Devonta Freeman is not going to be traded, per Thomas Dimitroff and common sense

Yesterday, Thomas Dimitroff went on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta and said many interesting things. One of the most important was his reiteration that the Falcons are not going to trade Devonta Freeman, something he had previously told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In case you’re confused, here’s a brief point-by-point timeline:

• Devonta Freeman is on his rookie deal and grossly underpaid
• Devonta Freeman’s agent suggested he deserved a new deal during Super Bowl week
• Devonta Freeman’s mentor/close confidante Luther Campbell, formerly of 2 Live Crew, tweeted that others were getting paid and Freeman wasn’t, and alluded to a trade
• Thomas Dimitroff strenuously denied that the Falcons would trade Freeman

Look, there are no certainties in the NFL, but I believe Dimitroff here. Freeman is gifted, no running back in the NFL is getting paid a massive contract right now (and certainly not this offseason), and the team’s rushing attack will presumably only get more important in the years ahead as Matt Ryan inches toward 40 years old. Unless you could get a king’s ransom and Freeman is disgruntled, it’s not something you’d even seriously consider, and getting value for a running back in today’s climate is tough.

That means Freeman is probably getting an extension, but chances are he’ll need to wait until later this year or next offseason. Dimitroff was also pretty emphatic that there will be no new contract for Freeman in the here and now, not with Dontari Poe dining with the Falcons last night and Desmond Trufant’s extension approaching.

It’s easy to forget in all the debate about his desire to be here and whether the Falcons should pay him, but Devonta has been tremendous as a back and is, in my humble opinion, the kind of guy you want in your locker room. Read Vaughn McClure’s latest for a glimpse at what I mean.

The upshot is that while you may see some sniping back and forth as Freeman’s representation angles for that new deal, Freeman’s likely to be in Atlanta for a long while yet. May we be done with these rumors and reports.