Devonta Freeman back to running, cutting after knee ligament injuries

Devonta Freeman looked not like himself against the Philadelphia Eagles, making many wonder why they didn’t give the ball to Tevin Coleman more if he was suffering from an injury. He finally broke his silence back in March, saying he sprained his MCL and PCL in his knee. He avoided surgery, and sounds optimistic about his progress resting the bothersome knee.

Per Vaughn McClure of ESPN:

“I’m able to do a lot of things that I couldn’t do back in January, February,” Freeman said Wednesday. “Running, cutting, sprinting -- getting a little stronger. ... Making hard cuts, sprinting a little faster. The progress is getting better and better each day. So I’m just going along with the program.”

Freeman did not offer up any strong timeline, just stating he is following his rehab. The Atlanta Falcons should take it easy on Freeman this offseason, and give Coleman and rookie Ito Smith plenty of practice reps.

I would expect Freeman to be at full strength by week one, assuming he does not have any setbacks with his knee. Considering his preseason concussion, maybe the team can limit his workload until September to keep him healthy. The full bubble wrap treatment.