September 29, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Brian Sanford (75) sits on the bench during the third quarter against the Washington Redskins at O.co Coliseum. The Redskins defeated the Raiders 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos announced via an official release on Tuesday that the club has signed veteran defensive lineman Brian Sanford, formerly of the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders.
At 6’2″ 280 pound, Sanford figures to play the LDE (strongside) position with the Broncos, and will get a chance to suit up for the team’s first pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks.
As a college free agent in 2010, Sanford initially signed with the Cleveland Browns. It’s another former connection for Tom Heckert, the former Browns’ GM who is now in the front office with John Elway and the Broncos.
After spending time on the Browns’ practice squad, Sanford played in 12 games between his time in Cleveland as well as with the Oakland Raiders, recording 13 tackles.
Having spent a year with the Raiders, I’m sure Sanford is delighted to have a chance to put on the orange and blue, even if for a short amount of time.
The Broncos have added three defensive linemen in the last seven days, signing Cody Larsen and Will Pericak last week. Sanford played his college ball for the Temple Owls, where he had 86 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles over the course of his career.
He’s a former linebacker with good strength who has scratched and clawed his way through the NFL since 2010, battling a lot of uncertainty by being waived more than a few times by the Browns.