Analyst: Browns, Eagles Should Target Cardinals Star

Multiple teams should be targeting one of the Cardinals' captains.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) before action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While the Arizona Cardinals hope big things are in store for the 2024 season, the status of safety Budda Baker still remains uncertain for the future.

Baker is still scheduled to become a free agent after this season, as he and the Cardinals have yet to strike a deal to keep the heart and soul of the team's defense around longer.

After Arizona's thrilling Week 2 victory that showed what the Cardinals were capable of on both sides of the ball, it doesn't seem likely Baker will get moved ahead of the league's Nov. 5 deadline - though that won't stop the constant-spinning rumor mill.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox ranked Baker as the No. 6 top trade target for teams entering Week 3:

"The more the Arizona Cardinals play like a potential competitor, the less likely they'll be to entertain trade offers for safety Budda Baker. Sunday's 41-10 drubbing of the Rams might be reason enough for the Cardinals to be buyers and not sellers ahead of the deadline—depending on how the next few weeks go, of course," wrote Knox.

"Still, Baker looms as Arizona's top realistic trade chip. He's a six-time Pro Bowler who remains an elite playmaker at 28 years old. He's also set to be a free agent in 2025.

"The Cardinals should expect to receive trade calls if they slide at all before November 5. Even if they're not eager to move him, doing so would certainly yield a substantial draft haul.

"Few teams couldn't use Baker on the back end of their defense. The caveat for interested teams is that acquiring him would likely necessitate a contract extension. Baker has been the subject of trade speculation ever since he requested a new deal or a trade last offseason—though he ultimately agreed to a pay bump over his final two years instead."

Knox goes on to list the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns as teams who are potential suitors.

"Given their ongoing issues in the secondary, the Eagles should be very interested in trying to pry Baker away from Arizona. Philly has a solid safety tandem in C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship, but Baker is a versatile defender who could thrive in Vic Fangio's disguised-coverage schemes.

"The Browns, who haven't exactly been shy about trading for talent, might also consider Baker as a complement to safety Grant Delpit. Cleveland recently placed safety Juan Thornhill on injured reserve with a calf injury."

It's unknown what trade capital Arizona would be in search for - they'd likely ask for a second-round pick but settle for a later pick if they absolutely wanted Baker gone.

The problem? They don't - and Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfrot wouldn't rule out in-season extensions for guys such as Baker or James Conner.

“There’s been discussions with a lot of players. Some of those, it always takes two to get a deal done. Those are individually based and we’ll see how those go as we go throughout the year," he told Arizona Sports previously.

“I don’t know (if) there’s a hard and fast rule about before the season starts and once the season starts (talks are) over. I think those are always case-by-case. Love that both Budda and James, what they bring to our team as captains, both on the field, off the field, what they do for us, both high-level performers.”

As for Baker - it sure doesn't feel like he (or the Cardinals) want to go anywhere. With the potential currently on Arizona's roster, the team likely won't send Baker out via trade.

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