Coming out of their bye in Week 6, the Green Bay Packers are hoping to show improvement in a few areas on the field. A lot of attention has been on quarterback Jordan Love, who has struggled at times with accuracy, especially when targeting receivers beyond short routes.
Having a full supporting cast around him will certainly help, as the Packers have dealt with a lot of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Love and the offense have a golden matchup against a Denver Broncos defense that is among the worst in the NFL.
On the other side of the ball, Green Bay has some issues to work through as well. The most glaring weakness remains the safety position. Rudy Ford has played relatively well, but no one else has truly stepped up their performance alongside him.
If the opportunity presented itself to make an upgrade in their last line of defense, general manager Brian Gutekunst would have to think long and hard about pulling the trigger. One player who would be a great fit for the Packers would be Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals.
“Budda Baker would be a player for me I would be more interested in. It’s a clear and obvious need, they don’t have any investment there at all, and would make this team better,” said Peter Bukowski of “Locked On Packers” podcast.
Baker is set to return to the lineup this week after being on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury. This is perfect timing, as the NFL Trade Deadline is set for October 31st, giving Baker two opportunities to show interested teams that he is healthy and ready to go.
He is someone who has been mentioned in trade rumors for months. In the offseason, Baker requested a trade, which was not fulfilled, and an amendment was made to his contract. It wasn’t the long-term deal he was seeking, which could mean trade talks pick up again around him.
The Packers, with some money expected to be coming off the books in 2024, could have the means to pay Baker what he is seeking.
“He would be one of those guys you wouldn’t mind paying while you have Jordan Love on the cheap,” Bukowski pointed out. “I know they don’t have a lot of money and that’s one of the reasons this is all complicated right now, but they could get someone like Budda Baker, you redo the contract, super-low cap hit this year. You can extend it next year when Aaron Rodgers comes off the books, you potentially have David Bakhtiari off the books.”
Baker is the exact kind of safety the Packers need. He is a versatile player, capable of playing alongside other safeties regardless of their strengths. On the current version of the Green Bay defense, Baker’s ability to play in the box and help stop the run would pair well with the coverage skills of Ford.
