Dwight Freeney: HoF?

[JuggernautJ]

Dwight Freeney is calling it a career.
7 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pros, Team of the 2000's and Super Bowl Champ... sounds like quite the resume.
Anyone think he won't wind up in Canton?

Mr. Turney, I believe this is your area of expertise....
(stands aside and offers John the "podium")

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... eeDw00.htm

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... fl-seasons

AND I just noticed he and I share birthdays (days, sadly not years) so he gets my vote...

[ChrisBabcock]

AND I just noticed he and I share birthdays (days, sadly not years) so he gets my vote...

In related news, I am exactly 4 years to the day younger than Brett Favre.

Freeney: He does seem to have the honors, but not overwhelmingly so. Seemed like a sack compiler though. I don't recall the Colts defenses overall being that good in his heyday. I am on the fence with him but ever so slightly leaning toward no.

I'll get out of the way and let John chime in!.....

[Bryan]

I always thought Simeon Rice was the better pass rusher, but nobody liked Rice so he never got the honors that Freeney did.

If you statistically compare the two, Rice has (unofficially) 100 more tackles and about the same amount of sacks (122 vs. 125.5) in 44 less games than Freeney. What sets Freeney apart is the forced fumbles (46 vs. 28). Rice has 5 INTs to Freeney's 0, which is another interesting tidbit.

[Reaser]

I always thought Simeon Rice was the better pass rusher, but nobody liked Rice so he never got the honors that Freeney did.

If you statistically compare the two, Rice has (unofficially) 100 more tackles and about the same amount of sacks (122 vs. 125.5) in 44 less games than Freeney. What sets Freeney apart is the forced fumbles (46 vs. 28). Rice has 5 INTs to Freeney's 0, which is another interesting tidbit.

Agreed on Rice, thought he was better overall player, too.

Freeney will easily go into the PFHOF, closer to first-ballot than not. Because a disproportionate premium is placed on "sacks".

Always laughed when he was with the Colts and he'd be going upfield -because all he cared about was pass rush- and the RB would easily run 'under' him. Half the time he wouldn't even give the token wave/stick his arm out to make it look like he even cared.

He was a one-trick pony. Obviously good at it. Very good at getting the ball out and going for sack/strip. Had a signature move which seemingly always excites voters. I enjoyed seeing when he executed his spin, but wasn't ever overly impressed with him as an overall player -- though I've never been one to go crazy about sacks, especially for rush types that can't/don't play the run and can't/don't cover (only do 1 of the 3) and could be on the field for 800 plays in a season, get 10 sacks and everyone is excited about double-digit sacks but I'm over here wondering about the other 790 plays, where outside of tacking on another handful of hurries/hits you see nothing of value except being a liability against the run and 100's of times even rushing himself out of the play (spin inside leave edge open, going way too far up the field trying to speed rush and giving QB clean pocket to step and slide, etc.) Just my opinion, though.

[John Maxymuk]

Agree with Reaser 100% on this.

[NWebster]

God I hope not, but he probably will get in. Reaser is 100% right, the spin move is fun to watch but also means that you literally have your back turned as the play is developing. I suppose ina 100% obvious passing situation that's ok, but it's otherwise very unsound. He made very few plays other than sacks, no Stuffs really, no PD's and almost no non-sack tackles. In his last 7 seasons combined he had 30 sacks, had he not stuck around for all those sub-par years he would have been in the 90's for his career without a chance for the Hall. The Colt team D was horrible against the run (gee guess why). His running mate, Robert Mathis was actually better.

Freeney / Mathis
Seasons: 16 / 13 (excluding suspension)
TT (PBP not team #'s): 340 / 527
Sacks: 124 / 123
FF: 43 / 54
PD: 20 / 19
Stuffs: 39 / 39

I love pass rushers, but Freeney to me was one of the most over-rated players in the NFL over the course of his career as he was the single most one-dimensional player I've ever seen.

[sluggermatt15]

I can see both sides of the coin, the argument for HoF and the argument for no HoF. I think Freeney was a great edge rusher, unmatched speed that was his greatest asset. He was a great player not necessarily on the best defensive unit or on the best team. Like some above, I'm on the fence.

[JohnTurney]

Dwight Freeney is calling it a career.
7 Pro Bowls, 3 All-Pros, Team of the 2000's and Super Bowl Champ... sounds like quite the resume.
Anyone think he won't wind up in Canton?

Mr. Turney, I believe this is your area of expertise....
(stands aside and offers John the "podium")

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... eeDw00.htm

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... fl-seasons

AND I just noticed he and I share birthdays (days, sadly not years) so he gets my vote...

Freeney is tough call. I think all that has been said about him is accurate. Spoke to Rn Meeks at Super Bowl about this. And essentially he admitted that the way Freeney played did cause problems in run game, but also said that the premium they put on the pass rush made it worth it and they would adjust what the right tackle and right linebacker and even what the MLB did. So, they mitigated the issue by changing assignments of others in order toget they "rare" pass rush skills.

Maybe a fair comparison would be if you have a home run hitter you live with the strikeouts and build the rest of batting order to mitigate or if you have a shooting guard (World B. Free) who was a "gunner" you let him gun because of the "instant offense" and adjust the defense to make up for what Free lacked.

In the same way I am surmising the Colts did that for Freeney and Meeks confirmed it.

So, that begs the question, do you penalize Freeney for doing what he was asked to do? Freeney, Rice, Coy Bacon, Al Baker, even Leslie O'Neal, maybe others are all in same boat. Would like to talk to coaches of those guys to see if mitigation was done in the cases of those guys. With Baker and Bacon the style of the defense was get up the field, and react to the run. The difference with Freeney is the spin moves...and as Nick points out putting his back to the play so often was taken advantage of from time to time.

[bachslunch]

Good posts on this so far. I’m okay with Freeney (3/7/00s) being elected with the understanding that he’s not elite level but a reasonable second tier guy to induct. Plus it’s not as if he’d be the only pass rush first player elected nor the worst such player to get in. No question he had holes in his game, though.

[JWL]

He had a lot of sacks and played in a bunch of playoff games including Super Bowls.

That is enough for the Hall of Fame voters.

I think he will get in with relative ease, although maybe not first ballot.

****

I agree with the comments made by Reaser and NWebster.