Tag: Trade deadline

Cardinals will pay all of Baron Browning’s remaining salary in 2024

The Broncos will get some salary cap relief after trading Baron Browning to the Cardinals.

After agreeing to trade a sixth-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for pass rusher Baron Browning, the Arizona Cardinals are set to pay all of Browning’s remaining salary this season.

Browning went into the year with a $3.116 million base salary. Nine games into the season, he is still owed $1.56 million and the Cardinals will pay all of it, according to the Denver Post‘s Parker Gabriel.

It’s not much, but everything adds up for a team like the Broncos who are eating $53 million in dead money this season after cutting quarterback Russell Wilson in the spring.

Denver could have potentially received a compensatory draft pick if Browning walked in free agency next spring, but that would have depended on his next contract and the Broncos’ own free agency moves. Instead of weighing comp formulas next year, Denver decided to take a guaranteed sixth-round pick to trade Browning now.

The Broncos now hold seven draft picks in 2025.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

More trades could be on the way for Broncos

Zach Wilson? Greg Dulcich? Courtland Sutton??? ESPN suggests the Broncos might not be done making trades.

The Denver Broncos took action ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline by agreeing to trade pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

That was the team’s first move, but it might not be the last.

Following the news of the Browning trade, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler took to Twitter/X and re-shared his trade deadline story from last week that outlined potential moves for the Broncos, who Fowler says “might not be done” after the Browning trade.

Last week, Fowler noted the possibility of a Browning trade (which has since happened) and he also mentioned quarterback Zach Wilson and tight end Greg Dulcich as potential trade candidates. Fowler also pointed out that teams have called out wide receiver Courtland Sutton in past years.

Additionally, Fowler wrote that “it wouldn’t be a shock” to see the Broncos attempt to trade for a pass-catching running back ahead of the deadline.

Stay tuned as the trade deadline is now just one day away. We will track any potential moves Denver makes on Broncos Wire.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos’ updated OLB depth chart after Baron Browning trade

The Broncos still have plenty of depth at outside linebacker even after trading Baron Browning.

After agreeing to trade pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, the Denver Broncos still have impressive depth at outside linebacker.

The team’s top pass rusher remains Jonathon Cooper, who just signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension. Next up is former second-round draft pick Nik Bonitto, who leads the team with six sacks this season. Cooper (5.5 sacks) and Bonitto will remain Denver’s top edge defenders.

Providing rotational depth behind Cooper and Bonitto are Jonah Ellis, a third-round pick in April, and Dondrea Tillman, a gem from the UFL.

The depth doesn’t stop there. The Broncos also have Andrew Farmer on the practice squad and the team is hopeful that Drew Sanders (Achilles) will be able to return from the physically unable to perform list this season.

Broncos OLB depth chart

OLB1: Jonathon Cooper
OLB2: Nik Bonitto
OLB3: Jonah Ellis
OLB4: Dondrea Tillman 
OLB5: Andrew Farmer
PUP: Drew Sanders

Denver’s still in good shape at the position after parting ways with Browning. The NFL’s trade deadline is 2:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Broncos agree to trade OLB Baron Browning to Cardinals

The Broncos are trading pass rusher Baron Browning to the Cardinals.

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.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Sean Payton’s brother wants Broncos to be active at trade deadline

“He’s the worst at the trade deadline,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of his brother. “He just wants to see action.”

With the NFL trade deadline now just over 24 hours away, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton has downplayed the impact it has had on his schedule.

“The next 24 hours for me will be just like last Monday, or the following Monday or the Monday prior,” Payton said during his Monday conference call with reporters. “It’s going to be putting to bed the game we just played and then the preparation begins on Kansas City.

“In the meantime, George [Paton] and his staff — there’s always these last-minute calls either way. [He will] keep me abreast. He’ll walk in here if he thinks it’s something significant, but honestly the focus is on the guys in this building right here. Superman’s not walking in.”

Paton will work the phones while Payton remains focused on preparing for the Chiefs on Sunday. Fans would love to see the Broncos make splashes ahead of the trade deadline, with even Payton’s brother, Tom, urging the team to make moves.

