4 former Denver Broncos players who could end up in the NFL

The Denver Broncos have certainly gone through a lot of players in the post-Peyton Manning era. Are these four former players done with their NFL careers? The Broncos said goodbye to a slew of players this offseason as they look to build on what they showed in 2023.

The team was 8-9 during the regular season and finished the year 7-4 after a brutal 1-5 start. The NFL is a business and sometimes you have to make difficult decisions regarding your roster. The Denver Broncos have traded numerous players over the past few seasons, but have moved on for various reasons.

Of the players the Denver Broncos apparently don’t want to bring back, would some of them be able to play in the NFL?

Mike Purcell is 33 years old and has definitely shown his age over the last few seasons with the Denver Broncos. He didn’t play long in the NFL until his third season in 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers. He had a great breakout season in 2019, but it looks like he was simply never able to reach that level of play again.

In 2023, in 16 games, Purcell had zero sacks, 25 total tackles and one tackle for a loss. Honestly, even as a depth option, I’m not sure Purcell was enough. The Denver Broncos added several new faces to their defense this offseason, including two DTs: Malcolm Roach and Angelo Blackson. They also traded for John Franklin-Myers, so it’s hard to imagine Mike Purcell returning at this point.

Given his advancing age and lack of effectiveness in 2023, one has to wonder if his NFL days are over.

Could 30-year-old Fabian Moreau make it in the NFL? In 2023, he played 16 games for the Denver Broncos, nicely replacing the benched Damarri Mathis. Moreau lost some strength towards the end of the year, but finished with one interception, seven passes defensed and 46 total tackles. Moreau was on a one-year deal with Denver through 2023 and remains unsigned.

Honestly, I’d be a little shocked myself if he didn’t end up on a new NFL team before or during the 2024 NFL season, but he’s really just a deep player and can start when needed. There appears to be a deeper than usual group of free-backs in defense.

Teams may then choose to sign younger players who could participate in remediation projects, rather than aging players who have maxed out in the NFL. Fabian Moreau might just end up in the NFL.