Dwight Freeney insists he's "turning the corner" in his transition to outside linebacker. "It's fun, right now at least, doing something different," Freeney said. "It's early, so you've got to work out the bugs, which I'm doing. We'll see come August." Asked about a potential trade, Freeney replied, "I'm here and I'm under contract ... We'll see what happens after this year. But I'm committed and I'm a Colt."

According to SI.com's Peter King, the Colts "would love to get a good pick" for RE Dwight Freeney. As King notes, however, Wednesday's Asante Samuel trade for a seventh-round pick sort of set the market for aging vets with monster base salaries. Freeney's base salary of $14.035 million is even greater than Samuel's. King seems to indicate that he doesn't expect Indianapolis to trade Freeney this weekend.

RE Dwight Freeney was absent from Colts OTAs on Tuesday. It does not appear Freeney is simply skipping the workouts, however, as new coach Chuck Pagano said "something came up," and that Freeney is expected back on Thursday. The Colts have insisted Freeney and his $19 million cap number remain an integral part of their 2012 plans, but don't be surprised if his name surfaces in draft weekend trade rumors.

Colts HC Chuck Pagano envisions Dwight Freeney in a role that mirrors what Terrell Suggs does for the Ravens. Pagano, of course, was Baltimore's defensive coordinator in 2011. "Suggs' hand is in the dirt way more than he is standing up," Pagano said. "I'd be crazy to have those guys dropping more than rushing." Pagano estimates that Freeney will drop into coverage only five to 10 percent of the time. Likely to be listed as both a defensive lineman and linebacker in your league, Freeney will have some extra appeal this season.

Colts GM Ryan Grigson was adamant at the Owners Meetings on Monday that the team will not be trading RE Dwight Freeney. It sounds like the Colts are willing to swallow Freeney's $19 million cap number in order to field a competitive defense. "I'm looking forward to Dwight Freeney being part of the Colts' defense in 2012," Grigson said. "He will be a Colt." Freeney could play the Terrell Suggs right-end role with Robert Mathis ticketed for Jarret Johnson duties in Chuck Pagano's Ravens-like defense.

The National Football Post reports RE Dwight Freeney is "not necessarily" out in Indianapolis. Freeney's $14 million salary makes him impossible to trade, but the Colts apparently aren't considering releasing him even though they would "like to restructure." A $19 million (against the cap), 32-year-old end makes little sense for a team rebuilding from the ground up, but the Colts should have the cap space to keep Freeney after releasing a host of other veterans.

According to NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora, it's looking "less and less likely" that the Colts will trade DE Dwight Freeney. With a $14.035 million salary and a cap figure north of $19 million, Freeney simply earns too much money for a player on the wrong side of 30. Now that Cory Redding has signed to play end in Chuck Pagano's defense, Freeney is a candidate for release. The seven-time Pro Bowler would be highly coveted on the open market, just at a 2012 figure significantly less than $14 million.

Colts RE Dwight Freeney, who had been without player representation since last July, has hired CAA to represent him. Freeney had been agent-less since Gary Wichard passed away early last year. As Profootballtalk.com notes, Freeney likely would have remained without an agent if he didn't anticipate either restructuring his contract or being released by the Colts. Freeney is firmly on the trade block. In order pull off a deal, Indy will absolutely need Freeney to redo his $14.035M salary.

Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star does not expect RE Dwight Freeney back with the Colts in 2012. ESPN's Friday report that Freeney was on the trade block came with the caveat that the Colts were not interested in releasing him outright. They're going to struggle to find a trade partner for a 32-year-old defender with a $14.035 million base salary, however. If Freeney isn't amenable to a pay reduction or restructured deal, it's plenty conceivable that he would be cut.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Colts are "fielding telephone calls" from teams interested in trading for DE Dwight Freeney.