At some point in the near future, the Denver Broncos are going to probably face a tough decision when it comes to edge rushers Baron Browning or Jonathon Cooper.
In the end, the Broncos might not be able to keep both players on the roster as they become unrestricted free agents in 2025.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder projects Cooper will leave the Broncos in free agency and sign with the Super Bowl contender Detroit Lions after the season. Cooper is in the midst of what could be his first Pro Bowl season and has 26 tackles with 4.5 sacks, 22 QB pressures and 1 forced fumble through 7 games.
“Even if (Aidan) Hutchinson makes a full recovery by the start of next season, Detroit could use another edge-rusher since (Marcus) Davenport is only on a one-year deal,” Holder wrote. “Cooper may not be the biggest name on the market, but he’s been a very productive pass-rusher over the last two years. According to Pro Football Focus, the 26-year-old had 55 pressures on 421 pass-rush snaps in 2023 and has 24 on 168 through six games in 2024. He’s also racked up 13 sacks during that timeframe and currently has a career-high 79.0 run defense grade from PFF.”
Sports Illustrated’s Bob Morris used the 3-year, $51 million contract Bryce Huff signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency in March 2024 as the template for Cooper’s potential deal.
“If Cooper continues to play at his current level, a three-year, $56M deal with $35M guaranteed would be reasonable,” Morris wrote. “If the Broncos get a deal done during the season, they could consider an option bonus for 2025 to lower his cap number that year, but it’s not absolutely necessary.”
Jonathon Cooper gets the sack here working against Tristan Wirfs. Jordan Jackson does a terrific job of winning his one-on-one against the left guard, coverage is tight across the board.
Broncos Have Pair of Ohio State Edge Rushers
The Broncos got both Browning and Cooper out of Ohio State in the 2021 NFL draft, taking Browning in the third round (No. 105 overall) and Cooper in the seventh round (No. 239 overall).
Of the 2 players, Browning might have more upside but it’s been Cooper who has continued to deliver. That includes career highs of 72 tackles, 55 QB pressures and a team-leading 8.5 sacks in 2023, when he started all 17 games.
Through 3-plus seasons, Cooper has 17.5 sacks and Browning has 9.5 sacks.
“However, the Broncos might not be able to keep Browning and Cooper, which could be another reason they took edge rusher Jonah Elliss in the third round of April’s draft,” wrote the Denver Post’s Ryan McFadden. “If Denver happens to face that dilemma, Cooper may have the edge due to his ability to stay on the field. Browning played in his third game of the season on Thursday against New Orleans. He missed the previous four games while on injured reserve with a foot injury and missed seven games during the 2023 season.”
Bosa Highest-Paid Edge Rusher in the NFL
There’s the possibility Cooper’s great run in 2024 could propel him into an even higher stratosphere of NFL edge rushers — look at it like the higher his sack total goes, the higher his eventual contract will be.
While the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL is San Francisco 49ers superstar Nick Bosa (5 years, $170 million), it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that if Cooper could hit 10 sacks in 2024, he could see his bottom line go up to $70 million for his contract — an increasing number for every sack after that as well.
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Broncos’ Potential $56 Million OLB Projected to Land in NFC North