The NFC West division leaders made a move to bolster their defense.
The Arizona Cardinals acquired edge rusher Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday, per sources informed of the deal. The teams later announced the trade.
Winning three straight games to take over the division lead thrust the 5-4 Cards from sellers to buyers at the deadline.
With underrated rotational edge rusher Dennis Gardeck suffering a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago, the Cards had a need on the outside. Dante Stills currently leads the Cards with 3.5 sacks.
Through nine weeks, Jonathan Gannon’s unit has played greater than the sum of its parts, ranking 19th in FTN’s defensive DVOA heading into Monday night. During their three-game win streak, the Cards have allowed 17 points per game, including keeping the Bears out of the end zone on Sunday.
Browning became a trade candidate after falling out of the rotation in Denver. He missed four games this season after suffering a knee injury in Week 2 and found himself buried down the depth chart after the return. He’s generated two total tackles in the past three weeks. The move frees up more snaps for rookie Jonah Elliss behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.
Speaking of Cooper, the Broncos locked up the young edge rusher with a four-year, $60 million contract worth $33 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Pelissero reported. In four seasons, Cooper has generated 18.5 total sacks, including 5.5 in 2024, putting him on pace for a career-high.
With Cooper locked down and Browning in the final year of his contract, the Broncos decided to move on from the latter rather than play out the string in 2024.
Browning brings athleticism and talent to the desert with 9.5 career stacks, but a lengthy injury history also follows -- he’s never played a full season in four years. With Arizona currently in the division lead, taking a swing to shore up the defense made sense for general manager Monti Ossenfort.