The front-seven-hungry Atlanta Falcons took a close look at a seven-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher this week, but they ultimately decided — as has the rest of the NFL at this point — not to sign him. And thus Dwight Freeney remains unemployed with training camps six weeks out.
And that’s actually kind of remarkable. Because yes, Freeney is 36 years old. And yes, his best days are behind him. But during those best days, he often looked like a potential Hall of Famer. The reality is that an over-the-hill Dwight Freeney is still better than most starting-caliber pass-rushers in their prime.
We’re talking about a man who had eight sacks in only 11 games with the Arizona Cardinals last season. He was one of only 10 NFL players with that many sacks during that particular 11-week span last season, and it’s no surprise that the rush-starved Cards went 9-1 during that stretch.
Freeney is no longer an every-down player, but eight sacks on only 317 snaps? No other rusher in football was that productive on a per-snap basis. Which is why it’s so strange to see a team like the Falcons, who had a league-low 19 sacks last season, pass on him.
Atlanta, however, didn’t rule out Freeney for future consideration. The Falcons know right now that there’s no reason to panic, because it’s become obvious nobody else is making offers. But it’s only a matter of time.
It has to be, right?
