Broncos, Dumervil reach long-term deal
July 23, 2010
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—Denver Broncos fans can relax. Not so opposingquarterbacks: NFL sacks leader Elvis Dumervil(notes) has at long last agreed to along-term extension.
Dumervil thrived last season in the Broncos’ new defensive alignment thatturned him from a classic 4-3 defensive end into a 3-4 linebacker. He respondedwith an NFL-leading and team-record 17 sacks, a starting spot in the Pro Bowland All-Pro honors.
Only two players have more sacks than Dumervil’s 43 since entering theleague as a fourth-round draft pick in 2006 out of Louisville—Dallas’ DeMarcusWare(notes) (56 1/2) and Minnesota’s Jared Allen(notes) (52).
Both of them have cashed in with big contracts that contain largeguarantees, $40 million for Ware and $31 million for Allen.
ESPN reported that Dumervil’s deal was worth $61 million over six seasonswith between $41 million and $43 million guaranteed.
The last player the Broncos committed that much money to was cornerbackChamp Bailey(notes), who is entering the final season of his six-year, $63 millioncontract that will pay him $13 million in 2010.
Bailey’s future in Denver has been almost as big a topic among Broncos’ fansthis summer as Dumervil’s contract talks.
Rather than hold out or issue ultimatums, Dumervil signed his one-year,$3.168 million restricted free agent tender this summer, bit his lip andparticipated in the team’s offseason camps while his agent, Gary Wichard, andthe Broncos hammered out an extension.
That goodwill paid off in a big way Thursday night.
In an e-mail from the Broncos announcing the long-awaited deal, coach JoshMcDaniels praised Dumervil’s handling of the protracted contract talks thisoffseason, which he said showed he’s “the type of player and person we want onour team. We look forward to Elvis’ impact for many years to come.”
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