Freeney Deal Shows Colts Know What They're Doing
| 14
|
by TLong
As you may have heard on Friday, the Indianapolis Colts just inked their star DE Dwight Freeney to a six-year, $72 million contract, making Freeney the highest paid defensive player in the history of the NFL. It might seem like a steep price for a defensive end, but anyone who has watched the Colts for the past 5 years knows just how important Freeney is to this team.
No one will ever confuse the present-day Colts with the '85 Bears, but they have a good-enough defense that bends without breaking while assisting the high-powered offense on the road to victory. The defense is centered around Freeney, a lightning-quick defensive end who relentlessly pressures the quarterback. Though his sack totals were down last season, he stepped up in the playoffs and led a much-maligned Colts defense to surprise performance after surprise performance. Obviously, the heart and soul of that Indianapolis squad is its star-studded offense, but Freeney and the defense provide enough support to make Indianapolis the most successful team of the last five years...or as long as Freeney has been in Indy.
Some will argue that Indianapolis over paid for Freeney, feeling that defensive ends aren't as integral to building franchises as are other positions. But with their prolific offense already locked up for several years, the Colts knew they had to bolster their defense if they were going to continue their remarkable run. Plus, NFL contracts run on a one-year basis, with the option of renewal at the end of each season. Just like many other players do every offseason, Freeney will restructure his deal if necessary to make the salary cap numbers work in Indy's favor. Peyton Manning just did that very thing this offseason, though he just signed a new ten-year deal two years ago. When you add those things to the fact that re-signing Freeney shows a new commitment to defense in Indianapolis, the deal is a success.
It's one thing to lose CBs Nick Harper and Jason David, who, while good, weren't exactly game-changers. Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden will prove to be more-than-adequate replacements, while rookie Daymeion Hughes will be solid from the get-go. However, if Indianapolis had lost Dwight Freeney, their consistently explosive playmaker and defensive stalwart, the road back to the Super Bowl after 2008 becomes infinitely more difficult. With #93 still around, though, the Colts stand a very good chance of making it back several more times in the near future.
