Naptown's Finest » dwight-freeney

Indianapolis Colts Will Cut Ties Austin Collie

J.M. Nicholas — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:26:25 +0000

There truly is no offseason in the NFL anymore. The Super Bowl was less than two weeks ago, and it seems like every day since then, we have already seen casualties from nearly every team in the league. The Indianapolis Colts have been no different, cutting ties with future Hall-of-Famers and fan favorites alike.

Not only have the Colts decided to not re-sign Dwight Freeney, on Friday afternoon, the Colts also announced that they would not be re-signing wider receiver Austin Collie. These cuts from the Colts are not as massive as the major house-cleaning that Indianapolis did last season, but they seem to be equally as dramatic.

Collie, a four-year veteran, was drafted by the Colts in 2009. Collie scored 15 touchdowns, and racked up over 1,300 receiving yards in his first two seasons as a pro, but has scored only one touchdown and caught for less-than 550 yards in the last two seasons. Collie only played in three games this season.

Austin Collie has suffered three concussions in the last three seasons. He went down early during this season, after suffering a severe knee injury in week three. Despite his talents, Collie cannot be considered a viable option at wide receiver for the Colts any longer. Unlike Dwight Freeney, it may be hard for Collie to find a team to take a risk on him at this point.

Indianapolis Colts Will Not Bring Back Dwight Freeney

J.M. Nicholas — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:34:57 +0000

The choice seemed almost inevitable, but when the decision came down, the truth was still tough to hear. On Friday afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts made the announcement that they would not be bringing back linebacker/defensive end Dwight Freeney for next season. Freeney will not be re-signed by the Colts, and will become an unrestricted free agent.

The loss of Freeney is tough, but was almost unavoidable. With Freeney’s contract being up, it meant that that the Colts would have to once again pay the 11-year veteran a big sum of money, to keep him in the fold. Freeney, who has 107.5 career sacks with Indianapolis, has seen his production decrease over the last few seasons. The seven-time Pro Bowler had only five sacks and 12 tackles in 13 games this season.

Freeney will not be on the market long. Some team that is more suited for Freeney’s talents will surely pick him up and pay him well before too long. The Colts changed defensive schemes last season, and Freeney never looked comfortable. He has been battling injuries and age, and the Colts had little choice but to let the future Hall-of-Famer loose.

Should the Indianapolis Colts Keep Dwight Freeney?

J.M. Nicholas — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:44:47 +0000

Dwight Freeney, former Pro Bowl defensive end of the Indianapolis Colts, will be on the brink of change during this NFL off season. Since getting drafted in 2002, Freeney has spent his entire career as a part of the Indianapolis Colts. Freeney has built a Hall-of-Fame career with the Colts, but contract issues (and defensive schemes) may prove to be a sign of change.

The Colts have obviously been building for the future. This franchise has gutted their team, reloaded their roster, and shocked the world, in less than a year’s time. It’s tough to say how many more adjustments will be made in the days to come.

Freeney, as a free agent, will no doubt bring in big money offers from teams around the league. The question is, will (and should) the Colts be willing to match an offer for a legend that isn’t who he was, and doesn’t quite fit into the Colts’ new scheme? Dwight Freeney is possibly the greatest defensive player in Indianapolis Colts history. If Freeney’s price gets too high, then the Colts might need to cut ties.