CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 1: Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals is sacked by Elvis Dumervil #58 of the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at Paul Brown Stadium on January 1, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Five-time Pro Bowler is now on the open market

An interesting free agent is now available in the NFL.

It isn't often that five-time Pro Bowl pass-rushers hit the open market in today's NFL but that is exactly the case for Elvis Dumervil. The 33-year-old is now available for hire and, in an interesting twist, the news of his release from the Baltimore Ravens was broken by former teammate and recently retired Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith.

Shortly after Smith brought the news to the world, Dumervil released a statement on his Twitter account that essentially confirmed the reporting.

Dumervil isn't quite the same player that he was during his prime, as the former Louisville standout is reaching the twilight of his career from an age standpoint. He racked up only three sacks during an injury-plagued campaign in 2016 and, prior to that, Dumervil contributed only six sacks during the 2015 season.

Before that, though, Dumervil was explosive in regularly posting double-figure sack totals earlier in his career and he would be an attractive option for many teams in search of pass rush off the edge.

At this stage, it is probably safe to assume that Dumervil won't be in for a massive payday, but getting after the quarterback remains paramount in today's NFL and it will be interesting to see where he lands and how quickly his next team-based marriage takes shape.