It was reported this morning that the Indianapolis Colts are fielding telephone calls from teams interested in All Pro defensive end Dwight Freeney. The eight-time Pro Bowl pass rusher is the Colts’ all-time leader in sacks (102.5) but is owed $19 million toward the salary cap in 2012. He reportedly is unwilling to restructure his contract, which has prompted Indianapolis to put him on the trade wire.
According to Len Pasquarelli of the Sports Xchange, the Chicago Bears are very interested in making a deal for Freeney.
“If, as indicated by an ESPN report on Friday, the Colts are listening to offers for defensive end Dwight Freeney, word is that the Chicago Bears, who want to find a pass-rush partner for Julius Peppers, will be one of the teams in their ears,” Pasquarelli wrote today.
The problem is that Freeney is owed $14 million in base salary next season, which would be a heavy hit to Chicago’s salary cap, especially for a player that is past his prime. If the club was to drop that much cash on Freeney, it’s unlikely they could seriously pursue other big-name free agents like Vincent Jackson and Carl Nicks.
Yet by pairing Freeney with Peppers, the Bears would be able to bring a dual edge rush unmatched in the league, one that would cover up a lot of the deficiencies in the secondary.
Hes friggin 32.
