The Arizona Cardinals announced a deal before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, acquiring outside linebacker Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos in exchange for their 2025 sixth-round draft pick.
It wasn’t a trade that exciting many fans, many who were hoping for a more well-known pass rusher like Maxx Crosby, Za’Darius Smith, Azeez Ojulari or Arden Key.
But while Browning isn’t a name that moves the needle much, acquiring him made sense for a few reasons.
Why?
Trade cost
With how general manager Monti Ossenfort views the draft, it seemed unlikely he would deal a Day 1 or Day 2 pick for a potential rental player.
The Giants reportedly weren’t going to move Ojulari for a Day 3 pick.
The Cardinals only had to deal away a sixth-rounder for Browning.
He’s better than what they have
While Browning’s numbers aren’t eye-popping, he is a more talented pass rusher than any player the Cardinals currently have on the active roster. He had 9.5 sacks between 2022-2023. Julian Okwara’s 2021 season of five sacks matches Browning’s five in 2022, but that’s it. Browning simply has more pass-rushing talent than Okwara, Zaven Collins, Jesse Luketa and Victor Dimukeje. Rookie Xavier Thomas is promising, but he is also a fifth-round rookie.
Broncos Wire’s Jon Heath described him as a starting-caliber edge player. Right now, only Collins fits that description on the Cardinals. Other guys start, but they aren’t really starting-caliber.
He is young and has upside
Rather than adding a player like Za’Darius Smith, who is 32 years old, they get someone still ideally ascending in the NFL. He matches what the rest of the roster looks like. And, should he stay healthy, he has very good upside.
He won’t be super expensive to re-sign
Browning will be a free agent after the season, but because his production has not been great and he has dealt with injuries, he should be easy to re-sign.
They believe BJ Ojulari will be great. He, for now, is in their long-term plans. Collins has an extension through the next two seasons. Browning probably can be signed for something similar or less to Collins’ contract.
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