Cardinals Re-Signing LB Was No-Brainer

On Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals re-signed pass rusher Baron Browning to a two-year, $15 million deal to stay a member of their pass rush rotation.

While it's not the splash move Cardinals fans were hoping for, the move is a smart, calculated one that doesn't limit Arizona's ability to make a big swing for a defensive front player.

But outside of the external outlook, Browning's re-signing is a move that makes sense for the Cardinals' needs, scheme and depth.

Browning is only 26 years old, and while he's struggled with injury in the past, played in all eight games he was a member of the Cardinals for in 2024.

Considering Arizona traded a draft pick for his services, it was a no-brainer to re-sign him to a deal that is anything but limiting in nature.

And while Browning's stats don't jump off the page, he profiled as one of the more underrated pass rushers in the NFL in 2024. He graded out well with a 76.3 PFF pass rush figure, and while he's not much of a run defender, he's exactly the right type of player to rotate in for some extra juice.

He also recorded 25 pressures over just 215 pass rush snaps. That's over a 10% pressure rate. While sacks admittedly matter more, Jonathan Gannon has expressed his philosophy that getting to the quarterback and disrupting the play is ultimately the most valuable asset in a defensive pass rusher.

That might sound obvious, but it's something to keep in mind when looking at Browning's meager two-sack season in 2024. He did more than just bring the QB down.

Granted, Browning likely won't be exceptionally effective without a big presence in the interior, or some high-end edge talent for him to complement, but his ceiling is extremely high if he can remain healthy and get into games on a situational basis.

Gannon loves to rotate his defensive players, and part of building a defensive line that brings so much juice is acquiring high-motor, situationally-applicable players to team-friendly deals. GM Monti Ossenfort did just that with this re-signing.

This, of course, is no excuse to continue the pursuit of a big-name free agent or trade. Names like Trey Hendrickson and Josh Sweat should still be high on Ossenfort's to-do list.

But the Cardinals retain their depth and keep a high-ceiling young player around for another two years, without having to break the bank. The move isn't something that'll sell jerseys, but it just might help Arizona's defense continue to trend up.