3 trade options, 2 free agents for Broncos defensive line

Ahead of training camp, it was announced that Denver Broncos defensive lineman Mike Purcell was being placed on the Non-Football Injury list, and edge rusher Baron Browning was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. The day after those announcements, news came out regarding DL Eyioma Uwazurike, who got suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league's gambling policy. Because of that, the second-year player will miss at least the 2023-2024 season and possibly more, and his job with the Broncos was put at risk.

With that being said, the Denver Broncos have, at least right now, a lack of defensive linemen, and should look to add an edge rusher. As of today, excluding Uwazurike, Purcell, and Browning, the defensive linemen and edge rushers on the Broncos roster are:

Current Denver Broncos defensive line options

- DJ Jones (Starter - 15 games, 34 tackles, 4 QB hits, 2 sacks, and 6 pass breakups in 2022)
- Zach Allen (Starter - 13 games, 47 tackles, 20 QB hits, 5.5 sacks, and 8 pass breakups for AZ in 2022)
- Matt Henningsen (Starter as of today, replacing Eyioma, 17 games, 0 starts, 21 tackles, 1 sack in 2022)
- Jonathan Harris (14 games, 4 starts, 30 tackles in 2022)
- PJ Mustipher (Undrafted rookie - 0 games)
- Jordan Jackson (0 games)
- Elijah Garcia (2 games,1 tackle in 2022)
- Haggai Ndubuisi (0 games)
- Tyler Lancaster (0 games for DEN - has not played since 2021)

EDGE:

- Randy Gregory (Starter - Played in only 6 games, 12 tackles, 7 QB hits, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles)
- Frank Clark (15 games, 39 tackles, 13 QB hits, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 safety for KC in 2022)
- Jonathon Cooper (14 games, 48 tackles, 7 QB hits, and 2 sacks in 2022)
- Nik Bonitto (15 games, 14 tackles, 3 QB hits, 1.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble in 2022)
- Aaron Patrick (5 games, torn ACL, 3 tackles in 2022)
- Christopher Allen (0 games)
- Thomas Incoom (Undrafted rookie - 0 games)
- Marcus Haynes (Undrafted rookie - 0 games)

With the above being said, the Denver Broncos must add at least one defensive lineman and an edge rusher to the roster as soon as possible. Purcell still was probably not going to be a starter, and Eyioma will likely get cut. Additionally, Baron Browning, who plays at the edge, is recovering from an injury, so moves are needed. Some names were already mentioned, so I'm focusing this one, on names that were not mentioned and trade candidates!

2 free agent options, 3 trade candidates for Broncos DL

Free Agents:

Matt Ioannidis, Yannick Ngakoue, Carlos Dunlap, and Chris Wormley were previously mentioned, so in this article, I will mention three more (two DLs and one EDGE)...

1. Shelby Harris:

Shelby Harris was one of the three veterans sent to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade. He knows the Broncos' defense, as he was on the team when new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was Denver's head coach.

In his only season with the Seattle Seahawks, Harris started 15 games, missing two, and had the following stats: 44 tackles, 6 QB hits, 2 sacks, and 4 pass breakups, which is more than what Matt Henningsen (the projected starter following Eyioma's suspension at the moment) had last season. Adding Harris to this young Denver defense would make a lot of sense, more veteran presence, an experienced player, who knows how this defense works, and a leader.

2. Ndamukong Suh:

Like Shelby Harris, Suh is a very experienced player, a Super Bowl Champion, and a guy that can bring a veteran leader presence to the young defensive line. Suh, who was the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft has still some gas left in the tank.

A team like the Denver Broncos can definitely make sense for him, especially after the Uwazurike suspension and Purcell injury. If they get Suh it will likely be a one-year deal since he is 36 years old. Last season, he appeared in eight games for the Philadelphia Eagles and had 10 tackles, 2 QB hits, and one sack in the regular season. During the Playoffs, Suh played in all three games and had two tackles and three QB hits.