Proposed Trade Sends Broncos’ Edge Rusher to NFC South

Getty Denver Broncos outside linebacker Baron Browning.

One of the few things that’s become clear about the Denver Broncos through the first part of training camp is that the team actually has a really promising group of young edge rushers.

So many of them, actually, that some might be expendable.

ESPN’s Seth Walder proposed a trade between the Broncos and Atlanta Falcons that would send outside linebacker Baron Browning and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the NFC South in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

“Denver could be willing to part ways with Browning because it has quite a few options at edge in Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto — who had 8.5 and 8.0 sacks last season, respectively — along with third-round rookie Jonah Elliss,” Walder wrote “There’s also offseason acquisition John Franklin-Myers, who can play all along the line but played more edge than anywhere else with the Jets last season.”

Browning Could Blossom Into Star in Right Scheme

Browning has shown flashes of potential in his three NFL seasons that seem to indicate he could be a star in the right defensive scheme.

Browning went back and forth from inside linebacker to outside linebacker in college at Ohio State and for his first few seasons with the Broncos.

As a rookie in 2021, the former third-round pick started 9 games at inside linebacker and had 58 tackles but zero sacks. The last two seasons he’s had 9.5 sacks after moving back to outside linebacker. In 2023, he missed seven games due to a meniscus tear but returned to start 9 games and finished with 28 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Browning is in the final year of a 4-year, $4.78 million contract he signed as a rookie.

“Since Browning is a converted off-ball linebacker, he could have some untapped upside,” Walder wrote. “If the Falcons wanted to bet on that, they could even extend him now — Browning has one year left on his rookie deal — to maximize value if he pans out.”

Browning, Bonitto Both Elite Pass Rushers

Browning is currently ahead of Bonitto on the depth chart, and with Franklin-Myers on the other side it seems like a waste to even have one of the three standing on the sidelines while the Broncos’ defense is on the field.

If Bonitto and Browning are looked at as totally equal in the eyes of the coaches — and Bonitto had a career-high 8.0 sacks in 2023 — it would make sense to keep Bonitto because he has an extra year remaining on his his rookie contract.

Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph recently told ESPN’s Jeff Legwold he thinks Bonitto could be “special” after he had a career-high 8.0 sacks in 2023.

“Digging further into Bonitto’s 2023 season reveals that 15.5% of his pass rushes resulted in a first pressure by a defender, good for third in the NFL and tucked between the likes of Micah Parsons, Bradley Chubb and Will Anderson Jr.,” Legwold wrote. “Bonitto’s rate was higher than Pro Bowl stalwarts such as Maxx Crosby, T.J. Watt, Chris Jones and Aidan Hutchinson. That certainly influenced opposing quarterbacks, but Bonitto would like more opportunities — he had roughly 60% of Parsons’ total rushes last season with 258. He’d also like to finish more of those pressures with sacks.”