Elvis Dumervil Receives Huge Contract Extension
The Denver Broncos have made a huge move in guaranteeing the strength of their defence for years to come. Outside linebacker (OLB) and National Football League (NFL) sacks leader Elvis Dumervil agreed to a six-year contract extension that ranks among the most guaranteed money ever offered to a defensive player.
The new contract adds five years to the one-year tender Dumervil signed in mid-June for slightly more than $3 million. The full six years could be worth a maximum of $61.5 million, and the deal includes roughly $43 million in guaranteed money.
Dumervil was a huge part of the reason why Denver got off to such a great start last year. The defence was the major reason for their eight wins and their outside linebacker thrived in the Broncos new 3-4 defensive scheme.
The Broncos new alignment last season converted Dumervil from a 4-3 defensive end to a dominant 3-4 linebacker. Dumervil had a spectacular season as he led the NFL in sacks and broke a franchise record with 17.5 sacks. He also added 49 tackles and four forced fumbles. He was elected to his first Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro.
Dumervil entered the league in 2006 as a fourth-round draft pick out of Louisville. Since that time, only two players have more sacks than Dumervil’s 43: Dallas' DeMarcus Ware (56.5) and Minnesota's Jared Allen (52). Both were rewarded with large contracts and plenty of guaranteed money; $40 million for Ware and $31 million for Allen.
The last player the Broncos gave such a big contract to was cornerback (CB) Champ Bailey, who is entering the final season of a six-year, $63 million contract that will pay him $13 million in 2010. The veteran’s future in Denver is being questioned and was another hot topic this summer amongst Broncos fans.
Unlike many other star players around the league this year, Dumervil did not threaten a holdout or issue an ultimatum to his team. Instead, he just sucked it up and signed his one-year, $3.168 million restricted free agent tender this summer, while his agent and the Broncos worked on a new long-term contract. Dumervil has now been rewarded for his patience as he participated in the team’s offseason workouts and didn’t complain.
Coach Josh McDaniels praised Dumervil's handling of his contract situation and claims his attitude proved that he’ll be valuable to the organization: "the type of player and person we want on our team. We look forward to Elvis' impact for many years to come."
So now the Broncos have at least locked up one of their most important players for the upcoming years. The team’s defence was clearly their most valuable unit this past season. If the defence played lights out, the Broncos won. If they were human, the Broncos lost. That was exactly the case in the first six games as the defence was unstoppable and led the Broncos to a 6-0 start. The team then collapsed in the second half of the season, going 2-8 in their last ten games, and once again saw the San Diego Chargers yank the division out of their hands.
The Broncos may have a chance this year at nabbing the AFC West this time around. With Vincent Jackson likely to hold out this coming season, the Broncos will have one less threat to worry about when facing the Chargers. All they have to worry about is staying consistent and hope that the lack of Brandon Marshall on offence doesn’t hurt their scoring.
Once again, it will be an interesting season for the Broncos. At least Elvis is secured and ready to play this season.
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