The fax machine in Elvis Dumervil’s former agent’s office moves slowly, but the Baltimore Ravens make decisions quickly.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said today that the Ravens decided they wanted to go after Dumervil instantly when he became a free agent as the result of a snafu with his agent failing to fax a revised contract to the Broncos on time. Harbaugh said he and Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome have both thought highly of Dumervil for years and both knew as soon as Dumervil was available that he was a player who could help the Ravens.
“I don’t think there was any question,” Harbaugh said. “When that happened, I don’t think we had to communicate, we just kind of looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s try to make this happen.’”
At his introductory press conference in Baltimore, Dumervil spoke highly of the Broncos and said he has no hard feelings toward his former team. He also spoke briefly about the fax snafu, calling it “unfortunate.”
But Dumervil also said he feels fortunate to play in Baltimore’s defense, which he thinks is well suited to his skills as a pass rusher. Harbaugh obviously thinks Dumervil is a good fit, too.