The Denver Broncos need to find a stout defensive tackle as they look ahead to the 2024 NFL season. On Wednesday, the Broncos signed a potential developmental prospect at nose tackle who could step into a role if he impresses during training camp.
Denver Broncos sign Rashard Lawrence to futures deal
The Denver Broncos announced on Wednesday that they have signed former Arizona Cardinals nose tackle Rashard Lawrence to a futures contract.
Lawrence was a fourth-round draft pick (131st overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2020 NFL Draft. He didn’t make Houston’s roster.
Lawrence wasn’t on any active roster in 2023 but floated around the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans practice squads this past season.
One thing the Broncos need to find going into 2024 is a nose tackle who can create consistent interior penetration in the pass rush department and someone who can plug the run effectively inside the A and B gaps.
Lawrence is a 6’2, 308-pound nose tackle who has three NFL seasons under his belt, all with the Cardinals, where he played under current Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The fourth-year veteran has appeared in 25 games over the course of his three-year career in Arizona from 2020-2022, with 13 total starts defensively. He has one career forced fumble and 30 total tackles.
As the team prepares to navigate an offseason where they’re expected to part ways with quarterback Russell Wilson, general manager George Paton has already acknowledged the team won’t be very active during the first wave of free agency, which happens on March 13th at 2:00 p.m. MT.
Between now and then, the Broncos will have to find a way to become cap-compliant, as they’re currently $24M over the cap for 2024. The team won’t be able to go out and spend big money to address the defensive line, which needs to be revamped going into the next season.
Veteran nose tackle Mike Purcell is set to become an unrestricted free agent, as is defensive end Jonathan Harris. D.J. Jones and Zach Allen are the only two starters on the defensive line right now that will be back in 2024, and the depth behind them is considerably young and lacks overall experience.
That doesn’t mean players like Lawrence, Elijah Garcia, Jordan Jackson, and Matt Henningsen can’t take strides forward and become even better during the offseason, but it’s hard to envision that the team is going to stand pat and not look to upgrade a position group that had an inconsistent productional impact in 2023.
