NFL free agency a few weeks away still and NFL teams can still negotiate with players whose contracts will expire in March. Every team has pending free agents they don’t want to lose.
PFF named the free agent each team can’t lose to afford.
You might be surprised by their pick for the Arizona Cardinals.
For Arizona, it is outside linebacker Baron Browning.
Browning turns just 26 years old this offseason after providing the Cardinals with production as a rotational pass-rusher in 2024. He joined Arizona via a trade with the Denver Broncos, and his 77.3 PFF pass-rush grade led the team despite his arrival not coming until Week 10. Browning produced multiple pressures in four of his last five games, as well. The Cardinals still need to find a star edge defender, possibly in the draft, but Browning would be a nice pass-rush piece to keep around.
The Cardinals traded a sixth-round pick to acquire him. It would seem like they intended on retaining him.
The Cardinals have Browning, Dennis Gardeck, Jesse Luketa, Victor Dimukeje and Julian Okwara, all outside linebackers, scheduled to be free agents. That leaves only Zaven Collins, 2023 second-round pick BJ Ojulari and 2024 rookie Xavier Thomas as the only edge rushers under contract.
Browning has a nice upside. He had five sacks in 2022 and 4.5 in 2023.
One would think he would be a priority to retain, but it will depend on what Browning is looking for. If he values himself as an untapped potential sack star, he might price himself out of what the Cardinals are willing to pay.
But as for the most important free agent the Cardinals have, he might be the guy.
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