Mohamed Sanu apparently wasn’t the only player the Atlanta Falcons took calls on in recent weeks.
The Falcons, who traded Sanu to the New England Patriots a week ahead of the NFL trade deadline, also were deep in trade talks about Devonta Freeman, as reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Wednesday.
“An intriguing would-be trade that was heavily discussed over the past week, but didn’t end up happening: Falcons RB Devonta Freeman to the Lions,” Rapoport tweeted. “DET inquired, the sides talked about a possible deal at length, but ultimately, Atlanta just decided they didn’t want to trade him.”
This report isn’t incredibly surprising. The 1-7 Falcons are firmly out of the playoff picture and likely would have received a nice return in exchange for Freeman. The Lions, who currently are a postseason dark horse at 3-3-1, could use an upgrade at running back with Kerryon Johnson on injured reserve. But considering Atlanta’s mediocre backfield depth, it’s easy to understand why it held on to Freeman, who still has three seasons beyond 2019 remaining on his contract pending the sides forego a potential opt-out this offseason.
Freeman reportedly wasn’t the only star running back brought up in trade conversations Tuesday. The New York Jets reportedly were “amenable” to shopping Le’Veon Bell but ultimately held on to their marquee free-agent signing.
