Veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney has drawn plenty of interest since the onset of free agency, but his salary demands have kept him from signing with a new team.
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That could be changing as soon as next week. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported Friday on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" that Freeney's market is "heating up," with four or five teams interested. Freeney is expected to begin taking visits next week, which should expedite the process.
One potential hold-up is that Freeney still is seeking a "pretty substantial deal," per Rapoport.
Since the Tennessee Titans have been unable to reach a contract with John Abraham, they could be one of the teams to bring in Freeney for a workout.
Rapoport specifically mentions the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions as two teams that could pursue Freeney once June 1 cuts are applied to bring salary-cap relief. Although the Broncos already have worked out Freeney, ESPN's Ed Werder reports the team has not contacted the pass rusher since signing Shaun Phillips two weeks ago.
Reading the tea leaves, the Lions could be the favorites to land Freeney as a situational pass rusher complementing rookie Ziggy Ansah.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
