Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Dumervil is gone so we MUST sign Dwight Freeney! Freeney has lost his mind and thinks he’s worth more than Dumervil… ok, we MUST sign John Abraham. As Bronco fans lament the loss of Elvis Dumervil, and there have been some very grave lamentations to be sure, perhaps it is time to look at what remains. Arguably one of the top five defenses in professional football!

Lost in the media reports, the prognostications and the DOOM and gloom is the fact that the Broncos defense is still one of the best and is perhaps better. With the additions of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Terrence Knighton the Broncos immediately improved their pass coverage and their run stopping ability. Chris Harris had a breakout season and now can return to his natural safety position, a role in which he thrives (as if he didn’t thrive at corner last year). Wesley Woodyard emerged as a legitimate force as well last year. Have fans fogetten him? Of course, there is also Derek Wolfe who turned out to be a complete animal on the end. No one is expecting a regression this coming season.

While it is true that Dumervil may be missed in the sack department, reports of Von Miller suddenly becoming ineffective without him make little sense. Dumervil drew double teams on less than 20% of the downs he played. Miller will still be feasting and the man who can help him is Robert Ayers. Ayers seems like the man on the roster that will have to step up and he can. Bronco fans should know who Ayers is by now. He was a first round pick in 2009. His 2010 season was a bit of a disappointment but he showed progress in 2011 with 39 tackles and 3 sacks in 13 games. While that is a far cry from Dumervil’s production Ayer’s has another year under his belt and another year under Jack Del Rio. The word on Ayers coming out of Tennessee is that he had the potential to become an elite player. Now he needs to become one.

This defense is fine… better then fine, so let’s move on. There is still a draft and possible free agent signings yet to come as well. However, looking at this Denver defense on paper makes for a good read. There’s no use living in the passed or holding grudges now. It’s time to forget about Who?mervil…

Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.

March 14, 2013; Englewood, CO, USA; General view of a motivation sign inside the hallway of the Denver Broncos training facility before the press conference for wide receiver Wes Welker (not pictured) Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

Elvis doesn’t mean squat.

I’ve heard Denver Broncos fans fretting for weeks about what was going on, then the eventual going on of Elvis Dumervil to the Baltimore Ravens.

While they certainly won’t admit it, there is logic to the Broncos allowing Dumervil to take his hike.

March was the month National Football League teams went about the business of fitting round pegs into square holes – signing free agents that, for the most part, weren’t wanted by their former employers.

The Broncos Decider of All Things Important, John Elway, once again made the rest of the league look silly in the early stages of free agency, signing four, perhaps five starters that will improve what many (you and me included) thought was the best team in the league in 2012.

Then, along came Faxgate, eventually ending in Dumervil signing a five-year deal with the Ravens:

“Oh no!” Elvis fans cried. “We’re doomed!”

Garbage.

I’m thinking Elway and his staff aren’t all that broken up about Elvis taking his act elsewhere.

The Broncos are better off without having to pay him $8 million plus next season despite having more than $5 million count against the salary cap because of his release.

They have, by my rather simplistic count, Elvis’ $8 million to play with – to sign a replacement pass rusher if deemed necessary (John Abraham or  Dwight Freeney) and perhaps another starter, maybe even the likes of Chicago Bear legendary middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Look at it another way:

Dumervil’s exit could allow the Broncos to re-sign defensive tackle Justin Bannan, middle linebacker Keith Brookings, center Dan Koppen, slot receiver Brandon Stokely – and sign Abraham or Freeney.

That’s a bunch of depth and experience, all for the price of one player who was borderline terrible against the run and being paid huge money for a sack roughly once every two games and a forced fumble once every three games.

Elway did his part to be politically correct with the departure of Dumervil, saying, “There’s always tough times when you have to deal with the business side of football, especially when business is mixed with people, people you like. … He’s had a nice career. We wish him the best.”

Doesn’t sound like mourning to me.

While the Broncos continue to go about their business, pleasant or not, Baltimore fans were all agog about Dumervil suddenly revitalizing a defense that had lost six starters from its Super Bowl title team.

Won’t happen.

Dumervil could have remained a Bronco and had his best chance of appearing in a Super Bowl.  Instead, he will be on a team that also lost its best wide receiver, Anquan Boldin, and a starting tackle, Bryant McKinnie, to free agency.

And he won’t replace those defensive starters:  Ray Lewis, Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, Bernard Pollard, Ed Reed and Cary Williams – not by a long shot.

Enjoy your down time in January and February next year, Elvis.

Bronco fans are aware that as long as Peyton Manning is standing in the pocket, their team is the favorite to win next year’s Super Bowl.

And that is the right call.

Elway & Co. have not had blinders on while going about the business of improving the team.  They know where the weaknesses were and they have addressed them on both sides of the ball.

The addition of guard Louis Vasquez will change the way they do business in the running game and help keep pressure off of Manning in the middle.

Wes Welker in the slot will mean fewer catches for the other receivers, but also make for more long drives for a team that averaged 30 points per game last season.

And Dominique Rogers-Cromartie on a corner and Terrance Knighton in the middle of the line will make the defense better.

Translation:  The Broncos are sitting on top of the mountain in what will be a still-awful AFC West and have moved ahead of Baltimore (as if they weren’t already), New England and Houston in the AFC.

The Broncos leap-frogged every team other than perhaps San Francisco and Seattle during the free-agency period and are on track to play one of them for the Super Bowl title – regardless of the Dumervil “fiasco” that perhaps wasn’t really a fiasco at all.

Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.

Jan 12, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos fan in the grandstands against the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC divisional round playoff game at Sports Authority Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Lots of surprising changes are happening all around the league this off-season. It seems that most of the teams are beefing up their lineup with former Denver Broncos. I of course say this because I know how proud I am of my team and I know my team has good players; apparently rival teams see the same. I’m not calling the Chicago Bears our rivals, but the other blue-and-orange team adding yet another former Bronco to their roster did not surprise me one bit. Joining Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall in the lineup this season is former Broncos linebacker, DJ Williams.

I think the most surprising acquisition this off-season was when the Broncos signed a player from the New England Patriots dynasty, Wes Welker. With the addition of Welker, Bronco fans were putting on the proverbial capes, puffing up their chests, and stemming their fists on their waists. It was a good “Touché” as we armed Peyton Manning with another powerful weapon, courtesy of our biggest divisional threat. What we didn’t see coming was the same could be done to us.

In fact, I don’t know what acquisition was most jaw-dropping:

• A former New England Patriot signing with the Denver Broncos
• A former Denver Bronco signing with the  Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens. You know, the team that ended the Broncos winning streak, took us out of the playoffs in a double OT game in our own house, and went on to win the Super Bowl? Now they have Elvis Dumervil?! Oh boy. That re-opened a fan’s healing wound and poured salt on it. However, I have faith in my team. I think this fuels the fire and will make the Broncos fans even hungrier for redemption.

I am looking forward to April 16th as that is the targeted date that the Broncos will release the schedule dates for next season. We already know the opponents, and Denver will be at home when they play Baltimore. No matter when that game will be, it will certainly be the one to watch next year for more than one reason.

Go Broncos!

Make sure to follow Predominantly Orange on Facebook and on Twitter.