Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker had some interesting, but funny words to a reporter in regard to his ability to play at a high level.
“You are on the list,” Dumervil said to a reporter as Ryan Mink discussed via Ravens official website. “In all seriousness, especially as you get older, you understand your body kind of goes against the grain,” Dumervil noted. “That is why you have to do the necessary things that make sure you can be as competitive with the young guys. I look forward to being explosive – still.”
Dumervil is right. He understands that as he gets older, there will be times on where he won’t be able to do things on the field that he used to do when he was younger. But at the same time, in football, age is nothing but a number because talent outweighs age.
People sometimes overvalue the importance of youth in the NFL because being young doesn’t always mean you are better. The Ravens for example have been moving towards the youth movement ever since the team won the Super Bowl in 2012 and you can certainly make the case that the Ravens, especially on defense, are worse than it was when it had older guys nearing the end of their careers like Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.
When healthy, Dumervil, who is 32 years old and Terrell Suggs who is 33 years old are still the best pass rushers on the Ravens roster. Production matters. Age, not so much.