Saints Release Former Pro-Bowl Running Back

Tuesday is the deadline for NFL teams to cut their roster down to 53 players ahead of the regular season, and that is causing a flurry of roster moves around the league.

The New Orleans Saints' backfield has been in the news with some possible cuts coming, and one was made official on Tuesday morning. Former two-time Pro Bowler Devonta Freeman has been released.

This doesn't necessarily come as a big surprise. Alvin Kamara is obviously the RB1, and Tony Jones Jr. seems to have stepped up as a promising backup. Latavius Murray has also been floated as a cut candidate, but that's for salary reasons as much as anything, and he'd also be above Freeman on the pecking order if both were on the roster.

This ultimately comes as a worrying sign for Freeman's future in the NFL. Injuries have really limited his effectiveness since his back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2015 and 2016. He played in just five games for the New York Giants in 2020, averaging a career-low 3.2 yards per carry.

The Saints check in as 3-point underdogs at home against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, according to NFL odds from FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.