In an indication that Vance Joseph will be retained as defensive coordinator, the Denver Broncos signed nose tackle Rashard Lawrence to a reserve/future contract, the team announced Wednesday.
A 2020 fourth-round draft pick, Lawrence spent his first three NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, playing under then-DC Joseph. He appeared in 25 games, with 13 starts, recording 21 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, and one forced fumble across 497 snaps.
Released at final cuts last August, the 6-foot-2, 308-pound lineman yo-yoed between various practice squads in 2023 — from Miami to Carolina to Houston, who cut him on Jan. 17.
Prior to entering the league, Lawrence was a four-year contributor for the LSU Tigers, totaling 47 solo stops, 20.5 TFLs, nine sacks, seven pass deflections, one FF, and a fumble recovery while earning second-team second-team All-SEC honors in 2019.
"Plays with dog mentality and is ready to turn any rep into a street fight if he needs to," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft scouting profile. "Lawrence's leadership and toughness stand out on the defensive side of the ball. He plays with pain and never shortchanges teammates in the effort department. He needs to play with better control of his feet and motor to improve consistency and balance at the point of attack. He can get some pocket push going from time to time but is likely to come off the field on passing downs. If his medicals check out, he could become a solid rotational defensive lineman."
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