Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
If John Abraham asks Tennessee Titans general manager Ruston Webster and head coach Mike Munchak if there are any more candidates coming in for the job, they would find a hard time say no. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that both Abraham and now Dwight Freeney will spend time with the Titans over the next couple days.
It’s been a rough free agency period for veteran players. Thanks to a highly lauded draft class of edge rushers, it’s become especially difficult for Freeney and Abraham, who rank 21st and 13th on the all-time career sacks list, respectively. Neither had fallen off a cliff last year either, as Freeney ranked 10th among 3-4 outside linebackers and Abraham fifth among 4-3 defensive ends in Pro Football Focus pass-rush grading.
One could make the assumption that Abraham and Freeney are being vetted for a situational pass-rushing role, and there isn’t enough room in the Titans front seven for the two of them. It seemed Freeney to the Denver Broncos was very likely pre-draft deal but negotiations stalled and then fell apart. Abraham has had a relatively quiet offseason, which has led to speculation that he could return to the Atlanta Falcons, where he has played at a near-elite level over the past five years and still serves a need.
Both the 33-year-old Freeney and 34-year-old Abraham have had to learned new tricks in recent years. Freeney kicked to outside linebacker in Chuck Pagano‘s 3-4 defense while Abraham began vacillating between lineman and linebacker in Atlanta. Tennessee runs a 4-3 base with one of the league’s better bookend pairs in Derrick Morgan and Kamerion Wimbley.
Thomas Emerick is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThomasEmerick, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
