Free agent defenive end Dwight Freeney is reportedly interested in joining the Detroit Lions. Should the interest be mutual? Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Reports of big names linking a player to a particular team is all it takes to set a fanbase ablaze. The latest example comes with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting that free agent defensive end Dwight Freeney, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, has targeted the Lions as one of his three preferred landing spots.

I’ll admit to being initially intrigued. After all, the Lions have a need at defensive end and Freeney’s resume speaks for itself. He had a down year in 2012 but that is easily explained away by his shift to outside linebacker as the Colts made the move to a 3-4 defense. The hang up is in the expectation that Freeney makes the move back to a 4-3 defensive end and suddenly becomes the player he was in 2011 despite now being 33-years old. This on top of the fact that human nature is not to remember the 2011 Freeney, but the Freeney that put up double-digit sack totals in seven of nine seasons from 2002-2010.

Considering where the Lions are now and where Freeney is at this point in his career, I’m not so sure a union makes much sense.

Let’s be honest about what Dwight Freeney has been over the course of his career: an amazing pass rusher that is terrible against the run. Consider Freeney’s ratings from Pro Football Focus for run defense over the last four years in which he was a 4-3 defensive end:

Throughout his career, Freeney’s pass rush grades have more than made up for his deficiencies against the run. However, going back to 2011, that wasn’t the case as he finished with an overall PFF rating of a basically neutral -0.3. This makes Freeney look a lot more like Cliff Avril, who the Lions showed little to no interest in retaining.

In swapping out Cliff Avril for Jason Jones, the Lions have shown a clear preference for more balanced defensive ends. One quote from Jim Schwartz suggests the defense was pidgeon-holed by Avril’s presence:

We put Cliff in what we thought was the best position for him to be effective and for him to help us. It didn’t necessarily put Nick Fairley or Ndamukong Suh in the best position. But that’s coaching. You just try to put guys in the best position that they can do.

With Avril, you get the possibility of progression, or at least relative surety that what he is is what he will be for the next couple of years. At 33, the same can’t be said for Freeney. If the Lions didn’t have interest in Avril, why would they have interest in Freeney?

Obviously there is a financial aspect to consider as well and it is important to note that so far the interest has been from Freeney’s side, not the Lions’. Freeney’s asking price is currently in the $6 million range which is sure to keep the Lions from being iterested. Is cutting that in half enough to draw interest from the Lions? I’m not certain that it should. Maybe if the Lions were just a situational pass rusher away from being Super Bowl contenders. Unfortunately, they are not.

What have we learned so far this offseason? Cliff Avril wants a huge contract, probably more than the Lions can afford, and the Lions have a huge need at the safety position, especially if Louis Delmas isn’t re-signed this offseason. With that said, the recent releases of Charles Woodson and Dwight Freeney could provide the Lions with suitable starters for an affordable cost. Don’t be shocked if the Lions persue both Woodson and Freeney. Remember, the Lions made moves for veterans Kyle Vanden Bosch and Nate Burleson in free agency when the team was still finding its groove in the NFL, and both players played starting roles for the 2011 Lions who made the playoffs.

Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Charles Woodson (21) celebrates a play during the fourth quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Given the Lions roster as it stands now, I think if the Lions found a way to add both of these players that they will have made huge strides in the right direction for returning to the playoffs, particularly because I think both players have a lot they want to prove.

Woodson is coming off an injury plagued season and a positional change from cornerback, where he was once viewed as the best in the league, to safety, where he probably would love to show that he could excel. Also, you have to think that Woodson would love the idea of playing the Packers twice a year and showing them that he’s still got the ability to produce at a high level. He wants to play for a contender but Woodson has the luxury of being patient as he searches for what will likely be his last NFL stop. With the right moves, the Lions could look more like a contender in a couple months than they do right now.

As for Freeney, he showed he could still play registering five sacks despite not being a good fit for the Colts’ new 3-4 scheme. The poor fit and desire to get younger was enough for the Colts to announce last week that they would not re-sign Freeney.

The two questions all of us have about these former pro bowl players is how much football they have left in them, and how much they are looking to get in free agency. If both players are reasonably priced the Lions should seriously consider making offers to both players, because their ability and leadership would be invaluable, especially for the younger players on the roster who could learn from some of the most dominating players at safety and defensive end in the last 10 years.

This is perhaps the most important offseason for the Lions in a long time and the Lions could fill some serious needs for veteran leadership and plug in starters in this offseason’s free agent period. Last season the Lions weren’t big players in free agency. I hope the front office doesn’t make the same mistake twice.