Misfortune again strikes the Arizona Cardinals, this time with Budda Baker wanting out of town. But is this really a bad thing? Not so fast!
The Arizona Cardinals just cannot catch a break in 2023, and we’re still a good three months away from training camp. Now that we got Budda Baker looking for a way out of the desert, it means the team’s best player may not be present if Big Red were to ignore his plea.
That said, if the Cards are either unable or unwilling (remember, this is a new regime who could be looking to bring in its own players) to work things out with Baker, then they need to trade him, as he will be a high priority on many wishlists, and that could be a very, very good thing when you think about it.
Arizona Cardinals would benefit from trading Budda Baker
Sure, it means you can add yet another position of need to the growing list that the Cardinals already have. But the upside is simple: Arizona could acquire multiple first round picks for the former All-Pro, and this team needs to fill as many roster holes as they can with young talent.
One of the best strong safeties in the NFL, expect multiple teams to call general manager Monti Ossenfort in hopes of striking a deal for Baker. And if the Cardinals play their cards right, they could land a first round pick in 2023, and another first in 2024 as compensation.
Imagine, for a second, if the Cardinals trade the third overall pick and they get a second and third round pick out of it in this year’s draft, plus a first and second in 2024, they trade DeAndre Hopkins for a second and a mid-rounder in 2023, and they trade Baker for a first and second this season, plus a first next season. If that were the case, then Arizona would literally have the following:
Round/Year | Number of Picks | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
1st/2023 | 2 | Their own, plus compensation for Baker |
2nd/2023 | 4 | Their own, plus compensation for Baker, Hopkins, and 2023 third overall pick |
3rd/2023 | 3 | Their own, a compensatory pick, plus compensation for 2023 third overall pick |
1st/2024 | 3 | Their own, plus compensation for 2023 third overall pick, and compensation for Budda Baker |
2nd/2024 | 2 | Their own, plus compensation for 2023 third overall pick |
That’s a total of 14 picks in the first three rounds in 2023, and first two in 2024. Now don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see Budda Baker return and be a pivotal part of the defense. But with a new regime in place, why not rebuild this group in their respective image? At the end of the day, trading Budda could be the best thing the Arizona Cardinals could do to accelerate the team's rebuild.