The Denver Broncos are officially in need of a new pass rusher. The team had hopes of re-signing defensive end Elvis Dumervil after his agent failed to deliver his contract in time, however Dumervil jumped ship over the weekend to the Balitmore Ravens. He signed a five-year deal with the Super Bowl champs, leaving a void in the Broncos roster. With Dumervil off the market, Dwight Freeney and John Abraham become the best available defensive ends on the market and Denver is targeting both.
The Broncos will not sign both players; it just depends on which player likes the offer the team puts forth. Abraham is the more productive player of the two veterans. He spent the last seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. He led the team in sacks for multiple years, recording 10 last season. He also had six forced fumbles and seven defended passes. Abraham's age paired with his recent battle with injuries caused him to be cut by the Falcons who were in need of more cap space at the time. He played a large role on the Falcons' defense that helped the team earn the No.1 seed in the NFC.
While Dwight Freeney might not have had the numbers that Abraham did last season, the Broncos are believed to be more interested in him than Abraham. Freeney only had 12 tackles in 2012 and five sacks in 14 games while with the Indianapolis Colts. Freeney has spent his entire career with the Colts after being drafted in 2002. In total, he has 107.5 sacks, but recent injuries have caused his production to decline.
Peyton Manning is playing a big part in the Broncos interest in Freeney. Manning and Freeney went to two Super Bowls together, winning one. Manning is trying to recruit Freeney to Denver, believing that they have the kind of defensive system that would be suit his pass rushing abilities. Freeney has proved to be a versatile defensive player, spending most of his career as a defensive end but also playing linebacker for more of 2012. He could be the last piece the Broncos need to get to the Super Bowl again.
Both players are drawing high interest from other teams, but no one has offered an official deal yet. Both players have visited the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons are also in pursuit of Freeney.
