Despite boasting a 5-4 record following Sunday’s blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Denver Broncos surprised many on Monday by trading away pass rusher Baron Browning.

Denver dealt Browning to the Arizona Cardinals. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report that the Broncos received a mere sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for Browning.

Browning, 25, was a third-round pick of the Broncos out of Ohio State back in 2021. He put up a combined 21 quarterback hits and 9.5 sacks in two seasons heading into the 2024 campaign.

The pass rusher took a step back this season before being dealt, recording just seven tackles without a sack in five games.

Whether this deal means that the Broncos plan on going into seller mode ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline remains to be seen. But rumors have pointed in this direction for some time. Sure, Denver is in the midst of a playoff race. But general manager George Paton as well as head coach Sean Payton are thinking more about the future than anything else.

That’s magnified by the decision to start rookie quarterback Bo Nix out of the gate this season.

Three Players The Denver Broncos Could Move Ahead Of The NFL Trade Deadline

There are a number of players on Denver’s roster who would receive interest if put on the trade block over the next several hours.

Prior to moving Browning, the Broncos signed fellow edge rusher Jonathon Cooper to a four-year, $60 million contract. Could that have another player or two at this position headed out of town here soon? Here’s a look at some players the Broncos could consider moving soon.

Courtland Sutton, Wide Receiver

Sutton, 29, has been rumored to be on the trade block for some time now. Some of that included a contract stalemate between the former Pro Bowler and his team over the offseason.

Sutton is set to become a free agent after next season and might not fit into the Broncos’ long-term plans. The only issue here would be moving Nix’s top target in the middle of the season.

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If the Broncos do indeed put Sutton on the block, there is going to be a nice amount of interest in his services. Thus far this season, the former second-round pick from Southern Methodist has tallied 36 receptions for 499 yards with two touchdowns in nine games. The Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers are teams to watch.

D.J. Jones, Defensive Tackle

Jones is yet another under-the-radar player who could be had ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. The former San Francisco 49ers sixth-round pick has been a full-time starter since signing with Denver ahead of the 2022 season. He’s among the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the game right now.

The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported recently that Denver will not move Jones. But that could change if the team receives a solid offer for the veteran. He’s been linked to his former 49ers team a lot in recent days. It certainly is something to keep an eye on.

Javonte Williams, Running Back

Williams, 24, came to Denver with high expectations after the team exhausted a second-round pick on the North Carolina product back in 2021. Unfortunately, it has just not worked out for Williams in Mile High.

He suffered a torn ACL four games into the 2022 campaign and has not returned to pre-injury form. Thus far this season, Williams is averaging just 3.8 yards per rush. In reality, it’s been a struggle in the Broncos’ backfield all year.

The backdrop here is Williams’ status as a free agent after the 2024 season. If Denver can get some draft capital for the still-young running back, it will have to think long and hard about dealing him.