Elvis has left the (Denver) building

Associated Press

Denver

Elvis Dumervil is putting his seven seasons in Denver and one bizarre fax fiasco behind him after agreeing to a five-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

So, after a second stinging loss to the Ravens in 2013, the Broncos find themselves in need of a new pass-rushing partner for Von Miller.

Broncos football operations chief John Elway issued a statement Sunday saying the Broncos “worked diligently over the last week” to re-sign Dumervil but “are now moving forward without him.”

Free agents John Abraham, 34, and Dwight Freeney, 33, visited the Broncos last week and it’s expected one of them will sign on soon to replace Dumervil, 29.

Dumervil collected 63 1/2 sacks in seven seasons in Denver, three of which ended with Pro Bowl berths. He was scheduled to fly from his offseason home in Miami to Baltimore to take his physical Tuesday and sign his new contract.

On March 15, Dumervil waffled but finally agreed to reduce his 2013 salary from $12 million to $8 million in Denver as part of a renegotiated three-year, $30 million contract. But the paperwork didn’t reach the NFL offices in time and the Broncos were forced to release him to avoid having to pay him the full $12 million for next season.

Dumervil fired agent Marty Magid after that deadline debacle and hired agent Tom Condon.

The Broncos issued a new contract proposal to Dumervil and his new agent, but the Ravens swooped in and beat Denver for the second time this year — they also upset the AFC’s top-seeded Broncos 38-35 in double-overtime in January on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

The Ravens have suffered several blows since beating San Francisco for the Lombardi Trophy, losing wide receiver Anquan Boldin, safeties Ed Reed and Bernard Pollard, cornerback Cary Williams, linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe and guard Bobbie Williams while also bidding star linebacker Ray Lewis and center Matt Birk good luck in their retirements.

Luring Dumervil — and taking him from their AFC rivals — eases some of that sting.

The Broncos, on the other hand, have been one of the league’s big spenders in free agency, acquiring wide receiver Wes Welker, right guard Louis Vasquez, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and linebacker Stewart Bradley — all of whom could be starting for a team that went 13-3 in Peyton Manning’s first year in Denver last season.

The debacle with Dumervil put a big blemish on the Broncos’ otherwise stellar offseason makeover. Dumervil agreed to a $4 million pay cut two weeks ago but when the paperwork didn’t get submitted on time, the Broncos had to cut Dumervil or else his $12 million salary for next season would have been fully guaranteed.

By cutting him, they took a nearly $5 million salary cap hit for next season, which factored into the latest offer from Denver that Dumervil ultimately rejected in favor of Baltimore’s.

“As we have from the start of this process, we worked diligently over the last week to find a way for Elvis Dumervil to remain a Denver Bronco,” Elway said.