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After a relatively quiet rookie campaign, Devonta Freeman burst onto the scene with a very strong 2015 season. He earned his first pro-bowl nod and showed the league that he is a back that can do it all. In fact, Freeman wasn't only our best rusher, he was arguably our true number 2 receiver on the season. How will he follow up his sophomore effort?
2015
Under the new wide-zone blocking scheme brought in by Kyle Shanahan, Devonta Freeman flourished in 2015. While he started the season injured and backing up rookie running back Tevin Coleman, Freeman would take the starting job in the third game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys, when he went off for 141 yards rushing, 52 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns. Here's how his 2015 season shaped up:
Rushing
Year | Games | Attempts | Yards | Avg | TDs |
2015 | 15 | 264 | 1,061 | 4.0 | 11 |
Receiving
Year | Games | Receptions | Yards | Avg | TDs |
2015 | 15 | 73 | 578 | 7.9 | 3 |
Projection
While I do think Tevin Coleman will be a bigger factor in the offense in 2016, Freeman should continue getting the larger workload. I think his overall carries and receptions will drop, but his productivity may climb - especially if the offensive line can improve even just slightly. It's clear Ryan trusts Devonta though, so his role in the offense will probably look very similar to what it did last year.
Rushing
Year | Games | Attempts | Yards | Avg | TDs |
2016 | 16 | 240 | 1,080 | 4.5 | 9 |
Receiving
Year | Games | Receptions | Yards | Avg | TDs |
2016 | 16 | 60 | 480 | 8.0 | 4 |
What do you think of these projections for Devonta Freeman?