“Monsanto adds depth to our defensive line and will allow us to be more competitive at that position,” said Head Coach Eric Mangini. “He has a team-first mentality and has valuable experience on winning teams.”
The 6-3, 300-pound product of the University of Virginia has played in 48 regular season games, making 21 starts, over the course of his first four professional seasons (2002-2005) with the Denver Broncos. The native of Hopewell, VA has accumulated 80 tackles, six sacks for -32 yards, three passes defensed and one forced fumble during regular season play.
In 2004, the 2002 seventh round draft choice (#231 overall) moved into the starting lineup for the Broncos and posted a career-high in tackles (30) as the Broncos finished the season with the fourth-best run defense in the league (94.5 yards allowed per game). He has also appeared in two postseason games throughout his career, and made one start.
Pope, 27, tied a University of Virginia single-season career record for interior lineman with 98 tackles, including five sacks, as a senior in 2001 and followed it up on the professional level with a career-high four sacks in his rookie season of 2002.