Dwight Freeney is in high demand for teams looking for a legitimate pass rusher. While he is an aging veteran, plenty of teams seem willing to take a risk on him. While he could have his choice of which team he is looking to join, his salary demands might cause people to lose interest. After seeing what Elvis Dumervil signed for with the Baltimore Ravens, Freeney is now demanding a contract of at least $6 million per year.
Dumervil left the Denver Broncos for the Ravens after he was unable to get his contract faxed to the team in time. Baltimore signed the defensive end to a five-year deal worth $35 million, averaging out to roughly $7 million per season. Freeney is under the impression that he deserves a deal in the same range from a team.
Freeney is four years older than Dumervil, making it impossible for him to get a deal of upwards of five years. His productivity is also much lower than Dumervil's, making his $6 million demands a bit overly optimistic. Last season, Freeney recorded five sacks and 12 combined tackles with the Indianapolis Colts. Dumervil 11 sacks and 54 combined tackles with the Broncos. Freeney may have a hard time demanding a contract of Dumervil's size with low numbers like that.
Freeney does have an impressive resume to his name. At 33-years old, he has made seven Pro Bowls and played in two Super Bowls while racking up 107.5 sacks in his 11-year career. He struggled to play a 3-4 defensive scheme last season with the Colts and many teams are looking for him to just come in as a pass rusher and not someone needed to stop the run.
The Broncos have expressed their interest in Freeney. Quarterback Peyton Manning has voiced his support for his former teammate and thinks a reunion between the two would help out Denver's defense. However, the team was hesitant to give Dumervil a high contract, forcing the defensive end into a pay cut. They seem unlikely to give a 33-yer old veteran a long-term contract. With guys like John Abraham still out on the market, Denver might decide to let Freeney walk away and sign someone else.
