Broncos add a nose tackle to their defensive line

Looking for some more depth on their defensive line, the Broncos signed fifth-year veteran Tyler Lancaster on Tuesday.

Lancaster spent the 2022 season out of football after the Las Vegas Raiders cut him at the 53-player roster deadline. But before that, he played four seasons for the Green Bay Packers, during which he started 25 games — including 4 playoff contests — and notched 1.5 sacks.

The Northwestern product was a steady, stout run defender for the Packers during his time there. He first cracked their roster as an undrafted rookie in 2018, playing in 12 games that season — including 5 starts.

He’ll find himself in the midst of an intriguing defensive-line competition. Lancaster could find himself grappling with Mike Purcell for a spot in the Broncos’ rotation. Purcell carries a cap figure of $3,786,765, but only $286,765 of that is guaranteed, making him a restructure candidate.

D.J. Jones and Zach Allen appear to have set spots up front. Both came aboard as premium free-agent signees in the last two offseasons. But beyond that, the competition is expected to be wide-open, with Purcell, second-year players Matt Henningsen and Enyi Uwazurike, veteran Jonathan Harris and now Lancaster all among those grappling for spots.

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