Cardinals Trade For Outside Linebacker Baron Browning

The trade deadline arrives Tuesday at 2 p.m. Arizona time.

The Cardinals made a move ahead of it to help their outside linebacker room.

The team dealt for Baron Browning of the Broncos on Monday, pending a physical. The Cardinals gave up a sixth-round pick for the 2021 third-round pick out of Ohio State who has 9.5 career sacks.

Browning was starting for the Broncos this year before hurting his left foot in Week 2 against the Steelers and going on Injured Reserve.

“I don’t know him personally, but I did a lot of work on him when he came out (for the draft),” said coach Jonathan Gannon, who was the defensive coordinator for the Eagles that year. “I really liked the character and the seriousness of the guy. He’s a well-rounded player.”

According to the NFL’s official transactions list, the Cardinals released cornerback Darren Hall on Monday. That would be the roster opening the team would need for Browning.

Gannon said the Broncos played him at inside linebacker initially when he was drafted and then moved outside when Sean Payton took over as coach last season. He can play all three downs.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder had 4.5 sacks in 2023 over 10 games and nine starts, and five sacks in 14 games in 2022. This season, Browning appeared in five games, without a sack. He will be a free agent after the season.

“I have no expectation other than we’re going to investigate every single opportunity that comes across,” Ossenfort said during Friday’s appearance on Arizona Sports. “If there’s an opportunity that we want to pursue, we’re going to go investigate that as well.

“If something comes together that we feel can help this team, we’re going to be excited to do it. But we also don’t want to make a move just to make a move if it’s not the right move for this team.”

Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. was a teammate of Browning in 2020 at Ohio State, the Covid season in which the players spent even more time together than normal. He called Browning “an awesome teammate.”

“I’ve seen his tape the past two years, just to keep up with the Buckeyes around the league,” Johnson said. “He’s explosive off the ball and I think that’s why he’s able to threaten the edge often. So I think he adds that to the locker room.”

Gannon said he had no details on the Darius Robinson return, other than to reiterate it is a one-day-at-a-time situation. The Cardinals didn’t suffer any serious injuries against the Bears, Gannon added.