Report: Chiefs expressing interest in Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman

We're less than 24 hours away from the official start of the new league year and free agency, and the Colts have been making a few moves involving re-signing their own players.  They have brought back both Dwayne Allen and Adam Vinatieri, but we haven't heard much about Jerrell Freeman.

That is, we haven't heard much about whether or not the Colts will re-sign Freeman.  Tonight, however, Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson mentioned a team that does seem to have interest in the linebacker: the Kansas City Chiefs.

#Chiefs fans might want to check the optimism on a Derrick Johnson return. Kansas City is poking around Jerrell Freeman as a replacement.

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) March 8, 2016

Last week, Freeman talked with SiriusXM NFL Radio about his contract situation and made it clear that he's been playing for very cheap for the past few seasons and that it's time to take care of himself with this contract.  You can't fault him, either, as he's made just $3.816 million in his four-year NFL career despite a lot of production.  Furthermore, he will be 30-years old when the 2016 season starts, meaning this is his best chance at a nice payday.

During his four years with the Colts since being signed out of the CFL in 2012, Freeman has started 57 games and has recorded 478 tackles, 12 sacks, 16 passes defensed, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), eight forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.  He has been one of the team's better defenders for much of that time and was tremendous in 2015.

It would be a good move for the Colts to re-sign Freeman, but we haven't really heard much that would give confidence in that happening.  If anything, we've heard general manager Ryan Grigson talk about compensatory picks enough to think that he'll be fine letting some free agents walk, and that could include Freeman.  If the Colts don't bring Freeman back, they'll likely turn to someone like Nate Irving to replace him, or perhaps draft someone to do so.  Regardless, hopefully Freeman finds a team that pays him what he's worth and where he can continue to produce.