Cardinals address need for pass rusher
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Arizona Cardinals
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Denver Broncos
Date of completed trade: Nov. 4
ARIZONA RECEIVES:
GRADE: B
DENVER RECEIVES:
- 2025 sixth-round draft pick
GRADE: B-
Arizona needed help off the edge, with
BJ Ojulari out for the season and underrated rotational rusher
Dennis Gardeck recently suffering an ACL tear. With the Cardinals finding themselves atop the NFC West, it was good to see them take a swing at the deadline. Why not try to stay ahead of the crowd?
Through nine weeks, Jonathon Gannon's defense has been solid, if unspectacular. The back seven makes up for the lack of pressure up front, and the coaching staff has been able to scheme up sacks from a multitude of spots without the benefit of having one premier pass rusher. Thirteen Cards have at least half of a sack, and
Dante Stills leads the way with 3.5 -- tied for 46th-most in the NFL. The Cards rank 28th in the NFL with a 29.5% QB pressure rate, per Next Gen Stats. Help was needed if they're to keep finding ways to win.
Browning owns athleticism and the talent to win off the edge, but injury issues have slowed the former third-round pick. He's never played a full season and suffered a foot injury in Week 2 that put him on IR for four weeks. Browning compiled 9.5 sacks in 2022 and 2023 combined, flashing some playmaking ability off the edge. The Cards will attempt to coax more from the former Ohio State product than he showed in Denver.
Given his injury history, along with the fact that he'd all but fallen out of the rotation and is in the final year of his contract, the market likely wasn't filled with suitors for Browning. In the three games since coming off IR, he played fewer than 35 snaps in each tilt and totaled two tackles. By making the trade, Denver freed more reps for rookie
Jonah Elliss behind
Nik Bonitto and
newly extended Jonathon Cooper.
With the Broncos handing Cooper a new contract, it was unlikely Browning would have returned to Denver in 2025. Instead of playing out the string, Denver moved on and netted a Day 3 pick. Yes, they're still in the playoff picture in a muddled AFC, but the move underscores that this is still a rebuild under Sean Payton. Getting youngsters more playing time should be part of the plan down the stretch.