Broncos' 2020 Roster Breakdown: Mike Purcell

Each summer, Mile High Huddle goes player by player to break down the Denver Broncos' roster. That’s right, all 90 of them.

We'll scrutinize each player's history, dating back to college, and what they bring to the 2020 Broncos. Next up? The big, beefy man in the middle — Mike Purcell.

Purcell, who is from Highlands Ranch, CO, was given a shot by the Broncos after being in the failed Alliance of American Football. He has spent a lot of time playing under Vic Fangio since he entered the NFL as a college free agent with the San Francisco 49ers.

Over the years, Purcell has bounced around some, but Denver gave him a shot and he showed up in a big way. After struggling in the middle of their defense in the first four games of the season, the Broncos made a few tweaks, one of which was inserting Purcell into the starting nose tackle position.

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Once that switch was made, the Broncos started playing a lot better defensively against the run. Purcell showed up and stood out as a stout run defender, but he just couldn't generate much pressure on the inside.

Denver added to its defensive line and brought Purcell back on a restricted free-agent tender, mostly because of what he can do as a run defender. He won’t play much, but he can make an impact on this defense.

For a deeper look at what Purcell brings to the table and his 2020 outlook, you check out the video above.

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