Feb. 22, 2000 By Len Pasquarelli SportsLine Senior Writer

For the second time in a week, the Denver Broncos have acquired a defensive end. For the second time in a week, the Atlanta Falcons have lost one.

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SportsLine learned late Tuesday that the Denver Broncos have signed unrestricted free agent Lester Archambeau, a 10-year veteran who played the past eight seasons with the Falcons.

The contract is for seven years, a deal typical of those negotiated by the Broncos so they could extend the signing bonus over a longer period. Archambeau visited with coaches and team officials on Monday and stayed over Tuesday to sign the contract before flying home to Atlanta.

The former Stanford standout will add depth for the Broncos and likely will be in a rotation that includes right end Maa Tanuvasa and left end Kavika Pittman, an unrestricted free agent from the Dallas Cowboys who was signed last Saturday. Archambeau's departure from Atlanta means the Falcons have lost both their starting ends from the last three years. Right end Chuck Smith signed last week with the Carolina Panthers.

While his play slipped a bit in '99, Archambeau's decline is largely attributable to injuries. He still started 15 games and had 56 tackles, 5½ sacks and three pass deflections. In each of the previous two seasons, Archambeau, 32, has posted career bests in sacks, getting 8½ in 1997 and 10 in 1998, when the Falcons advanced to Super Bowl XXXIII.

Archambeau is a bright and articulate player who is a positive force in the locker room and he is often a voice of reason among veteran players.

He entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 1990 draft. After three seasons in Green Bay, he was dealt to the Falcons in what was thought to be a minor trade. But the player sent to Green Bay, wide receiver James Milling, never played even a down for the Packers, while Archambeau became a solid defender in Atlanta. In terms of return on investment, it was one of the best trades ever made by former Atlanta personnel director Ken Herock.

In 10 seasons in the league, Archambeau has played in 144 games, with 90 starts. All of those starts came with the Falcons. He has 503 tackles, 36½ sacks, 19 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. He also has one interception.