Report: Colts, Jerrell Freeman not close in contract negotiations

The first day of free agency came and went, and now the second day of free agency is nearing an end, yet former Colts inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman is still without a contract.  Other former Colts in Coby Fleener and Dwight Lowery have found new homes, while Dwayne Allen and Adam Vinatieri re-signed with Indianapolis.

With Freeman, the Colts are still negotiating with him, but it sounds like the talks aren't going anywhere quick.  According to FOX59's Chris Hagan, the negotiations are not going well and the two sides are not close on a new contract.

Sources tell me that the Colts negotiations with Jerrell Freeman are not going well. Parties aren't close.

— Chris Hagan (@ChrisHaganIndy) March 11, 2016

Several teams have been mentioned as possible suitors for Freeman, though several of them are filling their need at linebacker already.  It will be interesting to see what happens with Freeman, as the only reason he hasn't re-signed with the Colts yet is due to money.  He feels he has been playing for super cheap over the past four years (which is true) and he feels like it has been a massive bargain for the Colts (which it has been), so he feels like it's time to get paid (which is understandable).  He will turn 30 years old this offseason, so it's quite possible that this will be his best chance at a nice payday in the NFL.  It's also clear that the Colts aren't willing to pay him what he thinks he's worth, which is why he was allowed to hit the open market.  So far, it seems that no other team has been willing to pay Freeman the price he wants, either.

It's likely that the Colts made Freeman an offer and are standing by that, waiting to see whether Freeman will take that deal or sign somewhere else for more money.  The longer it goes without someone signing Freeman, it would seem like the Colts' chances of bringing him back go up, but it may not be anytime soon, as Hagan reports they're not close.  Of course, a lot can change in an instant in the NFL, but it sounds as if Jerrell Freeman still wants considerably more than what the Colts are offering.  It's hard to make any judgments at this point without knowing what Freeman wants or what the Colts are offering, but for now, it seems like we shouldn't expect a re-signing soon.  Jerrell Freeman wants to be paid and it's hard to blame him for that, but the Colts seem unwilling to cave and pay him that amount.  Whether or not we see a compromise to bring Freeman back to Indianapolis, however, is yet to be seen.