We all heard it, Tom Telesco was able to get the deal done: Dwight Freeney will be a Charger for the next two years. As already reported here on BoltBeat yesterday, he signed a 2-year contract worth $8.75 million with a $4.6 million incentive package included.

So, Freeney got the deal he was asking for. I hoped Tom Telesco would´ve been able to get him in at a lower price tag, but as I mentioned in a previous piece, “desperate times call for desperate measures”. Dwight Freeney was the best option available at this point and our hard working General Manager was able to seal the deal on the 33-year old veteran.

But what kind of player do we get with Freeney?

Well, one thing is for sure – not an every-down player. The seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end will find his role mainly in passing situations. In nickel or dime packages, he´ll be allowed to put his hands in the dirt and show his famous spin moves to get to the quarterback. John Pagano will create a bunch of options to use Freeney´s skill set in the best way possible. He is not the man to play in a 2-point stance as his performances in the newly installed 3-4 scheme in Indianapolis showed last season; he only was able to record five sacks and 12 tackles in 2012. But according to Pro Football Focus, of his 466 pass rushes, Freeney had his hand on the ground for 402 (86.2 percent) of them. So the Colts were creating some plays giving him the opportunity to do what he does best, but he wasn´t able to repeat those incredible numbers from his past seasons. He was bothered by an ankle injury and I think this was probably the main reason for his decline lately.

So, we will experience a 3-4 base defense again in San Diego this season, but John Pagano will get creative and find ways to get the best out of the 3-time All-Pro and thus get off the field on third down more often. Although the defense, overall, did a solid job in 2012; getting off the field on third down had been an issue.

Speaking of 3-4 base defense…here are some interesting comments by Tony Dungy and Bill Polian on how Dwight Freeney will fit into the Chargers´ defensive scheme – via ESPN´s Chris Mortensen:

With Freeney being mainly used as pass rusher in 4-3 formations; who´ll get out there on first and second downs when Pagano switches back to the traditional 3-4 defense? Well, I guess this would be Larry English then; he will see significant playtime in 2013 – if he´s able to step on the field (we all know about his injury history).

So with that Freeney signing, Tom Telesco was able to address a big hole on the roster. It wasn´t cheap, but when considering that he started out asking for $8 million a year from the Denver Broncos some weeks ago, then $8.75 million over 2 years sounds like a pretty solid deal.

BoltFam, what do you expect from Dwight Freeney in 2013? Will we experience double digit sacks from the Colts’ all-time sack leader or do we need to lower our expectations on the aging veteran? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Thank you for reading!

BoltnRoll!

Nov 27, 2011; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (93) celebrates after a sack during the game against the Carolina Panthers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Dwight Freeney, Chargers Agree To Deal
ESPN
The Chargers were looking for a pass-rusher, but 33-year-old Dwight Freeney hasn’t reached double figures in sacks since 2010, and the odds are stacked against him. Since 2000, only three DE-OLB types age 33 or older have reached 11 sacks.

Chargers, Freeney agree to 2-year deal
Yahoo! Sports
The deal to bring Freeney to the Chargers came four days after outside linebacker Melvin Ingram tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a padless practice. The addition of Freeney also helps cushion the loss of outside linebackers …

Chargers solve problem with Freeney
ESPN (blog)
That doesn’t mean the Chargers (whose defensive coordinator is John Pagano — the brother of Chuck Pagano, who was Freeney’s coach in Indianapolis last year) are going to totally scrap the 3-4 for a 33-year-old player. It means that the Chargers are …

Chargers sign Dwight Freeney to two-year contract
CBSSports.com (blog)
Early Saturday morning, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported the Chargers were closing in on a deal with defensive end Dwight Freeney. That deal is now done, as the Chargers announced the signing of Freeney on Saturday afternoon.

December 11, 2011; Baltimore, MD, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney (93) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) in the second half at M

First of all, I just want to say that it was a great day on the site! Everyone was rockin’ and rollin’.. throwing it all out there… making each other laugh.. getting down & durty with the stats & facts… and generally being awesome! I LOVE IT when we have days like this, where we can celebrate, do a little dance, and give each other a virtual Hi-Five! I want to thank Ernie for being on top of the story before I even woke up. (I am not a morning person, especially on the weekends). What a great way to start the day! Furthermore, I want to praise Tom Telesco for GETTIN ER’ DUN!!! When Freeney left town, I think we all thought “There goes another one”, and put our face in our hands. What a Finale! Dwight Freeney is a Charger, folks… like it, or not.. big contract or not. Aging veteran, or not. He is going to hold down the left side, and get after Manning, Smith, and whoever ends up starting in Oakland this season… probably Flynn.

Personally, I think Dwight Freeney is going to look GREAT in Lightning Bolts! In fact, other than drafting Ingram.. I haven’t been as excited for a Chargers pass rusher since good ole’ QB eating, scary seizure dancing, steroid taking, Tia Tequila dating, “Lights Out” Shawne Merriman. Yeah, he was a controversial player… but, he was OUR controversial player. I loved the heck out him, and enjoyed every minute of the time he spent here.

I’m not going to get into all of the if’s, and’s, why’s, and but’s of the signing. (Not in this article anyway), because I am too excited to get to the main event… THE POLL! Every year, somebody throws up the “How many sacks will (insert player here) have”? Article. Since I’m new around these parts, I am going to seize the opportunity, before somebody else does.. hahahaha! It’s a dream I’ve had. So, I won’t spend anymore time yapping, and get straight to the point.

How Many Sacks Will Dwight Freeney Have this year? NOW… GO!!!!!

And, as always…Keep Bolting Toward Excellence!