The discussion in Denver this morning surrounding linebacker Elvis Dumervil quickly switched from cautious optimism to shocking dismay, as the All Pro pass rusher is likely to be off the field with a torn pectoral muscle for the next four months at the very least.

Nothing could have prepared the Broncos or their fan base for this disaster, as Dumervil emerged last season as the clear leader of the defense in Denver, and only recently agreed to a major contract extension.

Now instead of having the reigning NFL sack leader attacking opposing quarterbacks each week, the Broncos will be forced to rely on unproven young talent and lackluster veteran castoffs from other teams to generate their pass rush.

One player that may be high on the Broncos list of potential replacements is defensive end Aaron Schobel, who has previously expressed his disinterest in playing primarily in a 3-4 defense, but could be swayed with the right kind of money.

Schobel is an older player at 33, but still has what it takes to be a quality pass rusher in the league and would definitely be an upgrade over what Denver currently has in place.

Either way, there’s little doubt that the Broncos will do what it can to address the issue via free agency, as other teams cut players that could help throughout training camp, or potentially even via trade, but now is definitely not the best time for this injury to occur.

It’s possible that Denver could choose to place Dumervil on the injured reserve list, ending his season in its entirety, but given the possibility that he could return close to the end of the season, it’s likely that they’ll choose to let things play out for a while first, before making a final decision.

As always, we’ll keep you posted with any new information that becomes available.