Baltimore's lead in the regular season has seen another ball-carrier miss a chance to play in 2021.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport recently reported that the Ravens, who ran Justice Hill back during a practice, suffered a torn Achilles, ending his season before it even started.
Hill's injury is the second significant injury suffered by Baltimore, with J.K. Dobbins had suffered a knee injury before, and that leaves the Ravens only a few days off with regular weather to run a run or two.
To meet this requirement, Baltimore is bringing in two experienced backs, Le'Von Bell and Devonta Freeman, for the workout, according to the league's Monday Transaction Wire.
Bell started last season with the Jets, the team that handed him a four-year, $52.5 million deal in 2019, but was released by New York in mid-October. He landed with the Chiefs, appeared in nine games and saw his role fading during the postseason on just 63 attempts, rushing for 254 yards and two touchdowns. In Kansas City's AFC Championship Game win over Buffalo, Bell was inactive, and although he won Super Bowl LV. Dressed for a 31-9 loss to the Chiefs in the U.S., he didn't play.
Bale took some time to trounce the Chiefs this season, while still without a team, a stretch of unemployment that has lasted this week. At 29, a pairing with the run-of-the-mill Ravens could help rejuvenate his career, provided he can rediscover his explosive style.
Freeman, on the other hand, has been on a steady decline for a few seasons. The former $41.25 million man in Atlanta was released after the 2019 season, a campaign in which he averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Freeman spent 2020 with the Giants, appearing in only five games as an in-season joint after a knee injury to Saxon Barkley and failing to make much impact, also recording 3.2 yards per carry.
Unlike Bell, Freeman got another shot at earning a roster spot with a team this season, spending it with the Saints, who released him last week.
This is the story of two former star backs with similar regressions in performance. One (Freeman) seems less likely to regain his form than the other, but Bell remains more of a question mark due to the lack of production and use in his most recent halving.
The Ravens have deemed both worth a try. At this point, Baltimore will need help, regardless of who is providing it. They're hoping to have at least one good look to earn a roster spot before traveling to Las Vegas to start the season against the Raiders on Monday night.