Dwight Freeney a perfect fit for Tennessee Titans?

At age 35, Dwight Freeney is a shadow of his former self. But his Hall of Fame pedigree and still steady production make it curious as to why he’s still on the free agent market. If used in the right situation, he still has more than enough in the tank to help an NFL team. And that right situation is the Tennessee Titans.

Oct 12, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Redskins 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Titans spent the offseason rebuilding their defense, adding Brian Orakpo, Perrish Cox and Da’Norris Searcy in addition to new associate head coach Dick LeBeau. They figure to have one of the deeper linebacking cores in the league, headlined by Orakpo, Derrick Morgan, Wesley Woodyard and Avery Williamson, and have promised to be an aggressive pass rushing defense. While on paper, it may seem too crowded for Freeney to get any significant action, that’s hardly the case.

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An increasingly popular trend in the NFL is adding specialty pass-rush linebackers that come in on key passing downs, do their damage, then go back off the field. This has been especially prevalent in Baltimore, with linebackers like Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee making names for themselves as backup linebackers with gaudy numbers. The Kruger- and McPhee-types take advantage of playing on very talent-laden defenses, finding the holes created by those players, and do damage.

Take a player with the talent of Freeney and place him on a defense with Orakpo, Morgan, Jurrell Casey, and Karl Klug, and suddenly he’s in prime position to do just that. He’s still quick enough to get to the quarterback, and going up against the fourth- or fifth-best pass blocker on a given defense will give Freeney all the opportunity in the world to create disruption in the passing game. The fact that the Titans do have so many talented linebackers would actually bode well for Freeney, letting him come in on downs and situations where he can be most effective and staying fresh deep into the season.

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (99) celebrates. Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Freeney also gives the Titans a reliable option to turn to in the event that Orakpo’s injury history continues and he’s forced to miss time. When on the field, the Texas product has been one of the league’s more dominant pass rushers, but he’s also played in just 24 games over the last three seasons. Should it happen again, Freeney could step in and still be productive opposite Morgan and give defenses some headaches.

Age is the enemy when it comes to finding jobs as a veteran free agent, but Freeney proved in 2014 that he can still be a productive player in the NFL if used properly. The Titans would have every opportunity to use him that way, and the pairing could be a perfect fit.

Next: Tennessee Titans 2015 Profiles: Taylor Lewan

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