Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker is one of those guys who everyone in the fanbase loves. You root for him and buy his jersey to be worn on game days. You want the best for him and are happy he is patrolling center field for your favorite NFL club.
Early Tuesday, another team made a offer to acquire his services.
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It is reported by NFL Insider Jordan Schultz that the Buffalo Bills reached out to Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort about a trade offer for Baker. Although
Ossenfort considered the offer, it was rejected. The Bills then moved on and traded for S Amani Hooker of the Tennessee Titans instead.
No details on the trade offer for Baker have been made known, but the Titans received a second-round draft pick for Hooker plus a fifth-round selection.
Hooker is in his eighth NFL season, all with the Titans. He has played in 103 games with 74 starts and has 468 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 45 pass defenses, 5 forced fumbles, 17 interceptions, zero 110+ tackle seasons, and 43 missed tackles. He has zero Pro Bowl accolades.
In comparison, Baker is in his 10th NFL season, all with the Titans. He has played in 147 games with 137 starts and has 1,083 total tackles, 55 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, 48 pass defenses, 8 forced fumbles, 9 interceptions, 6 110+ tackle seasons, and 98 missed tackles. Oh yeah, he has been named to seven Pro Bowls and is assured to garner his eighth after this season.
The numbers aren’t even close. Yes, Hooker is a seasoned veteran and a good tackler. He has good interception numbers, but he has yet to have a 100+ tackle season and has zero accolades.
Every player who comes into the league has the same goal of being a part of a Super Bowl team. Since coming to the desert in 2017, the Cardinals, with Baker as a roster member, have won zero division titles, came in second once, went to the playoffs a single season (2021), and lost 34-11 to the Los Angeles Rams, and that is it.
Ossenfort had the opportunity to free Baker from this annual situation. Looking at this year, is Arizona already out of the division title race? The playoff picture?
Certainly, Ossenfort’s job is to secure quality players for the Cardinals’ roster. And that is what Baker is. He is considered the face of the franchise.
Then again, Ossenfort could have done Baker a solid and sent him to a team that has a playoff future every year. They win games and have a franchise quarterback plus a great defense. The Cardinals have, well, Baker. He gave his all to the Arizona franchise, and they still aren’t close to sniffing a championship. Tell Baker that we love him, thank you for all he has done, and wish him well to a playoff contender.
Look at what the Cleveland Browns did for Myles Garrett. They gave him the opportunity, late in his career, to get a ring. Even if the Rams don’t go to the Super Bowl this year or the next, Garrett still has more of a chance with the Rams than with the Browns. And yes, Cleveland got a first-round draft pick in the deal.
And remember, the Bills did not negate the offer – it was Ossenfort. If the Bills gave up a second-round pick for Hooker, it just seems natural to assume that a first-round draft pick would have been involved in the offer for Baker.
Not that we have gotten this information from any NFL Insider or the Cardinals’ front office. But a guy with no Pro Bowls or 100+ tackle seasons versus a player who has been voted to the Pro Bowl for the past seven consecutive years just seems likely.
Right?
