Over the previous two offseasons, the Green Bay Packers haven’t hesitated to make blockbuster moves; yet, they frequently surrendered the big name in exchange for draft picks.
When free agency opens in March, Green Bay may choose to go the other way and pursue a well-known player on a high-profile contract, albeit one that might not tie the team to a pre-negotiated agreement past 2024.
On Monday, January 29, the Scouting Department of Bleacher Report unveiled the Packers’ offseason trade guide, recommending that the team’s top target be safety guard Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals.
The scouts stated, “Green Bay could lose safeties Darnell Savage, Christian Uphoff, and Jonathan Owens in free agency this year.” “Reloading the secondary fast might be aided by negotiating for Arizona safety Budda Baker, who is about to reach the final year of his contract.”
Still one of the best NFL safeties, Budda Baker might help the Packers go deep again in the playoffs.
Baker is a superior safety. In the context of speculative trade offers and free-agency forecasts, that word is sometimes misused, but in Baker’s case, it is the only suitable adjective.
The safety was drafted by Arizona in 2017, and as a rookie, he was immediately named to the first team of the NFL. In seven NFL seasons, Baker has been selected to three All-Pro teams and has been considered for the Pro Bowl in six of those seasons.
In August 2020, Baker agreed to a four-year, $59 million contract with the Cardinals. Prior to the 2023 season, he made an unsuccessful attempt to renegotiate his contract, asking Arizona to either give him the highest salary of any safety in the league or move him. The group chose not to, and Baker went on to play 12 games for the Cardinals and earn a trip to the Pro Bowl once more.
If both parties agree to an extension, Budda Baker is likely too expensive for the packers in the trade.
Despite just having one season left on his contract, Baker is subject to a $19 million salary cap charge, which presents a significant challenge for a team like Green Bay. As of Monday, the organization’s expected cap space was just $4.8 million.
Therefore, it makes more sense for the Packers to acquire Baker through trade and then extend his deal, which would let both parties to modify his terms and immediately reduce his cap hit. It would also take care of a possible weakness on defense going ahead, which will be the team’s main priority this offseason as they look to replace sacked coordinator Joe Barry.
Despite a decline in 2023 in both his advanced analytics and traditional counting statistics, Baker, who is only 28 years old, remains an exceptional playmaker with ample time on his hands. Throughout his career, he has only missed 10 of a possible 115 regular-season games, which is encouraging for his future health.
It’s unlikely that Green Bay would benefit financially from Baker becoming the highest paid safety in football. However, if the new DC thinks Baker fits, increasing his salary to roughly $15 or $16 million a year over the course of three or four seasons may make sense.
By arranging the contract with a sizeable signing bonus, the organization can lessen Baker’s initial cap hit. They can also clear $21 by trading or cutting left tackle David Bakhtiari this summer, which is almost a given given his recent injury issues and a $40 million cap hit in 2024.
