Broncos' Dumervil has become money as big-time pass rusher

[dragondawg]

Broncos' Dumervil has become money as big-time pass rusher
Big bucks ahead for 2006 fourth-rounder who has turned into sack star
By Mike Klis
The Denver Post

With all the money NFL teams waste on scouting, perhaps some of it could be transferred to players like Elvis Dumervil.

The No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft was defensive end Mario Williams. Houston gave him a six-year contract worth $54 million. To date, Williams has 32.5 sacks in 52 games.

Way back in the fourth round of the same draft, with the No. 126 overall pick, Dumervil was selected. The Broncos gave Dumervil a four-year deal worth $2 million. He has 34 sacks in 49 games.

Thus, Dumervil has nearly two more sacks in three fewer games for $52 million less than the pass rusher drafted 125 picks ahead of him.

Kudos to the Broncos' scouting department and executives for coming up with perhaps the greatest fourth round in NFL draft history. Besides Dumervil, Denver nabbed a wide receiver named Brandon Marshall earlier in the round.

Then again, weren't the Broncos also a bit lucky Marshall and Dumervil were still around in the fourth round?

"I think the biggest thing about Elvis is he plays the game with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder," Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said. "He is a little shorter and people bring it to his attention, including me, but he overcomes it. He's very competitive."

Pound per pound, inch per inch, the 5-foot-11, 248-pound Dumervil is arguably the NFL's best pass rusher. Stripping away subjective reasoning and getting more to the point of statistical production, Dumervil is the NFL's sixth-best active pass rusher — and climbing.

Dumervil in his career has .694 sacks per game, a clip that exceeds all but the highly compensated Shawne Merriman, Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware, John Abraham and Dwight Freeney.

And while Merriman hasn't reached the quarterback since the final game of the 2007 season, and Ware is sackless this year, Dumervil has eight sacks in his past three games.

"They should break that down to sacks per plays," Dumervil said, noting he played in less than 30 percent of the Broncos' defensive snaps in his rookie year of 2006 and was primarily a third-down rusher last season. "But I've got a long way to go. I'm still trying to learn."

With his Broncos taking a 4-0 record into their game Sunday against the New England Patriots, Dumervil does not have dollar signs racing through his mind, but quarterback Tom Brady.

"When you start thinking about contract stuff, that's when you get off course and lose focus," Dumervil said. "If you just come out and do your job, those type of things will come. I love the game. This is something I love to do."

The Broncos are likely to address Dumervil's contract the minute after it expires at season's end. What could Dumervil command in the open market? First, consider the boom of teams using the 3-4 defense and the premium it places on pass-rushing outside linebackers like Dumervil.

Baltimore recently re-signed Terrell Suggs to a $63 million deal. Freeney, with whom Dumervil is most often compared, is in the third year of a six-year deal that will pay him $72 million.

Among defensive linemen, it's the pass rushers who get the big money.

"On defense, all they ever talk about is stopping the run, stopping the run," said Broncos defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday. "That's the No. 1 goal. But the guys that get paid are the ones that get sacks."

Why is that? If the quarterback is the undisputed most important position to a football team, then it follows that the next significant positions are those who can directly stop the quarterback.

"I think it's because the quarterback is so important and it's also very exciting for the fans, for the team — it's third down, you've got to have a stop and you sack the quarterback," Holliday said. "You're talking about the excitement it causes, the momentum shifts, all those things are very important."

Not only are exciting, momentum-shifting pass rushers important, they're apparently difficult for scouts to find

http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13501793

[Clockwork Orange]

"Pay zat man heez mahney."

[Vladimir]

What a class act Elvis is... There are some players in the league that could learn so much from him and I would say Marshall but it seems he is playing nice now.

Hopefully we pay him a fair price.

[atomicbloke]

We should extend Dumervil, Marshall and Kuper during the bye week. If we wait till the end of the season, they may be priced out.

[cutthemdown]

Good thing next yr will be easy to protect and resign your own players.

We have no worries. Broncos can keep everyone.

[Caveat Lector]

He can sure get to the QB, the only sticking point I see is that guys like Suggs, Williams, Ware are far more rounded than DOOM in that they are tough against the run as well. I'd be very interested to see what number$ Denver come up with for him though, as we sure don't want to lose him. I'm liking a future with DOOM and Ayers as our outside 'backers...

[WABronco]

I get great enjoyment out of roid boy in SD not even pressuring QB's anymore...

