Indianapolis Colts Rumors: Dwight Freeney Should Be Brought Back Home
The Indianapolis Colts needed to find pass rushing help this offseason, and they have not addressed that issue so far. Ryan Grigson doesn’t have too many options available to work with, but there is one player who is very familiar with the city of Indianapolis and would be a perfect fit for the Colts.
Dwight Freeney is still sitting in free agency, and the Colts should pursue a deal to bring him back home.
It has been three seasons since Freeney played his last game in Indianapolis. There were a few disagreements between Freeney and the Colts, but the two sides need to put those issues behind them. He would be able to team up with Robert Mathis once again and would reunite one of the most feared pass-rushing duos that the NFL has ever seen.
Last season, as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Freeney showed that he still has some football left in the tank. He ended the season with nine tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles in the 11 games that he played. Those numbers show just how capable he is of getting to the quarterback.
Indianapolis is going to have one of the top offenses in the NFL this coming season if Andrew Luck is able to stay healthy. Every single year that Luck has been the starting quarterback for the Colts, the defense has been the unit that has needed major help. Freeney may not be the complete fix to the issue, but he could certainly be a help for the Colts.
No defense is going to be able to play up to expectations without a pass rush. Indianapolis signed Trent Cole last offseason in free agency hoping that he could be the missing piece. That obviously didn’t end up being the case, which has made the Colts search for help once again this offseason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aencikCxDLw
Mathis is going to be much more dangerous in 2016 than he was in 2015 now that he has had more time to recover from his torn Achilles. Having a healthy Mathis will help the problems that the Colts have had, but no single player can put consistent pressure on a quarterback by himself.
There is no question that the Colts would be able to afford to sign Freeney at this point in time.
During a recent interview, Freeney talked about wanting to play this coming season. He mentioned that he would enjoy returning to the Cardinals, but he is willing to play anywhere that could offer him a chance to win.
“If it doesn’t work out here, it could be anywhere. It just depends. It has to be a winning team. I’m used to winning.”
Needless to say, the Colts would be offering him a chance to win in the 2016 NFL season.
Expect to see rumors continue flying about Freeney as training camp and preseason action continue to draw closer. Chuck Pagano and the Colts have to figure out how to address their pass rushing problem and Freeney could be a fix for that issue. Indianapolis should give Freeney a call and see if the two sides can work something out to bring the former superstar back home where he belongs.
Do you think the Indianapolis Colts should bring Dwight Freeney home? Would he be a fix to their pass rushing problems? Let us know in the comment box below!
[Photo by Rick Scuteri/AP Images]
