Georgia Football: With Freeman out of Atlanta, is D’Andre Swift on the way in?
By Eric Taylor
The Atlanta Falcons released running back Devonta Freeman. Could this open the door for former Georgia football running back D’Andre Swift?
The Atlanta Falcons have a chance to right the wrong it committed back in 2015, taking Vic Beasley over Todd Gurley.
There is another highly touted Georgia football running back in the draft and this time the Falcons have a big need for a starting running back. As a team, the Falcons rushed for just 1361 yards last year, good for No. 30 in the league.
With the Atlanta Falcons cutting their long-tenured running back Devonta Freeman, it gives them a clear need at the position. Their depth guys are not starting material. Ito Smith is just as injury prone as Freeman and Brian Hill, their toughest runner, doesn’t seem consistent enough. Atlanta could give Qadree Ollison a shot, but he is more of a fullback than a running back.
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Enter D’Andre Swift, a running back that rushed for 1,218 yards on 196 carries last season. That is also in just 14 games. Imagine Swift‘s 103.6 yards per game he averaged last year over a 16-game-season. That would total 1,658 yards, which would have led the NFL last year. Swift is a dynamic runner, averaging 6.6 yards per carry over his career at Georgia.
Swift is also no stranger to the zone concepts that Atlanta likes to run. Georgia is also a zone run team, so he would fit Atlanta’s offensive scheme. The size of Atlanta’s offensive line is even similar to Georgia’s, averaging 309 lbs. Georgia’s offensive line averages 316 lbs.
It is no secret that fans of Georgia football would love to see one of their players play for their hometown Atlanta Falcons. This could finally happen for the first time since 2011 when the Atlanta Falcons selected Akeem Dent, a linebacker from Georgia, in the third round.
There are too many benefits for Atlanta to ignore. Having Swift on the team would not only benefit the team on the field but also in the stands. Georgia fans would flock to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch their former Bulldog.
The Falcons can go in many different directions on April 23rd, but they really need to keep the “Philly Flyer” in Georgia.