Patience will end up paying off for Dwight Freeney.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, a deal between Freeney and the Chargers is “almost done,” and it “should be done today.”
Though the veteran preferred to join a team with a 4-3 defense, he’ll be landing with a 3-4 team after more than two months on the market. And the Chargers became interested for one very important reason -- they recently lost linebacker Melvin Ingram for the season with a torn ACL.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported earlier today that the two sides are “closing in” on a deal. Freeney visited the Chargers earlier this week.
New Chargers G.M. Tom Telesco knows a thing or two about Freeney. Telesco worked for the Colts, who drafted Freeney in 2002, from 1998 through 2012.
For weeks, it was believed that Freeney would reunite with Peyton Manning in Denver, especially since Manning started lobbying Freeney to become a Bronco even before the fax snafu that resulted in the release of Elvis Dumervil.
But the Broncos and other teams apparently were waiting for Freeney’s price to drop; presumably, the Chargers opted to cough up the cash once Ingram was injured.