman play this season without a new contract, he may walk in free agency. Coleman is already in place. The franchise can undertake a comparable strategy to the New England Patriots, where it acquires multiple backs with differing skills in an attempt to provide similar production. 

Like any professional athlete, Freeman should be concerned about his future due to a running back's short shelf life, which factors in when trying to maximize his second contract. That uncertainty is stressful, as he told Silver.

"Of course it is," he said, "because when you play running back, you look at your position, you look at history, and then you compare it with how you feel every week—it's such a brutal position. We take so many hits. When you get the opportunity to get some money, you want to put yourself in position to max out, to get as much as you can, because the lifespan of a running back is not long."

Does Freeman deserve a contract reflective of his recent success? Absolutely.

Should he be one of the league's top-paid running backs? Absolutely not, seeing as he falls short of the standards his agent placed upon him. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.