The Arizona Cardinals currently sit in first place in the NFC West with a 5-4 record, so general manager Monti Ossenfort is looking to buy at the trade deadline. On Monday, he acquired some extra pass-rush help, as the Cardinals are sending a sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Baron Browning, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
Browning being traded should come as no surprise. NFL.com reported recently that the 25-year-old was, "at the center of trade calls" due to his perceived upside, but his injury history was a concern. Browning started the first two games of this season, but a foot injury then landed him on injured reserve. He returned to the lineup in Week 7, but has not registered a start since then. Browning made one tackle in the 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
NFL Media reports that the Broncos actually just signed another one of their pass rusher to an extension, locking in Jonathan Cooper with a four-year, $60 million deal that includes $33 million guaranteed. Cooper has recorded 5.5 sacks in the first nine games of the season.
The Ohio State product was selected by the Broncos in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He began as an inside linebacker before being moved to pass rusher, and recorded a combined 9.5 sacks in 2022-23. With Browning on the final year of his rookie deal, the Cardinals will get a good look at him before he hits free agency this offseason.
Let's attempt to grade this trade:
Cardinals: B+
The Cardinals are smart to add to their defensive front. While this unit did a nice job pressuring Caleb Williams in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, Arizona had already lost both BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck to season-ending injuries. Something had to be done at pass rusher if the Cards want to hold their lead in the NFC West. Defensive tackle Dante Stills is currently Arizona's sack leader with 3.5 QB takedowns.
Browning has absolutely flashed as a pass rusher over the past couple seasons, and now it's up to Jonathan Gannon to develop him. Injury issues are a real thing since Browning hasn't played a full NFL season just yet, but this is a favorable situation for him to make some money for himself in the coming months.
Broncos: B-
The Broncos chose Cooper over Browning, and made a decision to part ways with the latter for some draft capital. Even though it's a late Day 3 pick. You have to feel like Denver failed to develop its former third-round pick, but he also struggled to remain healthy. The Broncos did the right thing by trading Browning, but what does this say about the EDGE market? It will be interesting to see what other players like Za'Darius Smith may go for before Tuesday's deadline.
