After being formally introduced as the newest member of the defending Super Bowl Champions, Elvis Dumervil says he has always played with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. After being asked to take a pay cut by the Broncos, Dumervil now says that chip has evolved into a brick wall.
The newest Raven will have his chance to prove that to the rest of the league as he passed his physical and signed his $35 million dollar deal with his new team. Dumervil will sport the number 58 this season, the same number that he wore playing his college ball at Louisville.
Dumervil said a sense of “friendship and family” helped him to decide to sign with the Ravens. He also said he liked that Harbaugh stressed “the team, the team, the team.”
Of course, joining a team fresh off a Super Bowl win doesn’t hurt either; something that Dumervil has yet to achieve in his NFL career. The Broncos were eliminated by Baltimore in last year’s Playoffs en route to a Super Bowl XLVII victory.
Baltimore seems to be a team of destiny. Had it not been for a snafu with a fax machine, Dumervil might still be a Bronco. If Dumervil were still a Bronco, than the team would be in desperate need of a quality linebacker after what has been a tumultuous off-season.
Fortunately for the Ravens, the team has run into some good fortune after losing a slew of free agents to other teams this season. The signing of Dumervil eases the pain a bit, but the team may not be done. They did shore up the linebacker depth, an especially weak position after the retirement of Ray Lewis, who is now an analyst for ESPN.
Earlier in the week, Harbaugh told reporters that “he knew right away that [Dumervil] would be a perfect fit.”
For Denver, veteran free agents John Abraham and Dwight Freeney visited the Broncos last week and it’s expected one of them will sign on soon to replace Dumervil. While both players may be towards the back end of their careers, Denver still looks to be the favorite in the AFC again this season under John Fox’s regime.
