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The Elvis Dumervil saga has been perhaps the biggest head-scratcher of the NFL offseason so far, but it's likely to end in the next 24 hours as the Denver Post's Mike Klis has word that Dumervil will decide between the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos soon.
It's an interesting turn for Dumervil to decide between both since he was signed to an agreement and then subsequently released after Fax-Gate. Dumervil's fate is interesting to us here at Arrowhead Pride specifically because the road to the playoffs runs straight through Denver, and the Broncos' pass rush is considerably lessened without Dumervil.
After missing the 2010 season, Dumervil came back to form in 2011 with 9.5 sacks. He added another 11 opposite Von Miller last year and forced an incredible 6 fumbles. If Dumervil leaves, that's a player who has to adjust to the scheme and fill a role at a level that will be hard to reproduce.
While names like John Abraham and Dwight Freeney have been floated as potential replacements for Dumervil in the instance that he bolts for the Super Bowl champions, both players are on the downside of their career and would likely fail to match the impact that Dumervil brings on the field. They also won't cost as much, so that's the trade off for John Elway and company.
As for the Chiefs, consider that they will likely line up two brand new tackles to protect new starting quarterback Alex Smith in 2013. Von Miller will be coming from one direction, but it could be a new face on the other side. If the Broncos' pass rush is lessened to any degree by the Dumervil drama, that's a bit of good news for the rest of the division.