Both were drafted out of Ohio State by Broncos in 2021 – Baron Browning in 3rd round, Jonathon Cooper in 7th. But in the end, Cooper was the man for the future.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Yes, Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper were teammates the past eight years – four at Ohio State and four more with the Broncos.
They also competed against each other, more than they knew.
The Broncos wound up keeping Cooper with a four-year, $60 million deal that includes $33 million in guarantees, a source told 9NEWS. Meanwhile, the Broncos dealt Browning to Arizona for a sixth-round draft pick, a source confirmed. Cooper signed the deal Saturday at the Broncos Owing Mills hotel in Maryland but kept it quiet so as to not be a distraction from the game Sunday against the Ravens.
Cooper, apparently won the playoff with Browning.
With another outside linebacker Drew Sanders, a third-round pick last year, expected to return to practice this week from an Achilles injury, the Broncos suddenly had a logjam at the outside linebacker position. The Broncos have two other outside linebackers — Deondra Tillman on their 53-man roster and Andrew Farmer on their practice squad,
Browning has elite athleticism of power, strength and speed but he was also injury prone. He had just 9.5 sacks combined — none this year — since converting from inside to outside linebacker prior to the 2022 season.
Cooper, an overachiever-type, has 18.5 sacks the past four seasons, including 5.5 this year.
Cooper has missed just four games in four seasons; Browning has missed 17, a full season’s worth.
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