Dwight Freeney To Visit Falcons

JUNE 1st, 8:49am: Freeney’s visit to the Falcons is today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

MAY 25th, 3:40pm: The Falcons confirmed that Freeney will be visiting with them next week.

1:47pm: Dwight Freeney will likely visit the Falcons next week, according to ESPN.com’s Jim Trotter (Twitter/Vine link). Freeney visited the Bengals today and took a physical with the team, but it does not sound like the two sides have struck an accord. Dwight Freeney (Vertical)

Freeney, 36, is rated as Pro Football Rumors’ fourth-best defensive free agent still on the board. Despite his age, Freeney was remarkably effective in his 11-game campaign last year. The Cardinals inked Freeney to a veteran’s minimum deal midway through the season and they were rewarded with eight sacks and three forced fumbles. Freeney may not be the elite player that he once was, but he has proven that he is still a force to be reckoned with on passing downs.

The Falcons are not necessarily hard up for edge rushers, but Freeney could be a fit for Dan Quinn‘s aggressive defensive scheme. The Falcons are currently slated to start Vic Beasley and Derrick Shelby at defensive end with support from Adrian Clayborn and Tyson Jackson.

In 2015, the advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Freeney as (tied) for the 51st best edge rusher in the NFL out of 110 qualified players. In total, Freeney saw 276 pass snaps and just 41 run snaps last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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