Colts 2013 free agents: Dwight Freeney

Back in 2002, then Colts president Bill Polian pulled off one of the many master strokes of his career. Nobody would have guessed it (although Chris Burman claimed he did, later admitting to peeking at the cards), but the Colts "reached" for Dwight Freeney with the 11th pick. 

Despite his awesome college production and 4.47 forty, many teams and the media were not sold on Freeney because of his modest height (6007, same as me). Eleven seasons, 107.5 sacks, 44 forced fumbles and seven Pro Bowls later, it appears that Polian was right.

But Polian is long gone, and so is the defensive system associated with his coaches. The new Colts regime re-signed Freeney to a one-year contract last season in what appeared to be a trial run in their distinctly 3-4 flavored defense. Freeney was immediately installed in what they call the "Rush" position, basically a 3-4 ROLB who shifts to RDE when there are 4-plus linemen.

It did not work out well. Better than many people believe, but not great. Fans noticed that Freeney had an uncharacteristically low five sacks, but they may not have seen his team-high 34 hurries (Robert Mathis was a distant second with just 19). Run defense was never a strong suit with Freeney, but he completely disappeared in 2012, record just eight tackles in the run game. He was rarely called upon to cover receivers in his new position, but has shown some limited adeptness there.

Will other teams bid for him?: Absolutely. While Freeney's one season as a hybrid didn't really show him at his best, the conventional wisdom is that he could easily be a double-digit sackman again in a mostly 4-3 defense, and that his effectiveness and longevity would be further enhanced by a role as a pass-rushing specialist. He will have lots of lucrative offers to choose from.

Chances he'll be back: Slim. Although he was still arguably the Colts best pass rusher last season (and even with him, the position is a crying need), it looks like Freeney's days as a Colt are about over. He will command a huge contract on the open market, and the Colts probably will not be willing to pay him the kind of money he wants (and deserves) if he's not a complete fit in their scheme. Besides,.its another link to the Polian era the new management would not mind severing. And from his perspective, it would probably be nice to end his career where he started it, but it would probably be better to build his case for the Hall of Fame (not to mention make more money) in a more friendly system.