Recently released Indianapolis Colts star defensive end Dwight Freeney is likely to have many suitors once the free agency period starts and one of the biggest recruiters appears to be his former teammate Peyton Manning.
According to a Tweet from Pro Football Talk, Manning has already started the legwork on Freeney and he has been trying to recruit him to come to the Mile High city. "On PFT Live, Dwight Freeney said Peyton Manning already is recruiting Freeney to join the Broncos," the tweet read.
The Colts decided that they would not resign Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie last week, as both are set to be free agents. Collie has been dealing with concussion and knee issues over the past few years, while Freeney has lost some of his quickness and his production as he has gotten older.
The 33-year-old defensive end was a stalwart for the Colts while Manning was quarterback and was instrumental to the teams Super Bowl run in 2006. Last season Freeney had just five sacks, but he has proven that he is still a nimble pass rusher and there is a chance the Broncos could pounce and grab him.
Manning has pulled similar moves before, including by bringing wideout Brandon Stokley to Denver. Freeney would create a formidable front line with linebacker Von Miller and could be freed up on the end with Elvis Dumervil likely getting the most attention.
The Broncos have been excellent rushing the passer and the duo of Miller and Dumervil had nearly 30 sacks last season, more than half of the team total. Freeney led the Colts in quarterback hurries last season with 34 and he has a great deal of history with Manning, playing 10 seasons with him.
The Broncos have some cap room to work with and even if Freeney asks for a decent sized contract, the team could decide to bring him in. Freeney turns 33 this offseason and although he has made seven Pro Bowls during his career, his skills have greatly diminished and he has decreased his total in sacks in each of the pas three years. Last season he had only 5.0 sacks, his lowest since 2007.
As a rookie he broke the franchise single-season record for sacks and he earned AFC's defensive rookie of the month in November and December. After putting up 13 sacks he finished second to Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers in the defensive rookie of the year voting.
Freeney's most memorable move on the defensive line is the spin, which has spread all around the NFL since he perfected it years ago. His quickness allowed him to slip past larger offensive lineman and he had the speed to chase down both running backs and quarterbacks.