Broncos trade OLB Baron Browning to Cardinals for sixth-round pick

Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post on Nov 4, 2024

Published in Football

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DENVER — The Broncos are making moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline after all.

Denver traded outside linebacker Baron Browning to Arizona in return for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2025 draft, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Browning, a third-round pick in 2021, is in the final year of his rookie contract. He’s been productive when healthy but has missed time due to multiple injuries in his career. Browning missed four games earlier this season with a foot injury — he had a sprain and a bone bruise but no structural damage — but has been active for Denver’s past three games.

Browning told The Denver Post last week that he was happy in Denver and didn’t want to be traded.

“I love it here,” Browning said. “I love my teammates. This is where I was drafted. And I hate moving.”

Browning began the season in Denver’s starting lineup defensively but ended up on injured reserve after the Week 2 foot injury.

Since his return, he’s played significant snaps but done so on the No. 2 line. The Broncos have been starting Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, both of whom have emerged as capable pass-rushers. Bonitto recorded a sack in six straight games and tackled Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson for an 8-yard loss that was ruled a tackle for loss on Sunday.

Cooper signed a four-year contract extension Saturday worth up to $60 million. The tandem moves finalized what had become clear in recent weeks and months: The Broncos were only going to keep one of Browning and Cooper, and Cooper had established himself as the likely candidate to build around at the position.

“Baron was a guy that we all really respect and love,” defensive lineman Zach Allen told reporters Monday afternoon. “We wish him nothing but the best. Going to Arizona, a place that I’m familiar with, I’m sure he and I are going to stay in contact about that, and how to handle that whole transition. Arizona is a spot that I am very appreciative of, so I’m sure they’ll treat Baron really well, and he’ll do great things there.”

The Broncos traded from a position of depth. They’ve seen promising signs from rookie third-rounder Jonah Elliss, who has been working with the No. 2 group all season. The move could mean more playing time going forward for Dondrea Tillman, who has been a healthy scratch the past three weeks but logged two sacks in his NFL debut earlier this season.

Arizona is paying Browning’s salary for the rest of the year, a source told The Post. It’s not a big number — half of his $3.116 million base salary — but the Broncos are tight up against the salary cap, so even a little bit of extra space likely helps Denver structure the Cooper extension and preserve needed room for the rest of the season.