ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Baron Browning didn’t redshirt as an 18-year-old freshman at Ohio State so it was no big whip when he was forced to burn his developmental year as a 22-year-old rookie with the Broncos.
Injuries to Josey Jewell, Alexander Johnson and Micah Kiser at inside linebacker, and the inability of initial fill-ins Justin Strnad and Curtis Robinson to stop the Cleveland Browns from running roughshod over the Denver defense in a Thursday night game back on October 21 caused Broncos general manager George Paton and head coach Vic Fangio to seek more stout alternatives at the position.
A trade for the Rams’ Kenny Young filled one spot and the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Browning got healthy enough to fill the other. After playing little through the Broncos’ first seven games, Browning will start his third consecutive game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Yeah, it changed a lot, going from a special teams role to having to step in and be the starting middle linebacker,’’ Browning said Wednesday in a sit-down interview with 9News. “My outlook on it has been to focus on each week and taking one week at a time, to focus on the day at hand. Like today, I’m just focusing on Wednesday practice and try not to get ahead of myself.’’
Browning was a 5-star recruit – the best of the best – coming out of Kennedale, Texas when he signed with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He played both the outside, pass-rushing linebacker spot and run-stopping inside linebacker spot for Ohio State, which went 45-5 in his four seasons. He finished at outside linebacker but the Broncos were so tantalized by the prospect of moving his rare athleticism to the inside they used a third-round draft pick on him. As a bonus, Browning is wearing the speaker in the helmet as the one who relays the defensive signals from Fangio to the his on-field teammates.
“It’s been fun,’’ Browning said. “I played it before at Ohio State. I made calls at Ohio State as a Mike backer so I was comfortable doing it. It wasn’t like it was something new to me. It was something I had to relearn, I guess.”
The most difficult adjustment he’s had to make since taking on such a responsibility for the Broncos?
“Making sure I got the D-line set,’’ he said. “Make sure they got the call because it all starts up front. But I really don’t think that’s too much of a difficult task.’’
In his two starts, Browning has made a combined 14 tackles with one hit on the quarterback and a tackle for loss. Not bad for a rookie who missed practically the entire Broncos’ offseason program and most of training camp with a hairline fracture in the tibia just below the knee. Upon his return, he had other setbacks as a concussion and back spasms have sidelined him here and there.
In getting through the disappointment, Browning received helpful advice from another highly regarded defensive player whose career has been beset by injuries the past three seasons.
“It was a little frustrating but I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and just try to control what I can,’’ Browning said. “I think also a huge part was Bradley Chubb. I kind of leaned on him a lot. When I first got here he invited me over all the time. We’d go out to eat. Even though he was kind of dealing with his own injury he was kind of like a big brother to me.’’
After Browning’s first start, Fangio said the rookie did OK but made a lot of mistakes. Fangio was less critical of Browning’s play after he played every snap in a 30-16 win at Dallas, a game in which the Broncos held the high-scoring Cowboys scoreless until the final 4 minutes of the game.
“You always have little things you might have to work on,’’ Browning said. “Maybe if you took a bad angle on a play or you didn’t have great hands when taking on a lineman. But I think this past moving forward from my first week I made a huge jump. I didn’t have nearly as many mistakes coverage-wise in the zone. I think each day I’m keeping my focus narrowed on executing and just taking advantage of each day.”
The win at Dallas put the Broncos back in playoff contention, but no one will take them seriously if they can’t beat the 3-6 Eagles on Sunday.
“Each week our focus is going 1-0,’’ he said. “And I think we have the same approach and keeping that same approach of focusing on that opponent each week and not worrying about any outside noise. The only thing that matters is the men in the arena. People in this building.”
Browning missed practice Thursday as his back flared up again but he was active for the game Sunday and was expected to start. Given the way his season started, was he surprised when he was called on three weeks ago when he was pulled aside and told: Hey Baron you’re starting this week?
“I honestly wasn’t thinking about that,’’ Browning said. “I was just glad they called on me and the opportunity presented itself. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity, I wanted to take full advantage of it.”
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