Arizona Cardinals Bring Back Young Pass Rusher On A 2-Year Deal

The Arizona Cardinals have been rebuilding for a few years. There have been some positive changes, especially on offense. Marvin Harrison Jr. set franchise records in his rookie year. Trey McBride is one of the best young tight ends in the league. Kyler Murray had a healthy year and has still shown dual-threat ability. The challenge has been on defense. They have not been able to find an impact defender but some quality depth pieces. They re-signed pass rusher Baron Browning to a two-year deal.

Arizona Cardinals Re-Sign Baron Browning

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports the deal is a two-year deal, worth up to $19 million. He split time last year between the Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals. The former third-round pick out of Ohio State played in eight games for the Cardinals and had two sacks, 14 total tackles, and four tackles for loss.

Browning’s best years were from 2022 to 23. In those two years, he had 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. He is likely a depth piece for the Arizona Cardinals’ pass rush. While it may seem like an unexciting signing, depth is essential on the defensive line. The downfall of many defensive lines is when no one has fresh legs in the fourth quarter.

Final Thoughts

The Arizona Cardinals got this deal done at the right time. Free agency officially begins this week, and there are a plethora of great candidates to sign. The NFC West will be easier this year as the Seattle Seahawks have started to enter a rebuild, trading away Geno Smith. San Francisco has their own set of problems. The Los Angeles Rams re-signed Matthew Stafford, and he will likely be the favorite entering this year. If the Cardinals can get some quality pieces this offseason, they could make some noise in the NFC next year.