The team recently brought in two experienced defensive linemen in Breeland Speaks and Shelby Harris for visits. The team is certainly wanting to add to this thin unit. With Mike Purcell not on the field and Eyioma Uwazurike suspended for gambling, the Denver Broncos defensive line is quite thin. Sure, Uwazurike and Purcell figured to be depth pieces for the team, but this unit has certainly taken a blow.
Over the past week or so, Denver has done their homework on free agent defensive linemen. One that seems to be universally thought of as a good move is Shelby Harris, who formally visited with the team in July. Harris was a solid fixture on the team's defensive line for years but was shipped to the Seattle Seahawks as a part of the Russell Wilson trade.
With Seattle rebuilding their defensive line this offseason, Harris was a part of the changes, as he was cut from the team. Now a free agent, Harris potentially back with the Denver Broncos makes a lot of sense for many reasons. He's still a starting-caliber player, is a competent interior pass rusher, and has a ton of familiarity with the team. The fit seems to be seamless.
The second action Denver took was working out Breeland Speaks, another free agent defensive lineman.
Besides ILB Austin Ajiake, who they signed, Broncos also worked out ILBers Chris Garrett, and Olasunkanmi and DE Breeland Speaks today. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) August 3, 2023
Speaks isn't too well known, but he was a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs back in the 2018 season. In 16 games, he had 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and eight QB hits. He hasn't appeared in an NFL game since then, so this isn't some type of major event. He'd be a bottom-of-the-depth-chart type of signing, but this definitely paints a bigger picture: Denver sure wants to add to their defensive line.
And I think that is the right mindset to have. Their projected starting line of Zach Allen, DJ Jones, and Frank Clark is quite encouraging, but the depth behind them is a bit suspect at best. Matt Henningsen and Mike Purcell figure to be the top players at the backup spots, but that hinges on Purcell being healthy. Uwazurike is obviously out of the picture, and may not suit up in the NFL again.
The team also signed former Green Bay Packer Tyler Lancaster in free agency. Lancaster has 59 regular-season games of experience in the NFL and has started 21 of them. He's another depth piece. Overall, though, the unit isn't the best. They do need a boost, and I think that can come along the defensive line or with the outside linebacker position. In that instance, someone like Justin Houston would make a ton of sense if Denver wants a veteran presence there.
Do not be surprised if Denver adds to their defensive line soon.