Report: Broncos eyeing Freeney, Umenyiora

(Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Teams are allowed to begin talking with free agents today through Tuesday, with all signings allowed to begin on the 12th.  The Denver Broncos are reportedly looking at a pair of defensive ends.

The Broncos want Elvis Dumervil to take a pay cut (he will be a $13.6 million cap hit in 2013), and if the two sides are unable to come to an agreement, the team is reportedly ready to move on from the sixth-year Pro Bowl defensive end.  Two possible replacements for Dumervil appear to be Dwight Freeney and Osi Umenyiora, who are both hitting the open market.

Titans beat writer @terrymc13 reports that the #Broncos have interest in Dwight Freeney and may also have Osi Umenyiora “on their radar.”

— Jon Heath (@JHeath_DEN) March 9, 2013

Freeney (6′-1″, 268 lbs.), quarterback Peyton Manning‘s former teammate, is 33 and coming off a 5-sack season.  Umenyiora (6′-3″, 255 lbs.) is 31 and coming off a 6-sack season.  Both players are older, less productive options than Dumervil (5’-11″, 260 lbs.), who recorded 11 sacks last season, but the thinking is that both would come at a cheaper price tag than the $12 million salary Dumervil is owed this season.

Two years ago, John Elway, Denver’s v.p. of football operations, offered a second round pick to the Giants in exchange for Umenyiora, but New York turned Denver down, seeking a first round pick.  With Osi now a free agent, the Broncos appear to be interested in his services once again.