The Falcons have remained in touch with free agent edge rusher Dwight Freeney, but the club has no intention to sign him at this time, head coach Dan Quinn told reporters, including D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Definitely somebody that we still talk to on a regular basis,” Quinn said of Freeney. “We are hopeful that he’s going to play this year. I know that he wants to, but right not there are no changes in our plan.”
Atlanta could conceivably add another pass rusher given that 2016 sack leader Vic Beasley will be sidelined for roughly a month after suffering a hamstring injury against the Packers on Sunday night. However, the Falcons will likely turn to rookie first-rounder Takkarist McKinley to play additional snaps at defensive end instead of inking a veteran such as Freeney, per Ledbetter.
Now entering his age 37-season, Freeney still had something left in the tank in 2016, when he signed a one-year deal with the Falcons in August. While playing roughly a third of Atlanta’s defensive snaps, Freeney managed three sacks and 26.5 pressures, and also added a sack in the club’s Super Bowl appearance. He’s yet to be linked to any team since free agency opened in March.
Freeney obviously is a shell of the star he once was, but with Beasley out for awhile he can contribute a bit and mentor our 1st round rookie. Then again we are pretty tight on remaining salary cap money, so it’s a tough call.