As June quickly approaches, one pass rusher remains on the free agent market. Every other marquee veteran has been swept up by a team and yet John Abraham is still sitting on the outside looking in. The defensive end was released by the Atlanta Falcons at the start of the offseason in cap space saving move and while he garnered interest from several teams, remains without a deal at this point. With Dwight Freeney now off the market, the chances of Abraham signing have gotten even smaller. Abraham will have to bank on earlier teams showing interest once again, like the Tennessee Titans or New England Patriots.
The 35-year old is not backing down for his earlier statements of wanting to be an every-down player for a team. While Abraham has been productive on the field, his stats have dropped off over recent years. Most teams only view him as a third-down, pass rushing player that will fit in during certain scenarios. He intends on playing 60 snaps a game where most teams feel he is more of the 25-snap player and would rather pay him like that as well.
Abraham can look at his equal, Dwight Freeney, and see that at this point in the offseason, he needs to just take what he can get. Freeney signed with the Chargers only after their top pass rusher went down with a season-ending ACL tear. He signed a two-year, $8.75 million deal with the team that will pay him $5.25 million in 2013. Abraham must let this be a lesson.
Abraham has been a model of consistency in the NFL despite reaching the end of his playing days. Since 2007, he has played 94 of 96 regular-season games. In 2012, he played all 16 games, racking up 35 tackles and 10 sacks. This still has teams interested.
The Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots are likely the last possible suitors for the veteran. Both teams have showed interest in the past and with Freeney gone, Abraham is the best candidate. Both teams have also come close to signing a deal with Abraham but backed out possibly due to salary demands.
If Abraham has learned anything from this free agency period, it is that contracts for veterans are hard to come by and he should take whatever the next team offers him. With only a few years left in the league, a veteran cannot be picky.