Sports

Fans want Falcons to 'show Freeman the money'

Falcons running back Devonta Freeman breaks away from Saints defenders for a 75-yard touchdown run to take a 14-3 lead during the first quarter Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. (ccompton@ajc.com/ccompton@ajc.com)
Falcons running back Devonta Freeman breaks away from Saints defenders for a 75-yard touchdown run to take a 14-3 lead during the first quarter Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. (ccompton@ajc.com/ccompton@ajc.com)
July 28, 2017

FLOWERY BRANCH -- In a poll, we asked the fans how much should the Falcons pay running back Devonta Freeman, who's earned a contract extension with his play on the field.

The votes want him to receive a contract that’s at the top of the current market. They want him to be paid like Buffalo’s Sean McCoy, who has a five-year, $40 million contract.

They appear to agree with Freeman’s representation, agent Kristen Campbell, that he’s an “elite” back.

Freeman is set to make $1.8 million this year, which is embarrassingly under-market. The Falcons know this and say they want to do an extension, but Campbell reportedly left town without a deal on Wednesday.

The Falcons negotiations will be complicated by Pittsburgh’s Le’veon Bell’s decision to reject a five-year, $60 million contact offer. He did not report to camp and has not signed his franchise tag of $12.12 million. Currently, McCoy has the highest running back contract, a five-year $40 million deal signed on March 8, 2015.

Here are the poll results thus far:

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About the Author

Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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