The Denver Broncos will see a few familiar faces throughout the course of the preseason, but they'll welcome back a guy they traded in the middle of last season when they host the Arizona Cardinals for joint practices later this Summer.
The Broncos got a breakout campaign last year from Nik Bonitto, who ended up leading the team in sacks despite opening the year as the backup to Baron Browning off the edge. Browning wound up getting traded in the middle of the season to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth-round pick, and the Broncos both found him a new home and might have helped salvage his career in the process.
Browning got a jolt of new life with the Cardinals last season after the trade, notching two sacks, three quarterback hits, and 10 pressures in eight games (1 start) for Arizona.
And after his eight-game audition, he shockingly got another shot to come back to Arizona in 2025.
Former Broncos EDGE Baron Browning off to a strong start with Cardinals
Not only did Browning get another "shot" with the Cardinals, but he signed a pretty strong two-year deal worth $15 million and $10 million fully guaranteed at signing. It's a great deal for both Browning and the Cardinals because it not only gives him some financial security but also gives him some stability for at least a year to really continue to elevate his value.
There was a time when it felt like Browning was going to be the next big-time pass rusher in Denver, but injuries really prevented him from fully realizing his potential. As a third-round pick with elite athletic traits -- not to mention playing at Ohio State -- expectations were abnormally high. But Browning managed to keep fans in Denver very intrigued and optimistic about his future thanks to his consistent flashes from his rookie season on.
Unfortunately for him, the team just became too deep and too strong in the pass rush department to justify hoarding him. The decision to trade Browning during the 2024 season was as much about the team "doing right" by the player as it was dumping a failed draft pick. In fact, I would argue it was much more the former than the latter.
Although things didn't work out for Browning in Denver, they'll have to deal with him at joint practices and you can bet he's going to come into that week of joint practices with a chip on his shoulder.