The Dallas Cowboys have already shown this offseason they aren’t afraid to be aggressive on the trade market. They filled two of the biggest holes on their roster by acquiring veterans from other teams with deals in the early portion of the offseason.
The first deal that Dallas made was acquiring cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts. He will create a dynamic pairing with All-Pro Trevon Diggs, giving Dan Quinn two shutdown corners at the back end of his defense.
In their second deal, the Cowboys upgraded their offense. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was acquired from the Houston Texans, giving Dak Prescott a much-needed No. 2 option in the passing game behind CeeDee Lamb. Once again the Cowboys have a solid trio with those two and Michael Gallup.
Dallas’ salary-cap situation isn’t great, which led to them being more active on the trade market than in free agency. Could they dip into the trade market one more time to add another impact piece to their defense?
The Cowboys have been named a potential landing spot for Arizona Cardinals star safety Budda Baker. Baker requested a trade from the team a few weeks ago after negotiations for a new contract went nowhere. Playing for a contender would also be something he prefers to do.
What could a trade between the Cowboys and Cardinals look like? A suggested package would be Dallas sending a 2024 second and fourth-round pick to Arizona in exchange for the All-Pro safety.
The Cardinals are probably seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Baker, as that was part of the packages in which the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets received for Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jamal Adams, respectively. However, the contract situation could be a sticking point as both Fitzpatrick and Adams had multiple years on their rookie deal left; Baker is already on his second contract and seeking a raise.
The Cowboys would have to do some salary cap gymnastics to make things work but Baker is worth that effort. He would be a huge upgrade for Dan Quinn’s last line of defense as he could play alongside Malik Hooker or Donovan Wilson.
Baker has the skill set to play either safety position, providing Quinn some flexibility when it comes to the lineup. All three could play at the same time with Baker also capable of playing some slot cornerback when needed as well.
