It was announced on Monday that second-year Broncos' defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike would be suspended for the 2023 NFL season due to violating the league's gambling policy. This has the potential to be a huge blow to a unit that was already a bit shaky, to begin with.
With Mike Purcell and Baron Browning both recovering from offseason procedures, the team's defensive front is getting dangerously thin. Now, both Purcell and Uwazurike were/are backup players at this point. There was no indication that Uwazurike was starter material last year, but it would have been possible for him to have taken a leap in year two.
At this point, the Broncos are probably going to cut Uwazurike. Purcell is 32 years old and is nothing more than a quality depth piece at this point. He's fallen off a bit since his breakout year back in 2019. At this point, Denver has a clear reason to add to their defensive front, at both EDGE rusher and defensive end.
Let's dive into three free agents the Denver Broncos could target at defensive end to help fill a clear void.
Denver Broncos: 3 free agent options at DE with Eyioma Uwazurike suspension
1. Matthew Ioannidis
One quality player still on the market is Matthew Ioannidis, who has played for the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers during his seven-year career. He's typically been an average starter, which could be something the Denver Broncos covet.
He has never really lit up the stat sheet, but he's got season-highs of 8.5 sacks, 64 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 17 QB hits, so the potential for solid interior production is there. Ioannidis is likely not seeking nearly as much as Yannick Ngakoue is on a contract. The Broncos could probably sign him for two or three million dollars for a one-year deal.
Ioannidis would bring a fringe-starter type of player and a solid veteran presence to the defensive line. He'd be a good signing to make.
2. Yannick Ngakoue
Many of us have been clamoring for the Denver Broncos to sign Yannick Ngakoue all offseason. He'd instantly become the team's most talented pass rusher. Ngakoue was drafted back in 2016 and has never had less than eight sacks in a season during his career.
This man is seriously nothing but consistency and production personified. However, he's putrid against the run, but with his pass-rushing ability, he'd thrive in Vance Joseph's blitz-happy defense. Ngakoue is still just 28 years old and just came off another solid season in 2022 with the Indianapolis Colts.
He finished with 9.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits. He's objectively a very good pass rusher and would have a clear path to a starting role with the Broncos in 2023. He apparently is wanting $8-$10 million per year on a contract, which is quite cheap for the type of player he is.
At this point, with training camp right around the corner, the former Maryland Terrapin isn't going to get that kind of money, but he can still sign a solid deal, and the Broncos have cap space.
3. Carlos Dunlap
One of the most productive players of this generation is Carlos Dunlap, who has played a whopping 13 seasons in the NFL. He's got 100 career regular-season sacks and a stellar 267 QB hits. Dunlap most recently played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 where he amassed four sacks and 12 QB hits in 17 games.
Dunlap clearly is not the player he once was, but it's obvious how good he has been. Maybe Dunlap still has another great season left in the tank if he'd play in the right scheme. He previously played for the Seattle Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals.
His 17-game averages over the course of his career come out to average nine sacks and 23 QB hits per season. Well, Dunlap might not be a nine-sack guy anymore, but his experience and previous evidence of production might be enough for Denver to take a low-risk, high-reward chance with the former second-round pick.
Whoever the Denver Broncos decide to sign, it's clear thy need to bring someone in.