NFL Trade Rumors: Cardinals DB Budda Baker to Commanders?

Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker wants to be traded. Could the Washington Commanders be his next team?

Jeremy Brener | May 21, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are addressing their secondary this offseason, specifically in the NFL Draft, after selecting cornerbacks Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin in the first two rounds.

However, there's a chance Washington may not be done in upgrading their defensive backs. Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker requested a trade earlier this offseason and has yet to be dealt. CBS Sports believes the Commanders could be a landing spot if he were traded.

"Baker requested a trade out of Arizona earlier this offseason, and given the position that roster is in, it might make sense for the team to grant him his way and begin to restock its cupboard of draft picks," CBS Sports writes. "A high-impact secondary player who plays much bigger than his size (5-10, 195 pounds), Baker has also shown himself to be highly durable, missing only five games in six seasons. He carries base salaries of $13.1 million and $14.2 million over the next two years, and he should be able to maintain a high level of play even beyond that, as 2024 is only his age-28 season."

Baker, 27, recorded 111 tackles last season, his fourth campaign of 100+ in his six-year career. Adding Baker to a defense with playmakers all over the field will help the Commanders in the competitive NFC East with three playoff-bound teams from a year ago. Baker could team up with Kam Curl, Forbes, Martin and Benjamin St-Juste to form one of the more promising secondaries in the league.

Should the Commanders acquire Baker, he'll face his former Cardinals team in Week 1 of the NFL season on Sept. 10.

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Published May 21, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.