Atlanta Falcons: Should they sign Dwight Freeney?
The Atlanta Falcons announced on Wednesday, May 25, that former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Dwight Freeney will meet with the Falcons sometime next week.
If all goes well with the workout, could Dwight Freeney make a good addition to the roster? Let’s take a look at what the Atlanta Falcons could have in Freeney.
The 6’1”, 268lb. linebacker spent his college years playing football at Syracuse University. His overall college career consisted of 104 tackles, 34 quarterback sacks, 51 tackle for a loss, and 43 quarterback pressures.
Not to mention, one time against the Virginia Tech Hokies, Freeney sacked quarterback Michael Vick four and a half times in the same game.
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His professional football career began when he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 11th pick in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Freeney led the NFL with 16 sacks by his third season. He also developed a trademark pass rush move, known as his signature “spin move,” that became extremely effective on offensive linemen.
In 2006, the Colts faced the Chicago Bears for Super Bowl XLI. It was Freeney who helped the Colts become NFL Champions that year.
Freeney spent years with the Colts, until they decided they would not re-sign him in 2013. From there, Freeney signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers.
The 2013 season was not a good one for Freeney. He suffered a season-ending injury that hurt his record. In 2013, Freeney experienced a career low 0.5 sacks.
Things turned around for Freeney in 2014, in which he finished the season with a total of 10 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
In late October 2015, Freeney signed a one year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. That season, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16, and appeared in a total of nine games with eight sacks and three forced fumbles.
If his workout with the Atlanta Falcons goes well, is this a player they should sign? The answer is obvious: absolutely. His past speaks for him. This is a player that can bring a great deal of experience and technique to the Atlanta Falcons.
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Even though Freeney is 36, he could still have a great deal left to give in pass rush situations. Let’s consider the fact that he had eight sacks last season with the Cardinals. That’s double the Falcon’s Vic Beasley, who had four. There would be practically no downside to the Atlanta Falcons signing Dwight Freeney.