3 players the Arizona Cardinals must trade to actually be in tank mode
By Sion Fawkes
3 - Budda Baker
And finally, we got Budda Baker, who actually wanted out of the desert earlier this year, but the Cards decided to give their star safety a raise and keep him around. He’s also the reason I’m 100% convinced that the team isn’t tanking - you simply don’t give a perennial Pro Bowler and former All-Pro a raise to keep him in town if you are tanking.
Baker has been doing and saying nothing but the right things since he reached an agreement with the Arizona Cardinals. Therefore, it would probably shock the entire fanbase if the Redbirds traded him before Week 1, or even at any point during the season.
He also makes up for a solid, young defensive core that includes other potential long-term starters like Marco Wilson, Zaven Collins, and Jalen Thompson. And these are just guys who produced last season, so we aren’t counting rookies or potential-laden talents.
Further, if the Cards traded Baker, they didn’t just lose one of the league’s best safeties, but also a leader. While losing players like Conner and Humphries would start the trend southward for the Cards, they would fully be in tank mode if they traded Baker. But don't worry, because you won't see Ossenfort moving Baker or any of the players mentioned in this piece.
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(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)