Potential Price Tag for Cardinals Safety Budda Baker Revealed

The Arizona Cardinals now find themselves in a position to trade Budda Baker, but what will that cost other teams?
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The Arizona Cardinals have been heavily involved in trade talks for various reasons through the 2023 offseason. 

Their current possession of the No. 3 pick - especially now that we are just ten days away from the NFL draft - will only see an increase in phone calls for the ability to move down and auction their pick to the highest bidder looking for their next quarterback. 

Receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been on the trade block for some time now and has drawn interest from various teams across the league. A deal has yet to be made for the All-Pro wideout but something figures to happen soon. 

Safety Budda Baker was the latest addition to Arizona's ongoing trade list after he reportedly requested a trade just a few days ago. Baker wants a new contract and a chance to chase a championship - and the Cardinals are in no position to offer either at the moment. 

When trying to assemble a potential trade package for Baker, what can be deemed as fair? Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer went through this topic in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback mailbag:

"Budda Baker would be a good value if you can get him for, say, a second- or third-round pick. I’d heard, from people who know Baker, that this has been brewing for a while, and that the safety was wary about having to start over again, having had the experience of playing for three head coaches his first three years in the league. And now, going into his seventh year, he wants to be traded to chase a championship," Breer said. 

Breer also spoke with a former assistant coach who said Baker still has plenty left in the tank:

“He’s still that guy,” says one assistant coach who’s worked with him. “He’s the leader of all leaders. I’d stand on the table for 10 times over for a guy like Budda, and what he brings to a locker room, classroom, to practice and then you see the way he plays. He’s not changing his style on any of that, it’s who he is, it’s what makes him special. If I had a chance to get him, I’d get him in a heartbeat," said the former assistant. 

One NFC executive told Breer that a second or third-round pick would be the ballpark Arizona is looking at.

"He’s still a high-level player. There’s minimal trade precedent at the position; the Jamal Adams trade to Seattle and Minkah [Fitzpatrick] trade to Pittsburgh are most applicable, both involved 1s [draft picks]. But both players were younger and under contract. You’d think, given the contract issue and positional value, scheme fit, it’d be a second or third for him," said the exec. 

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Donnie Druin
DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!