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Report: D-lineman Earl Mitchell to meet with Broncos on Wednesday

Feb 20, 2017, 12:00 AM | Updated: 8:16 am

As the Denver Broncos look to shore up its run defense, the club will reportedly meet with a free agent familiar with new head coach Vance Joseph.

Denver and seven-year defensive lineman Earl Mitchell will meet at the team’s UCHealth Training Center facilities on Wednesday, according to 9News Broncos Insider Mike Klis.

Denver will be the third of four stops on Mitchell’s free agency tour. He’ll visit with the Seattle Seahawks starting Monday, the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, and the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, according to Klis.

Mitchell played under Joseph, then Miami’s defensive coordinator, during the 2016 season, and he also played for Broncos defensive line coach Bill Kollar in Houston as a member of the Texans from 2010 to 2013.

Joseph was the secondary coach for the Texans at the time also.

Mitchell could help a beleaguered Denver rush defense that fell significantly from 2015 to 2016 with the departure of Malik Jackson to Jacksonville in free agency and the loss of Vance Walker to a torn ACL in training camp.

The Broncos, while ranking fourth in total defense last season on the backs of the NFL’s top-ranked passing defense, graded out as the No. 28 rush defense in the league last season.

Denver yielded 2,085 yards (130.3 yards per game) on 482 rushing attempts, the most of any team in the NFL aside from the 49ers and Cleveland Browns.

In a 3-4 defense, Mitchell would likely play defensive end, leaving Denver still short of a nose tackle with Sylvester Williams likely to test free agency come the league’s new year starting March 9.

Mitchell was due to make $4 million in 2017 but was released alongside fellow defensive lineman Mario Williams and tackle Branden Albert to help Miami clear $19.7 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.

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