[ton80]

Based mostly on the players drafted in 2006, plus Clady, plus Harris, plus other quality players on Shanahan's roster, my thinking two plus years ago was that Shanahan should be canned if this season (2009-2010) turned out to be anything less than one playoff victory. Shanahan was canned one year before I expected and the McDaniels era began.

McDaniels walked into a great situation. He inherited an incredible o-line. He inherited a qb with incredible trade value. He has Marshall, Royal, Graham, Scheffler, Stokley, Champ, DJ etc...

McDaniels disposes of the waste, fills holes with quality players, and drafts fairly well. I guarantee you that McDaniels knew all along that he was sitting on gold with the roster he inherited.

Considering an offense with the studs listed above, plus a new offensive scheme that improves each week, a very solid defense with superstars like Elvis Dumervil, Champ Bailey, and Brian Dawkins, the potential this year is limitless.

The only thing that will stop this team this year is if San Diego vastly improves and the Broncos somehow don't make the playoffs.

If/when the Broncos make the playoffs, they will have played everyone, improved considerably on offense, and will have a grand master as head coach.

This team is nasty and will be winning a superbowl real soon.

[UberBroncoMan]

Originally Posted by atomicbloke

We should extend Dumervil, Marshall and Kuper during the bye week. If we wait till the end of the season, they may be priced out.

Agreed.

Don't forget Scheffler either. He's our only solid receiving TE and he's damn good stretching the field and a huge red-zone bonus... it's a good thing to have.

[fontaine]

I'm not sold on Dumervil being a premier pass rusher although he is a class act. I've seen him tail off at the end of the season before so I'll be waiting in December to see if he's still playing with the kind of fire.

I'm hoping he does and we pay the man to be a bronco for life.

[Killericon]

[Pat Bowlen]

What should I give him?

[Killericon]

Originally Posted by Pat Bowlen

What should I give him?

[cmhargrove]

Originally Posted by fontaine

I'm not sold on Dumervil being a premier pass rusher although he is a class act. I've seen him tail off at the end of the season before so I'll be waiting in December to see if he's still playing with the kind of fire.

I'm hoping he does and we pay the man to be a bronco for life.

The main difference this year? A supporting cast and a defensive backfield that can create "coverage sacks."

As long as our defensive backfield stays healthy, Elvis should continue to have a good year. Aslo, at the rate Ayers is going, he could benefit from extra attention on Elvis. Ayers just seems to be a step behind Elvis on many sack plays.

[lex]

Im waiting for Klis to write a piece "Broncos' Paxon has become money as a big-time longsnapper."

[Man-Goblin]

Every time he sacks the QB this year he's making millions. I just hope it's for the Broncos.

[no-pseudo-fan]

Is there a limit on the amount of Restricted FA's you can have?

[Pony Boy]

The New England Way " Got Super Stars on Your Team? Great, just don't pay them like Super Stars. I think McDaniels will spread the money around just like the plays on the field. This an interesting read....
http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-344823.html

[Popps]

Originally Posted by WABronco

I get great enjoyment out of roid boy in SD not even pressuring QB's anymore...

Seriously. He's milk-carton material, at this stage.

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Clockwork Orange

"Pay zat man heez mahney."

Far be it from me to question John Malkovich, but that accent seemed a bit off...

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by Popps

Seriously. He's milk-carton material, at this stage.

I'm actually pretty glad we didn't trade Marshall straight up for Braylon as you so often suggested, Flip-Popps.

[cabronco]

Dumerville will have a new jersey and # soon.. $$$ $$$ $$$

[rastaman]

Originally Posted by atomicbloke

We should extend Dumervil, Marshall and Kuper during the bye week. If we wait till the end of the season, they may be priced out.

We might not have any choice, all three might wait until the offseason and test the market for the true net worth....thats what FA is all about. Its not about LOYALTY anymore.

If Bowlen wants to keep all 3 players.....he's going to need to pay top 5 salary for all 3, and I don't think we have the cap space to do it. So the Broncos could need to make a decision that out of the 3 players they maybe only able to keep 2 players.

[Pontius Pirate]

[BroncoMan4ever]

Originally Posted by atomicbloke

We should extend Dumervil, Marshall and Kuper during the bye week. If we wait till the end of the season, they may be priced out.

at the rate Doom is going, he will price himself out of here by week 10.

if i was the man in charge of giving out the money, Kuper and Doom would be my top priority, Orton next and then Marshall if there is still enough cash.