Cardinals Praised in National Trade Grades

The Arizona Cardinals did well at the trade deadline, according to various national opinions.

Dec 18, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Baron Browning (56) reacts to a play in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals made a move for an edge rusher, just like everyone expected ahead of the trade deadline, though it wasn't quite a name consistently linked in rumors and speculation.

The Cardinals dealt a sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for edge rusher Baron Browning, adding to a front seven that's massively depleted and potentially boosting a Cardinals team that is 5-4 with first-place dibs atop the NFC West.

The Cardinals did fairly well, according to national grades on the trade:

The Athletic: B+

Jeff Howe: "General manager Monti Ossenfort has been patient and disciplined with his roster construction both through the draft and free agency. His approach has impressed rival executives, and the Cardinals’ rebuild has been on a faster track than many expected when he took over with coach Jonathan Gannon in 2023.

"The Cardinals aren’t going to miss the draft pick — doubly so because they’ve done a good job with their selections for a couple years. Now they’ve got a chance to tap into Browning’s potential. Maybe the defensive-minded Gannon can find something the Broncos hadn’t. Browning, 25, is hardly a finished product."

Bleacher Report: C+

B/R Staff: "The 25-year-old Browning has a lot of natural ability and the potential to win one-on-one matchups off the edge. According to Pro Football Focus, the fourth-year defender has 76 pressures with a 12.4 percent pass-rush win rate since the start of the 2022 campaign.

"The Cardinals needed an injection of athleticism and explosiveness in their pass rush. They bought low on Browning while retaining significant upside for this season and possibly beyond. He's not a needle-mover, but he'll help Arizona."

CBS Sports: B+

Jordan Dajani: "The Cardinals are smart to add to their defensive front. While this unit did a nice job pressuring Caleb Williams in Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears, Arizona had already lost both BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck to season-ending injuries. Something had to be done at pass rusher if the Cards want to hold their lead in the NFC West. Defensive tackle Dante Stills is currently Arizona's sack leader with 3.5 QB takedowns.

"Browning has absolutely flashed as a pass rusher over the past couple seasons, and now it's up to Jonathan Gannon to develop him. Injury issues are a real thing since Browning hasn't played a full NFL season just yet, but this is a favorable situation for him to make some money for himself in the coming months."

USA Today: B+

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: "Arizona's pass rush has been dormant for almost the entire season, with the team posting the NFL's worst collective pass rush win rate (27%) through its first eight games, according to ESPN. Things changed Sunday, when the Cardinals overwhelmed Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears for six sacks in a 29-9 win. But this was truly an outlier performance, with 16 different players registering a pressure, according to Next Gen Stats, against an offense that was clearly unable to adjust to what was being thrown at it."

PFF: B+

Gordon McGuinness: "Browning has played only 79 pass-rushing snaps this season, so he's not seen much action, but he’s earned a respectable 68.0 PFF pass-rushing grade and posted a 74.7 grade last season. At the very least, this move provides solid depth for the Cardinals, with enough upside to make it a worthwhile addition."