Dwight Freeney signs with the Chargers

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The San Diego Chargers made a move to bolster their pass rush Saturday, agreeing to a deal with defensive end Dwight Freeney.

 

Freeney's contract is for two years and has a base value of $8.75 million, league sources told ESPN's Ed Werder. In 2013, he will make $5.75 million, including a $3.25 million signing bonus and $1.5 million in base salary, the sources said. The deal includes an estimated $4.5 million incentive package over the two years.

 

Chargers coach Mike McCoy called Freeney's addition a "great signing for us."

 

 

Worth The Investment?

The Chargers were looking for a pass-rusher, but 33-year-old Dwight Freeney hasn't reached double figures in sacks since 2010, and the odds are stacked against him. Since 2000, only three DE-OLB types age 33 or older have reached 11 sacks.

 

 

Player

Yr

Team

Sacks

Trace Armstrong

2000

Dolphins

16.5

Michael Strahan

2005

Giants

11.5

Jason Taylor

2007

Dolphins

11.0

Rob Burnett

2000

Ravens

10.5

James Hall

2010

Rams

10.5

Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com

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"Dwight will help us in a lot of ways," McCoy told Werder in a phone interview Saturday. "He will help us on the practice field, in the locker room and in the games. He's one of the greatest pass-rushers in the NFL so, in that regard alone, the name Freeney speaks for itself."

 

Freeney, who has 107.5 career sacks, became a priority for the Chargers when former first-round pick Melvin Ingram suffered a season-ending knee injury during organized team activities this week that will require surgery.

 

"I'm excited to start this new chapter with some good people with great potential to do some great things," Freeney, a seven-time Pro Bowler, wrote in a text to Werder.

 

The Chargers use a 3-4 base defense and the 33-year-old Freeney was less effective in that alignment in his final season with the Indianapolis Colts, where he moved to outside linebacker.

 

"He fits what we are going to do with our defense," McCoy said Saturday. "I think his role will be defined as we go forward, and he will help define his role."

[pedro55]

 I live out here and I don't understand the move.  They are a team who wants to kind of start over. Maybe not like the Jets, but people are talking about Rivers having one more year and if he continues his downslide, to draft a new QB.   That is where they are at and with the new HC and new GM, they seem interested in rebuilding for the future instead of looking at the past and hoping for one more good year.    There have been a few older players the cut.  Takeo Spikes was a good fit. Fans loved him. He was on a local sports show all the time. The team seemed to love him.   But he was old and they were going in a new direction.    Freeney might help them, but he's old and these kind of moves just make no sense.  

 

 Honestly it would be like the Jets signing him.   Why?

[SenorGato]

The Chargers are like the Jets in that they both have ace units that fell in the rankings last year to go with a drop in play on the other side of the ball.

Like the Jets defense, it's unlikely the Chargers' offense will repeat their performance from last year. Its even unlikely the Jets' QB play will be as epically bad as last year. That alone makes them shadow contenders or sleeper contenders or whatever other phrase work.

It's a good deal for the Chargers as its low risk (very easy cut next year) and Freeney might be able to deliver 6-8 sacks and some pressures. Not going to put them over the top by itself. OTOH no one thinks 1/6+incentives, or whatever that really is, should do that. That second year is basically a very cheap team option lol, hurray owners.

The old FA I still want the Jets to sign is Woodson.