Could the Indianapolis Colts try to swing a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to acquire superstar safety Budda Baker?
The Colts don’t seem all that interested in re-signing fellow safety Julian Blackmon, who enjoyed a terrific year this past season but is still available in free agency.
Perhaps Blackmon is asking for a price teams are not willing to pay. If he lowers his demands, maybe Indianapolis can try and bring him back.
Or, the Colts can try and go for Baker, who is one of the best defensive backs in football.
Indianapolis could send a third-round draft pick and a sixth-rounder to the Cardinals in exchange for Baker, significantly bolstering its secondary while also providing Arizona with some draft capital.
So, why would the Cardinals trade Baker?
Well, Baker is entering the final year of his deal, and with Arizona appearing to be entering a rebuild, he may no longer fit the team’s timeline.
The Colts’ passing defense was pedestrian in 2023, finishing 16th in the NFL. Adding someone like Baker into the fold would certainly pay dividends.
Baker is coming off of a season in which he played 12 games and registered 87 tackles en route to his fifth straight Pro Bowl appearance.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Washington, was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
It didn’t take Baker long to establish himself as one of the league’s best defensive backs, as he made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection during his rookie campaign.
Baker later notched another First-Team All-Pro in 2020 after racking up 118 tackles, a couple of sacks, a pair of interceptions, a forced fumble and six passes defended.
We’ll see if the Colts make a play for Budda Baker in the coming weeks.
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