Budda Baker is one of the best Arizona Cardinals in recent memory, but historical dominance might not be enough to prevent a trade. A second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Baker immediately showed the world why he should’ve been a first-round pick. Over the years, the safety has earned Pro Bowl honors six times and made two First-Team All-Pro teams. However, he’s now entering the final year of his contract and may not be a part of Arizona’s long-term plans.
At 1-2, the Cardinals are currently two games behind the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks in the race for the NFC West. While it’s far too early to throw in the towel, ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes the Cardinals could trade Budda Baker if the season continues to go south. While most contenders would love to have a player like Baker on their roster, the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers could be the most aggressive in trade discussions.
Chiefs, Panthers Could Trade For Cardinals Budda Baker
The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0 but don’t look like their usual unstoppable selves. Normally led by a high-flying offense, Patrick Mahomes and company have adopted a ball-control offense littered with an abundance of quick passes. We know from experience that the Chiefs offense can figure things out at a moment’s notice (see December of 2023), but the defense might need to do some heavy lifting for the time being. The Chiefs have a reliable secondary, but they could improve the safety position with a Budda Baker trade.
Kansas City’s secondary is far from a weakness, as they wouldn’t be 3-0 without impressive performances against Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Kirk Cousins. However, there is room for improvement, especially at the safety position. While Chamarri Conner looks like a promising young player, Byran Cook and Justin Reid are nothing to write home about. Landing Budda Baker in a trade and pairing him with Conner could be the best-case scenario for this organization, as the veteran could lock down one safety spot while helping Conner reach his potential as a veteran leader. When combined with the cornerback duo of Trent McDuffie and Joshua Williams, Kansas City’s secondary should be good enough to slow down most passing attacks.
Are the Panthers Legit?
Was Bryce Young the problem in Carolina? Based on Week 3’s action, the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’ After looking like a bad XFL offense through the first two weeks of the season, Andy Dalton took over in Week 3 and brought out the best in everyone. The veteran led the team to a comfortable 36-22 lead over the Las Vegas Raiders and now trail the Saints and Buccaneers by just one game in the division race. Perhaps this was just a fluke, but if this team keeps winning, they’ll want to see just how good they can be under first-year head coach Dave Tepper.
Dalton might have fixed the offense, but he can’t fix the defense. Carolina’s secondary is one of the worst in the league, and while Jaycee Horn is solid, the other three starting spots could use some work. Budda Baker would easily be the best safety on the roster, and a trade could turn this unit into a respectable one. Carolina isn’t in a position to give up high draft picks for one-year rentals, but they should pull the trigger if they can get Baker for a late Day 3 pick.
Main Photo: Michael Chow – USA Today Sports
