(Courtesy of ESPN)
It was either the champions or the team that released him. Wanting to feel “wanted”, OLB Elvis Dumervil opted to not to resign with the Denver Broncos and instead with the Baltimore Ravens, a team in need of LB help after three-fourths of their LB corp no longer being a part of the team. The Ravens have announced they agreed to a five-year deal with the former Bronco star should he pass a physical set for Tuesday.
Dumervil’s contract is expected to be worth up to $35 million. Dumervil will earn $1 million base salary in the first year of the deal with a $7.5 million signing bonus, including a $3.5 million injury guarantee on the following year’s option bonus. This means that he will have $12 million the following year.
Bronco’s executive vice president John Elway released a statement regarding Dumervil.
“As we have from the start of this process, we worked diligently over the last week to find a way for Elvis Dumervil to remain a Denver Bronco,” Elway said. “Although we made multiple contract offers to Elvis after being forced to release him, we were unable to reach an agreement and are now moving forward without him.
“Elvis was a team captain and a talented player who made a great impact during his seven seasons in Denver. I appreciate all of his effort on the field and the work he did in the community. I wish Elvis all the best as he continues his NFL career.”
What This Means:
Dumervil’s signing does not bode well for OLB James Harrison, whom the Ravens would have signed should the pursuit for Dumervil fail. This also means the Broncos will have to look elsewhere, most probably at John Abraham or Dwight Freeney. For the Ravens, Dumervil adds a leader to locker room that lost so many this offseason. The team also bolsters their pass rush, as Dumervil’s sack total averaged double digits in all seven years of his professional career. This is huge in comparison to the man he replaced, Paul Kruger (15.5 sacks in 4 years). The man also brings familiarity, as he will rejoin former Broncos LB coach Don Martindale.
One of the many knocks against Elvis’s play is ability against the run. To counteract this, the Ravens have upgraded the defensive end position with Chris Canty and Marcus Spears. With Lardarius Webb helping the secondary by coming back from knee surgery, the defense will still be able to stop offenses. Say what you want, but this was a nice move made by a Raven’s organization in an offseason full of questionable decisions.
