Dwight Freeney to Falcons: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

It’s 2016, and linebacker Dwight Freeney just signed another new contract. That is a testament to his overall skill set and durability as he prepares for another season at the age of 36.

Freeney apparently showed enough with the Arizona Cardinals down the stretch of the 2015 campaign that the Atlanta Falcons signed him to a one-year deal on Thursday. He took to Twitter to announce the news:

Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reported Freeney has a base salary of $1 million with incentives next season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter initially reported the signing on Aug. 2. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed the news, adding he chose the Falcons over the Cincinnati Bengals. 

This signing comes after Kelsey Conway of the Falcons' official website reported Atlanta had a visit with Freeney at the end of May, as it looked to add depth to a defense that finished dead last in the NFL with 19 sacks during the 2015 campaign.

The fact Arizona didn’t bring him back comes as something of a surprise considering Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said on a radio appearance after his team lost to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game that rushing the passer would be a priority in 2016. 

Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official website provided the details:

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Asked what the first thing is on his priority list, Keim didn’t hesitate: "Create a pass rush." The Cardinals didn’t do that enough, either last night or most of the season, and Keim noted that when a team has to blitz a lot to do so, problems can easily happen. He acknowledged the secondary did not play well in Carolina, but added part of that was because Cam Newton had too much time to throw.

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Alas, Freeney will help the Falcons get into the opposing backfield as a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. He may not be quite the unstoppable machine he once was, but he made an impact for Arizona in 2015.

The Indianapolis Colts selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2002 draft. Freeney played there through the 2012 season as a dominant force and even won a Super Bowl ring against the Chicago Bears in 2006.

He racked up double-digit sacks in seven different seasons for the Colts, including 16 in 2004 and 13 in his rookie season in 2002. Freeney’s explosive first step allowed him to get to the opposing quarterback in a matter of seconds, and his overall strength and athleticism made him nearly impossible to block with one man during his prime.

He struggled to replicate his production with the San Diego Chargers in 2013 and 2014 (four combined sacks in 20 games), but he was a critical cog in the Cardinals defense in 2015 after Arizona signed him in October. Freeney proceeded to rack up eight sacks in 11 regular-season games and an additional sack in Arizona’s divisional-round victory over the Green Bay Packers.

The Syracuse product looked rejuvenated at age 35 and served as something of a mentor for the younger players.

Urban pointed to that leadership when he wondered if Freeney would come back to the Cardinals this offseason:

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Would Freeney take another lower-salary deal with incentives like he signed this season? Possible. Freeney made it clear he doesn’t want to play for a non-contender, so a) money can’t be everything and b) he definitely likes being with the Cardinals and Bruce Arians. He brings so much to the team besides QB pressures too; his ability to be a role model for younger rushers like Markus Golden is invaluable.

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It is easy to be scared off by Freeney’s age, but he resembled his old self at times for the Cardinals last season.

It may be asking too much for consistent dominance over the course of 16 games, but the Falcons would improve on the defensive side of the ball even with solid play from Freeney. In addition to being the worst team in the league in total sacks, they were a middling 18th in passing yards allowed per game on the way to an 8-8 record.

As long as Freeney gets to the quarterback a handful of times in 2016 and provides veteran leadership as someone with championship experience, Atlanta will likely be thrilled with this signing. Perhaps the linebacker will even add another Lombardi Trophy to his resume.