The Philadelphia Eagles fell just short of winning a Super Bowl in February, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 38-35. The team is in a position to once again challenge for a title, but there will be a few new faces in the lineup, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Philadelphia saw a ton of key contributors and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon depart this offseason. There are younger players in the pipeline that will be tasked with taking on a larger role in 2023, which can be a risky proposition for a team with title aspirations.
The secondary, more specifically the safety position, is where people will be keeping an eye. The Eagles lost C.J. Garnder-Johnson and Marcus Epps in free agency to the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders, meaning the back end of their defense will look vastly different.
To help offset those losses, Howie Roseman signed Terrell Edmunds, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Justin Evans, formerly of the New Orleans Saints. Those two players will certainly help fill the void, but if an upgrade presents itself, the Eagles shouldn’t hesitate to explore it.
One such upgrade could come in the form of Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals. Baker requested a trade from the Cardinals earlier this offseason as he doesn’t really want to be part of a rebuild. He is also seeking a new contract, which he has certainly earned with his performance on the field.
Making a splash on the trade market isn’t anything new to Roseman and the Eagles. During the 2022 NFL Draft, they sent their first-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for A.J. Brown, bolstering their offense in a major way. Baker would be able to provide a similar impact to the defense.
What could a trade between the Eagles and Cardinals look like? A suggested trade offer, with a slight adjustment, could be Philadelphia offering their 2024 first-round pick and safety K’Von Wallace to Arizona for Baker.
Wallace is someone that would help Gannon implement his defense as he transitions from Eagles’ coordinator to Cardinals’ head coach. It is a similar impact linebacker Kyzir White is expected to have, as he left Philadelphia in free agency as well. The first-round pick, even if it is late, is of great value to a rebuilding franchise such as the Cardinals.
For the Eagles, Baker would be a huge upgrade on the players they brought in to replace Gardner-Johnson and Epps. His versatility would provide the team with a lot of flexibility when it comes to formations and defensive alignments.
Baker has made the Pro Bowl in five out of his six seasons as a professional, earning two All-Pro First-Team nominations and one Second-Team. For a player not even in his prime yet, the relatively steep asking price is one a contending such as the Eagles should have no hesitations about meeting.