“My brother’s the worst at this,” Payton said. “He’s the worst at free agency, and he’s the worst at the trade deadline. He just wants to see action. Then right after the action takes place, he never goes back and reflects and says, ‘Well that was a bad signing,’ or, ‘That was a bad trade.’ I say that — I kid him — but I think that there’s so much more that goes into it relative to whether you’re trading a player [or] acquiring a player.

“Contracts go into it, vision goes into it and locker room goes into it. There are a lot of details that go into that. To answer your question fairly, I’m sitting here with the numbers right now with Kansas City, the depth chart, injury report and scouting report. [I] kind of finished up on Baltimore. Our players are in meetings on Baltimore. That’s where we’re at.”

With a young team, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Broncos stand pat at the deadline. Denver is not one piece away from contending, and as Payton said, Superman’s not walking through the door. It might make sense for the Broncos to keep their draft picks and continue developing the current roster while looking forward to adding more talent in 2025.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

5 takeaways from the Broncos’ loss to Ravens in Week 9

The Broncos lost to the Ravens on the road in Week 9. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

The Denver Broncos (5-4) lost to the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) 41-10 in Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from the defeat.

1. P.J. Locke has been missed: Locke has missed the team’s last two games with a thumb injury and there’s been a noticeable dropoff to Devon Key. Locke himself could be a candidate to lose his starting job in 2025, but he’s certainly better than the depth options behind him. The Broncos will undoubtedly hope the safety is ready to return next week.

2. Courtland Sutton can’t do it all at WR: Sutton hauled in seven receptions for 122 yards on Sunday. No other wide receiver posted more than two catches and quarterback Bo Nix was Denver’s only player to catch a touchdwon pass on Sunday. The Broncos lack playmakers at the position and the WRs behind Sutton (ahem, Lil’Jordah Humphrey) are hurting more than they’re helping. Josh Reynolds (finger) is eligible to return from injured reserve next week and the offense could really use him.

3. Bo Nix is still trending up: It certainly wasn’t a great game from Nix, but the blame for his interception falls on Humphrey. Nix finished the day 19-of-33 passing for 223 yards with one turnover and one touchdown catch. He’s getting little help on offense, but the rookie QB continues to show fight. Nix still has some rookie growing pains to get through, but he has the right makeup to have success in the NFL.

4. The Broncos aren’t true playoff contenders yet: Denver’s 5-3 record going into Week 9 might have been a bit of fool’s gold. Mathematically, the Broncos could obviously still squeak into the playoffs this season as a Wild Card seed, but Sunday’s game demonstrated where Denver stacks up against true contenders in the AFC. The Broncos have a young, inexperienced team that’s lacking in depth due in part to the team’s limited salary cap space. All things considered, a 5-4 record is a respectable mark at this point in the season. But Denver’s more pretender than contender at the moment.

5. Expect a quiet NFL trade deadline: It wouldn’t make sense for the Broncos to trade away future draft capital with a splash move at the deadline. Denver’s not one player away from making a run, anyway. It also wouldn’t make sense to part with a player like Sutton — their best WR — when Nix is developing. The Broncos might stand pat at Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Up next for Denver is a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Seahawks won’t trade DK Metcalf ahead of deadline, per Mike Garafolo

Seahawks won’t trade DK Metcalf ahead of deadline, per Mike Garafolo

One of the bigger talking points in the first half of the season for the Seattle Seahawks has been whether or not to trade star wide receiver DK Metcalf. I emphatically staked my flag in the ground on the position the Seahawks should absolutely not trade away their clear-cut No. 1 receiver.

It appears the franchise agrees with me.

On Sunday morning, league insider Mike Garafolo spoke on NFL Network to discuss the status of Metcalf in Seattle ahead of Tuesday’s impending trade deadline. Garafolo was quick to affirm that Metcalf will in fact remain in the Emerald City for the remainder of this season.

“The Seahawks had hoped they would have him (Metcalf) back this week, but he just needs more time.” Garafolo stated. “He’s got the bye week after that, so look for him to return in Week 11 against the 49ers… and return as a Seahawk! I know there’s been a lot of speculation out there, ‘would the Seattle Seahawks trade DK Metcalf?’ I checked on it with a high-ranking Seahawks source last week. I said ‘there’s a lot of chatter out there, could he possibly be traded?’ I was given a no word reply… Quote: ‘nope!'” 

