Dwight Freeney wants to finish career with Colts

The seven-time Pro Bowler’s contract is up and he’s looking for a new deal to stay in Indianapolis, writes NFL.com’s Kareem Copeland:

“It would be great to finish off my career as an Indianapolis Colt,” Freeney told NFL.com’s Austin Knoblauch on Thursday. “I’ve been there my whole career, and I don’t know anything different. ... Ideally, it would be great to stay there. But it is a business, so we’ll see.

“Right now, I’m just thinking about Indianapolis until they tell me otherwise.”

But do the Colts want him?

Freeney’s expired contract was, by far, the most expensive the Colts had on their books. Freeney was given a six-year, $72 million contract that ran through 2012.

Without Freeney’s bloated contract (he was about a $19 million cap hit in 2012), the Colts have about $40 million to work with through the re-signing phase and free agency.

Freeney moved to a 3-4 linebacker this year and the results didn’t move with him. In 14 games, he recorded 12 total tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble. It was his lowest sack total since 2007, when he recorded just 3 1/2 sacks in nine games.

SB Nation’s Stampede Blue doesn’t think Freeney will be back in 2013:

Freeney cost roughly $19 million against last year’s cap. He contributed just 5 sacks, and was next-to-useless as a rush linebacker. The Colts utilized him almost exclusively as a 4-3 defensive end. He doesn’t suit Chuck Pagano’s defense, and while he will likely get a deal at a substantially decreased salary than what he earned last year, Freeney simply does not produce what he should in a 3-4 defense, “hybrid” or otherwise.

Freeney isn’t as good as he once was (but who knows what he’d do if he doesn’t have to worry about being a 3-4 linebacker?) but it seems like he could still get a good chunk of money from a team looking for a proven pass rusher. Freeney will be 33 next year, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a few more sacks left in him.

If Freeney really does want to stay in Indianapolis, he can give the Colts a hometown discount.