The Denver Broncos have agreed to trade edge defender Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Denver will receive a sixth-round draft pick from Arizona.
Browning (6-3, 240 pounds) was originally picked by the Broncos in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Ohio State. Browning initially played as an inside linebacker before moving to outside linebacker in his second season.
He has started 28 games for Denver over the last three and a half seasons, totaling 9.5 sacks. Browning recorded 5.0 sacks in 14 games in 2022 and 4.5 sacks in 10 games in 2023.
The 25-year-old pass rusher is a talented player, but he has struggled to stay on the field due to various injuries. He missed three games in each of his first two seasons, seven games last year and four games on injured reserve this fall.
The Broncos have plenty of depth at pass rusher with Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman. Browning is also scheduled to become a free agent in 2025. Those factors combined with Browning’s injury history made him an expendable player for Denver.
Browning will now get a fresh start with the Cardinals and the Broncos will move forward with Cooper and Bonitto continuing to serve as their top two edge defenders.
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