This is the correct decision. Metcalf is a unicorn. There are not many players out there, in the league or coming down the college pipeline, who have his unique combination of size, speed, strength and playmaking ability. So far in 2024, Metcalf has 35 receptions or 568 yards and three touchdowns. This, of course, after missing last week and will once again be absent against the Rams.

While the Metcalf trade talk looks to be done for the time being, this conversation has merely been tabled, not ended. Metcalf will enter the final year of his current contract next season, where he will most assuredly be seeking a new extension. Why wouldn’t he? He will be 27 years old and is only four scores away from being No. 3 in the Seahawks all time receiving touchdown list.

As we get closer to the 2025 NFL draft and free agency, I’m sure these conversations will resume with even more fervor than before. But for now, Metcalf remains where he should: in Seattle, helping the Seahawks make a push to win the NFC West when he returns.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1360]

Russini: Broncos expected to stand pat at NFL trade deadline

The Broncos are not expected to be active ahead of the NFL trade deadline this year.

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton aren’t expected to make splashes ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline (Nov. 5).

The Broncos have received interest in wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the past, and teams checked in on the status of defensive lineman D.J. Jones this year, but Denver is not expected to be active ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.

“The Denver Broncos love what they are building with their young players, especially after their best offensive performance of the season last week (28 points on four Bo Nix touchdowns),” The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini tweeted on Saturday. “I don’t expect the Broncos to be buyers or sellers.”

In addition to Jones and Sutton, Denver was also expected to receive interest in pass rusher Jonathon Cooper. Jones and Cooper are in the final years of their contracts; Sutton’s contract expires after the 2025 season.

It sounds like the Broncos are content to hold onto their 2025 draft picks while continuing to build on the progress they’ve made with the current squad.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Could Sunday be this 9-time Pro Bowler’s last in Cowboys uniform as trade deadline approaches?

Trading Zack Martin won’t even save the club $1 million on the cap, but could still be the move by Tuesday.

The Dallas Cowboys may soon be in a position to throw in the towel. There are certainly reinforcements coming, but the injuries have hardly been the only issue with the way the 2024 season has unfolded. A lame-duck approach to the coaching staff that spent the offseason trying to convince their roster to go all out despite star-player contract controversies of various magnitude had a negative impact.

And now sitting at 3-4 and traveling to the NFC South leading Atlanta Falcons for an early kickoff, things could be very dire in very short order. The question would then become, would Dallas become sellers at the trade deadline? And if so, would they offload Zack Martin?

Martin is in the final year of his contract, making just under $100,000 a week in salary after he had his base converted to a bonus to spread cap hit off into the future. The nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time First-Team All-Pro guard has been underwhelming this season and it’s hard to tell which factor is most prevalent in his decline.

Martin is playing next to right tackle Terence Steele who is offering zero in pass protection, and also next to rookie center Cooper Beebe. At 33, decline is inevitable for someone who many consider a first-ballot Hall of Fame candidate, and his offensive line coach of the last two seasons, Mike Solari, does not seem to have his finger on the pulse of how to deploy his troops in the best way.

Any and all of those factors are at play, but the underlying point is Martin is set to hit free agency, and other than nostalgia, there’s zero reason for the Cowboys to not explore getting draft compensation from a team in the hunt and in need.

Steelers making calls on multiple WRs at trade deadline, per insider

Insider Adam Schefter brings good news for Steelers fans—potential wide receiver trade targets who could end up in Pittsburgh.

In what has been an up-and-down week for Pittsburgh trade rumors, to say the least, fans of the Steel City are getting a positive update for a change. Insider Adam Schefter reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been in contact with teams to trade for any available wide receiver at the trade deadline.

Schefter continued to name two wide receivers and previously rumored trade targets—Carolina Panthers’ WR Adam Thielen and New York Jets’ WR Mike Williams.

While the Carolina Panthers are expected to sell heavily at the trade deadline, the New York Jets may wait to see how the AFC playoff picture takes shape after Week 9’s games before making any potential moves.

The 34-year-old Thielen is well beyond the prime of his career but could provide Pittsburgh with a veteran presence in the wide receiver room.

Williams, however, may still have plenty of gas left in the tank, as when healthy, the WR is a force to be reckoned with.

Will Pittsburgh pull the trigger on any WR trade, or at this point, is making any trade before the deadline simply a pipe dream?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]