It appeared the Arizona Cardinals would find them in a situation this offseason where they would have to make a big decision about safety Budda Baker’s contract. Things have changed, even though nothing with Baker has changed.
Baker enters the final year of his contract and is due $14.2 million in salary with no guarantees.
Last offseason, he sought a contract extension and then requested a trade when that wasn’t granted. Eventually, the team gave him a small bonus and guaranteed his salary for last season. However, they are in a similar situation.
He has said nothing publicly and there are no new reports of his unhappiness, but if he wanted an extension or a trade last offseason, it is reasonable to expect he wants the same a year later.
However, the market for safeties for contracts has drastically changed and also the trade market likely has as well with the recent release of seven quality safeties around the league like Justin Simmons from Denver, Eddie Jackson from Chicago, Quandre Diggs from Seattle and Jordan Poyer from Buffalo.
With these releases, he can’t really leverage the Cardinals for a new deal. He is making more than he would probably command on the open market.
And as for a trade request, with good veteran safeties available in free agency, why would a team give up draft capital to acquire Baker to then be expected to sign him to a new contract?
No one thinks that the Cardinals will consider releasing Baker.
Jonathan Gannon, as always, spoke highly of Baker when he was asked about him at the NFL combine. “I know the value that he brings to this organization and the team, and I want to see (No.) 3 out there,” he said.
So what is there to do with Baker?
They can simply do nothing. They don’t need to. They have cap space to work with this offseason. They can let him play out his contract this year and decide whether he is part of the team moving forward. And they can control him next year if they really want him. The New England Patriots used the transition tag on Kyle Dugger, which will pay him $13.8 million in 2024. Using it on Baker in 2025 would pay him around $14 million, which more or less matches this year’s salary. They would have him for his age-28 and age-29 seasons.
They could extend him at a more reasonable number, but that would depend on what Baker seeks. For that to happen, some of these veteran safeties will have to sign new deals.
The top of the market was set with Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield getting the franchise tag, paying him $17.1 million this year.
Earlier in the offseason, it felt like the Cardinals had to extend or trade Baker. Now that isn’t the case.
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