Report: Broncos RFA Tender Mike Purcell at Second-Round Level

What a difference a day can make. The Denver Broncos passed through most of the 48-hour legal tampering window without making a move to replenish their depleted defensive line.

That all changed early on Wednesday morning, as the Broncos acquired five-time Pro Bowl DL Jurrell Casey via trade from Tennessee. Denver gave up a seventh-round draft pick in exchange.

Shortly after the Casey move was made, and in the wake of losing out on the D.J. Reader sweepstakes, the Broncos officially tendered restricted free-agent nose tackle Mike Purcell as the second-round level, according to 9NEWS' Mike Klis.

Purcell joined the Broncos last spring on the heels of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) closing up. As a former Vic Fangio pupil in San Francisco circa 2013-16, Purcell brought experience to the table and went from being a long-shot to earning a place on the 53-man roster.

After the Broncos got out to an 0-4 start and Fangio's defense struggled to implement his vision, the head coach decided to make some personnel changes to the front seven. Shelby Harris was moved from nose tackle to right defensive end, while Purcell was plugged in at nose. The moves also resulted in Josey Jewell taking a seat and Alexander Johnson replacing him at inside linebacker.

The front-seven tweaks had a galvanizing effect on the Broncos' defense and the team would win its first game on the road vs. the L.A. Chargers in Week 5. From there, Purcell was a fixture on the defensive line, making his presence felt throughout the season.

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Purcell would start seven games at nose tackle for Denver, posting a whopping 48 combined tackles (28 solo), eight tackles for a loss, and two QB hits. At 28 years old, Purcell is currently in his prime, making the team's $3.2 million, one-year investment into him a sound one.

The 6-foot-3, 328-pound trenchman projects as the Broncos' day-one starter at nose tackle, with Casey taking one of the defensive end spots upfront. The Broncos still need to fill the other defensive end slot, whether that be via an outside addition, or by rekindling things with Derek Wolfe or Shelby Harris.

Purcell joins OL Elijah Wilkinson as the only two RFAs to receive a tender from the Broncos this spring, with a handful of exclusive rights free agents also getting tendered. The new league year opens at 2 pm MDT on Wednesday. Drivers, start your engines.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.

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