When free agency began, Dwight Freeney was presumably one of the biggest names in the market, but his demands and age have kept him out of work and lacking interest from teams, despite initial rumors about him joining the Denver Broncos, the Seattle Seahawks and a few other teams.
Freeney, 33, has been a Pro Bowler for most of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, stretching on for 11 seasons and includes two Super Bowl appearances, three All-Pro selections and 107.5 sacks, 5th among active players and 21st on the all-time list.
But Freeney found it hard to manage as a special pass-rusher under the Colts’ new 3-4 defense, shifting only at the benefit of Freeney into some sort of hybrid form. In any case, it was clear that after a season with a career low of five sacks and 12 tackles, the relationship between the two sides was over, and Freeney was free to join another team, who might have more use for him in a 4-3 system that better suits his defensive end skills.
But his demands up to this point have been too high. It’s been rumored that Freeney has been asking for around $8 million a season, hopefully looking for more than a one-year contract. If that’s true, that sheer silliness and a complete misunderstanding of the market. In any case, after the draft, teams are rarely willing to make anything close to that investment.
Osi Umenyiora, probably the best of the veteran pass rushers hitting the market in 2013, signed a two-year, $8.5 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. At this stage of the off-season, Freeney will be lucky if he’ll get that kind of deal from any team that is still interested in him.