Elvis Dumervil has been chasing Terrell Suggs for years.
Now he'll join Suggs in pursuit of opposing quarterbacks.
"I tried to chase his sack record in college, but I couldn't beat it," Dumervil said, referencing Suggs' NCAA record with 20.5 sacks.
Suggs has also kept a watchful eye on Dumervil, and as soon as the former Bronco became a free agent following a bizarre fax fiasco, Suggs started the recruiting process. Suggs texted Dumervil to express interest in joining forces, and he's been in contact with Dumervil over the last week trying to lure the prized free agent to Baltimore.
Dumervil officially signed Tuesday afternoon, giving the Ravens their biggest free agent acquisition of the offseason and providing Dumervil the chance to play alongside another one of the game's elite defenders after being paired with outside linebacker Von Miller in Denver.
"I've known Terrell Suggs for a long time and he's a great player," Dumervil said. "He plays the run, he rushes the passer, great personality. I'm excited to come in and merge, and also with [outside linebacker Courtney] Upshaw, just try to get after quarterbacks."
The Ravens have long been looking for another dominant edge rusher to pair with Suggs. Jarret Johnson was more of an edge-setting run defender, and Paul Kruger came into his own as a situational pass rusher late in his time with the Ravens.
By bringing Dumervil to Baltimore, the Ravens finally have their man.
"He is a phenomenal pass rusher and I have not had a chance to play alongside another dominant pass rusher," Suggs told The Baltimore Sun soon after the Dumervil deal was announced.
The two pass rushers have been among the league's most dominant in the last decade, notching a combined 148 sacks and 46 forced fumbles in their careers.
Suggs is coming off a down season where he battled through a torn Achilles tendon and a biceps injury, and was never fully healthy. The injuries limited him to just eight games and two sacks.
But Suggs has been a dominant outside linebacker over his career and he's hoping to return to the level of play that earned him 2011 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Dumervil recorded 11 sacks last season and helped the Broncos collect an NFL-leading 52 sacks on the year. Dumervil led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2009 and has averaged 10.5 a season throughout his career.
He has a knack for getting to the quarterback, and Ravens Inside Linebackers Coach Don "Wink" Martindale referenced a conversation with Dumervil from back when he was entering the league out of college.
"When Elvis came out from Louisville, at that time he said, 'I'm the best pass rusher in the draft,'" Martindale said. "And all he's done year in and year out is he's tried to be the best pass rusher, not to take away from any of the other great pass rushers in this league. And his numbers show you that he's been really successful."
