Ravens call up former FSU star to aid run game

The Baltimore Ravens are signing running back Devonta Freeman to their active roster, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

This will be Freeman’s eighth year in the NFL; he spent six years with the Atlanta Falcons, 2020 with the New York Giants and most of the preseason with the New Orleans Saints. The Giants released Freeman last January from their injured reserve list, New Orleans released him as part of their 53-man roster cuts, and the Ravens signed him to their practice squad last week. 

The Ravens running back room was decimated before the season even started, resulting in the signings of Freeman, Le’Veon Bell and Latavius Murray last week. However, they decided against promoting them to the active roster prior to Baltimore’s Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Ravens running backs in last week’s game were Murray, Ty’Son Williams and Trenton Cannon. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was Baltimore’s leading rusher in the 33-27 overtime loss, and the Ravens ground game totaled 189 yards on 34 carries and two touchdowns. Williams and Murray had the scores. Cannon has since been acquired by the 49ers.

The rush to sign running backs comes after the team lost multiple running backs to injury throughout the preseason.  Just weeks after losing J.K. Dobbins due to an ACL injury, Baltimore’s depth at the position took another shot when third-year tailback Justice Hill tore his Achilles in practice. Not long after, Gus Edwards tore his ACL and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Freeman played college football at Florida State. Over three years he amassed 2,255 yards on 404 carries and 30 touchdowns. He added 475 receiving yards and a score through the air. He was a member of the 2013 team that won a national title for the Seminoles, and the Falcons took him in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Last season, Freeman was underwhelming in New York after being signed to help cushion the blow from the loss of Saquon Barkley. He played in five games with four starts and carried the ball 54 times for 172 yards and one touchdown. He suffered a high ankle sprain and hamstring injury on Nov. 13 and returned just over a month later.

Baltimore welcomes the Kansas City Chiefs to town for Sunday Night Football this weekend in a battle of two of the leagues most high-profile quarterbacks: Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns 33-29 last weekend in an impressive come-from-behind victory.