Should The Packers Trade For All Pro Safety Budda Baker?

Packers big need at safety, Baker asked to be traded

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So one of the best safeties in the league requested to be traded last Friday. We are talking about Arizona Cardinals 5 time pro bowler Budda Baker. 

One of the biggest weaknesses for the Packers at the moment is safety. With 4 year reliable starter Adrian Amos becoming a free agent and not getting resigned, the Packers have a whole to fill. Could Budda Baker possibly be the answer to the Packers safety problem? 

Yes, he could. I’d love to see him in Joe Barry’s defense. The only issue is of course that we’d have to give up draft capital and bring in his current contract. There was also news that came earlier in the off-season that he wanted to become the highest paid safety. 

First off, draft capital. 

According to Albert Breer he will likely be worth a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick. The Packers would probably use one of those draft picks on a safety in this draft anyways. Trading for Baker you know what you are getting and he’s still only 27 years old. The Packers secondary would take a huge leap forward. Last year there was lots of confusion at times. Baker has been one of the most consistent talents at safety in the NFL in his 6 years in the NFL making the pro bowl 5 different times.

Now, the contract situation. 

He still has 2 years left on his current contract where he is owed $13 mil in 2024 and $14 mil in 2024. His cap hit for 2023 is 16.8 mil and for 2024 17.9 mil. He also wants a new contact and to be the highest paid safety which would be around 20 mil per year. 

That is a lot of money for the Packers to take on right now.

Currently Green Bay has about $21.5 million of cap space. If Rodgers is traded before June 1st we’ll lose around $10 mil more of cap space for 2023. If traded after June 1 his $40 mil dead cap hit will be split up between 2023 and 2024 and his 2023 cap hit would be only $15 mil meaning the Packers would get an additional $15 mil of cap space for 2023. Trading Rodgers after June 1 would make it much easier to take on Budda Baker’s contract. The thing is that may not happen.

Personally I’d rather the Packers Draft a safety this year and use that money elsewhere.

We could use that money to sign another weapon for Jordan Love sometime in the next couple years. I wouldn’t be opposed to the move necessarily, but I just don’t think it’s a move Brian Gutekunst would want to make right now. 

Not going to lie, the Packers current safety room is slightly worrisome. Darnell Savage has been up and down and Amos will no longer be around. I do like Rudy Ford who is back on a cheap contract. Him and Savage could be an okay pair for the time being. If we do draft a safety sometime in the draft we can hope that that player could eventually move into a starting role as they develop.