Look at it this way, Broncos fans: Dwight Freeney has 44 more sacks than Elvis Dumervil.

And so it goes with life in the NFL. You win some. You lose some. Maybe you lose a few more to the Baltimore Ravens than you’d like.

But you move on to the next guy.

Dumervil no longer is a Broncos defensive end, as he had been since he was a fourth-round pick in the 2006 draft. Hurtled to free agency by the strangest of circumstances, Dumervil decided Sunday to accept a five-year contract from the Ravens rather than re-sign with Denver.

“I know business is business, but this is the part of business that (stinks),” said Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson. “I congratulate Elvis. At the same time, those are big shoes to fill coming off the edge. Elvis is my guy. It’s time for other guys to set up. Robert Ayers, Malik Jackson. It’s time for No. 91. Robert Ayers is going to have a big year.”

Ayers may well become the Broncos’ right defensive end on running downs, but they will try to sign Freeney, a former Indianapolis Colts star and Peyton Manning teammate. Manning, now the Broncos’ starting quarterback, turned 37 on Sunday.

Losing Dumervil to the Ravens may not have been among Manning’s birthday wishes, but Freeney could be a nice consolation gift. Dumervil, 29, is four years younger than Freeney. And in the past two seasons, Dumervil has been more productive, making 20½ sacks to Freeney’s 13½ sacks in that period. But Freeney was a Dumervil-like pass rusher long before the NFL heard of Dumervil.

Freeney has 107½ sacks in his 11 pro seasons. Dumervil had 63 ½ sacks in his seven Denver seasons. Freeney also figures to get less than the three-year, $18 million offer the Broncos presented to Dumervil last week. The Broncos’ proposal included $8 million in salary and signing bonus for the 2013 season and $2 million in guarantees in the second year of the deal.

“There’s always tough times when you have to deal with the business side of football, especially when business is mixed with people, people you like,” John Elway, the Broncos’ football operations boss, said in a telephone interview Sunday. “That makes it tougher. You have to make tough decisions. Elvis has done a lot of nice things here in Denver. He’s had a nice career. We wish him the best. Ultimately it was up to Elvis.”

Dumervil’s departure brings closure to one of the most bizarre transaction blunders in NFL history. After nearly two weeks of protracted negotiations regarding a pay cut proposed by the Broncos, Dumervil and his agent, Marty Magid, agreed to take a first-year salary reduction from $12 million to $8 million.

The agreement was communicated 35 minutes before the signature page to Dumervil’s revised contract needed to be at NFL headquarters in New York by 2 p.m. March 15.

But the fax exchanges didn’t beat the deadline, compelling the Broncos to terminate Dumervil’s original contract to avoid guaranteeing the $12 million salary.

“This is unbelievable to me that we lost Elvis in this way,” Vickerson said. “I don’t know what happened, but someone dropped the ball. When I talk to Elvis, I’m going to congratulate him. But we’re going to miss him.”

With Dumervil’s contract terminated, the uncertain territory of free agency compelled him to fire Magid and replace him with the high-powered Tom Condon — while also enlisting attorney Harvey Steinberg to work the back channels of negotiations.

Several teams expressed interest in Dumervil, but only the Broncos and Ravens made offers. Dumervil wouldn’t have wound up with the Ravens if not for his close relationship with Baltimore linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale.

“We did give him a good offer and he wound up going with Baltimore,” Elway said. ” In the long run, I always believe that things happen for a reason and I think the best thing happened. We’ve got a plan. We’ll move on and we’ll be just fine.”

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, mklis@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikeklis

For comparison’s sake

A look at the statistics for former Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil and former Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, whom the Broncos may sign:

FREENEY (all games with Colts)

Career: 163 games, 107½ sacks

2012: 14 games, five sacks

DUMERVIL (all games with Broncos)

Career: 91 games, 63½ sacks

2012: 16 games, 11 sacks

Source: NFL.com