Colts Part Ways With Dwight Freeney

[Ring 6]

No, he is wrong and misunderstood the point, just like you have. Ninkovich is overrated because of his 2 plays a game he does manage to do something. The other 95% of the time he is being pushed around at the LOS or being stone walled as a pass rusher.

Ninkovich and Freeney are nowhere near similar players.

Anyways, Freeney is completely shot. I've seen him willfully try to stop the run plenty of times and he always ended up being a massive liability. They didn't ask him not to try to stop the run because they were content giving up 5 YPC every season, it's because he COULDNT EVEN IF THEY WANTED HIM TO. So they just rolled with the one thing he was good at - rushing the QB.

That is one of the most ignorant takes I've seen in a long time.
I get that you don't like Freeney. If he is as bad as you say he is, why do you feel the need to taint the discussion by misrepresenting things? Or do you just not understand the scheme?

 

[BradyFTW!]

He is nothing like the Andre Carter situation.

He would be the Andre Carter situation if we wanted to bring Andre Carter back in 2018.

He's done and has always been overrated because he spins five yards out to get a shot at the QB while the running back just blitzkreig up through his gap that he completely ignores. People like sacks and think splash sacks make up for complete ineptitude 90% of the game where he does nothing and is a liability against the run.

He is Ninkovich except older, more expensive, has a narrower role value and a million times worse against the run, as impossible as that may seem.

No.

No.

No.

A million times, no.

Where we agree:
Freeney has historically been overrated as a player
He is a liability (to say the least) against the run, and therefore is simply not an every-down player. He's more a rich man's Mark Anderson than Andre Carter 2.0.

Where we disagree:
Everything else. I don't think you've seen him play very many times.

The reason why I doubt Freeney will come here is because he would have to accept a dramatically reduced role. Nevermind that this would be good for him - less tread on the tires, and would allow him to commit his energy to situations where he's a strength instead of a liability. Also, he would either be backing up Jones or Jones would have to move to the strong side. Whether or not he's a viable option for anything close to the money that he'll be looking for will probably depend on Jones' ability to move to the other side.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Here are my comments on the Charles Woodson thread. They apply to Freeney too:

I don't know. I'm tired of the Pats picking up other teams' aging stars and trying to squeeze a few more good years out of them, often with mixed results (which look like this - older guy comes in, looks good in camp, looks like he's going to be great, oops, injury, just can't get back to form, after teasing us for a while). Is it too much to ask that they go into the draft and get a stud that can start young and healthy here and be here for years to come? It's been a while since Rodney Harrison joined the team.

Were you really sick and tired of it when the Pats signed Tyrone Poole, Roman Phifer, Otis Smith, Ted Washington, Bobby Hamilton, Anthony Pleasant, Antowain Smith, Rodney Harrison, and Corey Dillon?

This point is not necessarily directed at PatsDeb, but from a lot of the posts I see around here lately, I get the strange feeling that a whole lot of posters here weren't following the Pats in 2001. A hallmark of the Belichick-era Patriots has been the ability to sign players that everyone else has relegated to the scrap heap, and then get 1-2 more productive years out of them.

 

[RayClay]

While I agree that part of it was the scheme telling them to focus on rushing the passer, you're kidding yourself if you think Freeney was even mediocre as a run defender even when he wanted. He's never been able to do that.

No..one..ever..said..Freeney..was..good..against.. the..run.

 

[RayClay]

He would be the best pass rusher on a team that sucks at rushing the passer, he would play a lot.

I agree with the first, not sure about the second (though not disagreeing), at least compared with what he would cost.

It depends what BB wants to pay for a great situational rusher, If Freeney still is (I haven't followed him closely).

We have no argument, where not getting it done there and Freeney has been one of the best,

 

[goheels22002]

The Patriots' defense is getting younger and faster. I see no reason to use roster spots on older and slower guys.

 

[Ring 6]

The Patriots' defense is getting younger and faster. I see no reason to use roster spots on older and slower guys.

Who is young and fast on the DL besides Jones?

 

[supafly]

A hallmark of the Belichick-era Patriots has been the ability to sign players that everyone else has relegated to the scrap heap, and then get 1-2 more productive years out of them.

And that plays a huge role in our success in the salary cap era, with drafting being the other obvious key. The ability to look at certain players for a reasonable cost who have not lived up to expectations recently or are deemed "washed up" by the majority of the league.

Proven vets who are cap casualties and roster cuts have me salivating this year, with just the sheer number of them alone. Understanding that it is a gamble, that gamble needs to be taken to shore up and create more depth in certain positions. Sometimes it doesn't pay off with a swing and a miss (Haynesworth and C.Johnson lately), but sometimes you get a nice season out of a guy like Andre Carter or Mark Anderson just the same.

