Just over a week ago, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn wasn’t sure if free agent defensive end Dwight Freeney wanted to continue his career. Now he has an answer.
“He wants to play,” Quinn told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, on Wednesday. “I’d say he’s further along in the decision than he was last year.”
Freeney took until last August to ink a $2MM deal with the Falcons, and he went on to appear in 15 games and rack up three sacks with the NFC champions in 2016. The 37-year-old also ranked an impressive 39th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 109 qualified edge defenders, even outdoing 15.5-sack teammate Vic Beasley (48th), but the Falcons aren’t committed to re-signing him.
“He knows I’m going down the line of looking at our team here,” said Quinn, who McClure notes wants to develop his team’s young pass rushers, including Beasley (last year’s sack champion) and first-round pick Takkarist McKinley. Both McKinley (shoulder) and Adrian Clayborn (biceps) come with injury concerns, McClure points out, which could eventually lead to a reunion with Freeney. Indeed, Quinn will consider Freeney “no matter what” while he evaluates his current options.
If the Falcons ultimately don’t re-up Freeney, it stands to reason another contender in need of a pass rusher could ink the seven-time Pro Bowler. Freeney provided a boost to the Cardinals’ defense the year before he joined the Falcons, notching eight sacks and three forced fumbles in 2015 for a club that went to the NFC title game, and won’t come at a bank-breaking cost. Also a former Colt and Charger, the 15-year veteran has totaled 122.5 sacks – good for 18th all-time.