If the Arizona Cardinals aren’t playing like a playoff contender leading up to the Nov. 5 trade deadline, GM Monti Ossenfort will likely field offers for All-Pro safety Budda Baker.
Last year, Budda Baker sought a new deal and requested a trade from the Cardinals He walked back on it after the two sides agreed to a restructured deal that added pay raises to his contract.
The Cardinals are still in rebuilding mode, and the 28-year-old Baker is entering the final year of his contract. So unless Arizona is willing to meet Baker’s asking price on a contract extension, Ossenfort’s best bet is to shop the veteran Pro Bowler at the deadline.
Just about any Super Bowl contender would love to add Budda Baker to their roster, but the New York Jets are the most logical landing spot for the six-time Pro Bowler. They need to upgrade the safety position and are in win-now mode with 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Veteran Chuck Clark and 25-year-old Tony Adams are listed as the two starting safeties on the Jets’ depth chart. Though both are above-average starters, neither Clark nor Adams bring the game-changing abilities that Baker boasts.
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The Jets have arguably football’s best cornerback in Sauce Gardner and a quality veteran in DJ Reed at his side. But if they added a superstar like Baker to the secondary, the Jets would be that much closer to a Super Bowl championship.
What Jets Should Offer Cardinals For Budda Baker
New York should offer Arizona one of their two 2025 third-round picks (they own the Detroit Lions’ third-round selection) and 2026 fifth-round picks for Budda Baker. If the Cardinals want more, the Jets could throw Clark or Adams into the deal.
With Baker on an expiring contract, Arizona can’t expect a first or second-round pick unless he signed an extension with his new team. So this would be a reasonable price for an elite safety whom Arizona could otherwise lose for nothing in 2025 free agency.
