Mile High Report
According to reports, the Broncos have traded edge rusher Baron Browning to the Cardinals for a 6th round pick.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Denver Broncos have traded edge rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals for a 6th-round pick.
Browning was rumored to be on the trade block and with the trade deadline just a day away, the Broncos decided to move on from him. The Cardinals are buyers now while sitting at the top of the NFC West and add an athletic pass rusher to their defense.
The former third-round pick by the Broncos has played in 43 games for the Broncos while starting 28 of those games. In that span, he has totaled 9.5 sacks but has yet to register a sack this season. He has dealt with injuries throughout his career but despite that, Browning brings a blend of athleticism, explosiveness, and pass-rush upside. He never really hit that potential with the Broncos, but he will look to have a strong second half for the Cardinals.
The Broncos get a 6th-round pick back in return for Browning who is set to be a free agent in the offseason. It seemed unlikely that the Broncos would re-sign him with the likes of Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto stepping up and rookie Jonah Elliss looking promising. These three made Browning expendable and allowed the Broncos to get something for a player they would have likely let walk on the offseason.
With Browning off the team, look for rookie Jonah Elliss to get more opportunities moving forward along with Dondrea Tillman who had a 2-sack game earlier in the season. Jonathon Cooper is also a pending free agent but I would expect the Broncos to try to re-sign him before having him hit the free agent market this offseason. As I am writing this, the Broncos just re-signed Cooper to a big deal so it makes the Browning trade make more sense.
