Baltimore Ravens Release Pass Rusher Elvis Dumervil

Dumervil started his career with the Denver Broncos when they drafted him in the fourth round (126th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Louisville.

He only played one season at Louisville. That one season was a very impressive one, as he recorded 63 tackles and 20 sacks in 12 games.

He shined in his first two seasons in the NFL, recording 8.5 sacks his rookie year and 12.5 in 2007.

His career season came in 2009. He recorded 17 sacks that season. He also recorded a career-high 49 tackles that year.

The Ravens signed Dumervil to a five-year, $35 million deal in March 2013. They were coming off a win in Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers. Linebacker Ray Lewis retired after the championship, meaning that Baltimore needed to spice up their defense.

In his first season in Baltimore, he recorded 33 tackles and 9.5 sacks, showing he hadn’t lost a step. He tied a career-high with 17 sacks in 2014.

2016 showed Dumervil playing just playing eight games due to a foot injury. In the eight games he played, he recorded just three sacks. That proved to be a career-low for the big-name pass rusher.

Cutting Dumervil also saves Baltimore $6 million in cap space. He should find no trouble finding a new home, however. When healthy, he can be one of the top pass rushers and run stoppers in the NFL. Before this season, his career low in sacks came in 2008. He recorded five sacks that season.

Despite cutting him, Ravens owner Ozzie Newsome said the team wouldn’t count him out for the future. “We have not closed the door on the possibility of him returning in the future.”

Dumervil’s departure doesn’t seem to affect Baltimore’s defense moving forward. They finished top 10 in the league in points allowed (20.1, ninth) and total yards allowed (322.1, seventh) largely without him.

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