Looking to boost their pass rush following the free-agent departure of linebacker Paul Kruger, the Ravens have reportedly turned up the heat in their pursuit of free-agent defensive end Elvis Dumervil.
The Denver Post reported Thursday evening that the Ravens have made an offer to the former Broncos pass rusher, but the money being offered by Denver is more front-loaded. Broncos vice president of football operations John Elway has stated his team wants Dumervil back after a fax machine fiasco forced Denver to release the 29-year-old because their restructured deal would not have been completed before a 4 p.m. deadline last Friday.
Dumervil was reportedly underwhelmed by the Broncos’ latest contract offer, and Denver has hosted visits with free-agent pass rushers Dwight Freeney and John Abraham this week. The Broncos are in a tight spot because Dumervil’s release forced them to carry just under $5 million in dead mney on their 2013 salary cap.
After firing agent Marty Magid last weekend, Dumervil hired Tom Condon and Ben Dogra of CAA to represent him as the pair will likely be looking to recover the $8 million base salary — in some shape or form — Dumervil had agreed to play for in Denver before the snafu that led to his release.
Though he was a defensive end in Denver’s 4-3 scheme last season, Dumervil would shift to outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ scheme. The veteran also has ties to Baltimore through Ravens inside linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale, who served as Denver’s defensive coordinator in 2010 and as linebackers coach prior to that when Dumervil collected a career-high 17 sacks in 2009.
Next up at safety?
Following the departures of safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, the Ravens are clearly looking to address the position and reportedly have interest in former Raiders safety Michael Huff.
Several outlets report Huff will be visiting the Ravens at some point over the next few days. Green Bay, Dallas, and Tennessee have also shown interest in the veteran safety.
Released earlier this month, the 30-year-old was the seventh overall pick of the 2006 draft and has the ability to play both cornerback and safety. He accumulated 56 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 13 pass breakups during the 2012 season.
Huff would be the likely replacement for Reed at free safety while James Ihedigbo — re-signed to a one-year deal last week — would be the logical in-house candidate to take Pollard’s place at strong safety. However, the Ravens are likely to look toward April’s draft for more safety help.
