Broncos agree to 2-year deal with DL Malcolm Roach, source says

Ask Sean Payton what went poorly for the Broncos in 2023 and he won’t get too far down the line before bringing up Denver’s run defense.

The Broncos gave up 5.0 yards per carry, worst in the NFL. They gave up 137.1 yards per game, the No. 30 mark.

They had one particularly bad game — 350 yards allowed in that historic Week 3 blowout loss against Miami — but they also gave up 234 rushing yards against the New York Jets. They surrendered 171-plus on six occasions.

It makes sense, then, that Denver is adding reinforcements in free agency. The Broncos agreed to terms with former New Orleans defensive tackle Malcolm Roach  on a two-year deal that can be worth up to $8 million, sources confirmed to The Post on Tuesday morning.

Roach, listed at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, grades out as one of the better run defenders among interior linemen by some services. Pro Football Focus graded him to have the best “stop” percentage — run plays which he turns into a negative for the offense — in the league at 17.4%.

Roach, 25, went undrafted out of Texas in 2020 and has been a part-time player for the Saints, but he’s appeared in 41 games over his first four professional seasons (25 the past two years). He fits a similar profile to Monday’s safety addition, Brandon Jones. He’s still young, was available at a modest second-contract price and will likely be counted on to play a slightly bigger role in Denver than with his previous team.

One coincidental note: Jones and Roach played together at Texas with Denver’s re-signed safety P.J. Locke and also fellow safety Caden Sterns.