Baltimore Ravens running back Justin Forsett is slated to hit the open market once free agency opens next month. Aside from the Ravens, other birds may be trying to attract him to their nest. The Atlanta Falcons are rumored to have "strong interest" in the 29-year-old running back, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
"Forsett does have a tie to the new coach staff," McClure wrote. "He played four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and overlapped with new Falcons coach Dan Quinn when Quinn was the Seahawks' assistant head coach in charge of the defensive line. Forsett developed a strong reputation for being respected in the locker room."
Forsett is coming off the most successful season of his career in which he finished fifth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,266) and set career highs in receptions (44) and touchdowns (eight). However, there are some question marks the Falcons must consider. For starters, Forsett will turn 30 in October and that age has never been too kind to running backs. In addition, Forsett has never produced the type of numbers he had last year in his seven-year career. Was that a product of Baltimore's offense or just an example of a ball carrier taking advantage of an expanded role?
Either way, it's clear Atlanta needs some help in their backfield. The team ranked just 24th in rushing offense last year.
"The Falcons want to upgrade the running back position, with aging veteran Steven Jackson expected to be released," McClure wrote.
Forsett, at 5-foot-8 and 197 pounds, is not one of the bigger backs in the league. But he combines a decent amount of quickness and power and thrived in former Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme. Atlanta currently only has second-year rusher Devonta Freeman under contract for 2015, so adding some more bodies to the backfield is a must this offseason.
