Dwight Freeney set to join Falcons as an option for the pass rush

Dwight Freeney will soon be an Atlanta Falcon.

Veteran pass-rusher Dwight Freeney will sign with the #Falcons, source said. He chose them over the #Bengals.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 2, 2016

The Falcons clearly felt that Freeney, 36, still had enough in the tank to help the team's consistently struggling pass rusher, particularly after he led the Arizona Cardinals with eight sacks in 2015. It was a long road to get here, with the Falcons meeting with Freeney and not immediately signing him, leading to much angst from the fanbase and yours truly. Thankfully, we need angst no more.

You're likely familiar with Freeney's body of work. He has 119.5 career sacks, has been one of the most feared pass rushers in the NFL for basically his entire career, and proved with the Cardinals last year that he's still capable of bringing the heat in that capacity. He'd be a part-time player in Atlanta's deep (if not necessarily excellent) rotation, but he'll instantly become the best or second best pure pass rusher on this team, and that should be a gigantic boost to this defense.

Welcome Freeney to the Falcons!