 

[supafly]

The Patriots' defense is getting younger and faster. I see no reason to use roster spots on older and slower guys.

Belichick has excelled many times at adding more depth, competition, and talent at reasonable costs when it comes to these kinds of signings. I'm not talking about Freeny himself and I don't have an opinion one way or another, but we can't discredit the potential that bringing in a proven vet may have, especially in certain positions such as OL/DL/DB/WR. We're just not going to have a high enough success rate in the draft, and there just isn't enough room cap wise, so this is really the only other option, but it most likely does not pertain to someone like Freeny who will probably get something too expensive still.

Who is young and fast on the DL besides Jones?

That's a huge glaring weakness. We have not had much of anything at that position, particularly in the interior presence. I expect this to be addressed possibly through the draft, a middle tier FA signing, and a couple/few bottom of the barrel reclamation projects where maybe we can get a guy to pan out. We also have Armstead and Pryor as extra competition this year, although we certainly can't hold our breath on either one.

 

[patsfan-1982]

i dont see him takeing less then 6 million for that reason alone i dont think the pats will look at him

 

[UK_Pat37]

It's always a case of what these guys will take. At a vet minimum I'd bite your hand off. Nothing more though. He isn't spent, as a couple have suggested, but I'm not sure he's an every down player any more.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

wow this offseason could turn out to be a gold mine for the pats.

yes freeney is still decent. he's only 32.

TB12 I agree, also I think he would add that veteran presence on field and also locker room with young players. Still think he has a fire to win and he can still bring it. Interesting to see who is available with UFA, cuts, releases etc.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Case closed guys! Let's go get Julius Peppers for a 7th!

lol B2M DON'T Get Strted! I was SREAMIN on this site and thread posts to get'm couple of yrs ago. JP added could have very well been difference of 2-3 more Championships.

 

[Joey007]

I think, as long as they are 'productive' in some sort of Way, its always good to bring in a vet pass rusher to help out guys that havenr been established yet. Personally, I thought Andre Carter wouldve really helped Chandler Jones last year.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I think, as long as they are 'productive' in some sort of Way, its always good to bring in a vet pass rusher to help out guys that havenr been established yet. Personally, I thought Andre Carter wouldve really helped Chandler Jones last year.

Not unless he was a healer of sprained ankles.

It's Pepper's job to help Jones with learning the position. He's an experienced coach. We know nothing about Carter's ability or willingness to mentor rooks who need to focus on what their coaches are showing them.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I think we often look at personnel as either good or bad, while the FO looks at other factors such as role and cost. No one is saying Dwight Freeney is a Pro Bowl talent still, nor are we saying he'd be a great run stuffer. But for the right price and the right role, he could be a player on this team. Any player could be considered potentially, again depending on their role and price tag.

If Freeney were cheap and willing to accept a lesser role, then sure, why wouldn't he be considered? Regardless of his limitations, could he carve out a role as a third down pass rusher? Absolutely. Would he be better than some of the pass rushing options we threw out there at times last season? Yes. So it isn't a question of talent or limitations so much as what he could do and what he would cost.

Andre Carter 2.0 isn't the right comparison; Mark Anderson 2.0 might be better.

Most people who think he'll be expensive are probably right, but we've all been wrong many times before so it's worth having the talk. If the market doesn't shape up the way he expects, maybe he reconsiders. After all, this is a team that is usually ahead, puts up points quickly, and it may actually create a significant role for someone like him to close out games while also contending for one more Super Bowl.

 

[Brady2Moss]

lol B2M DON'T Get Strted! I was SREAMIN on this site and thread posts to get'm couple of yrs ago. JP added could have very well been difference of 2-3 more Championships.

I think I read somewhere Cheapo Bill offered a couple years 10 million dollar deal to Peppers LMAO, 6 years 91 million from the Bears looked a teeny weeny bit better to Mr. Peppers

Maybe we'll get good at drafting pass rushers, corners, and wide receivers someday

 

[Deus Irae]

I think I read somewhere Cheapo Bill offered a couple years 10 million dollar deal to Peppers LMAO, 6 years 91 million from the Bears looked a teeny weeny bit better to Mr. Peppers

Maybe we'll get good at drafting pass rushers, corners, and wide receivers someday

How many Super Bowls have the Bears won since getting Peppers?

 

[Joey007]

How many Super Bowls have the Bears won since getting Peppers?

How many SBs can you expect with Jay Cutler??

 

[Deus Irae]

How many SBs can you expect with Jay Cutler??

The same as with Julius Peppers, apparently.