The Green Bay Packers turned a lot of heads at the end of this past season, going 6-2 down the stretch, making the playoffs, and destroying the favored Dallas Cowboys before being eliminated in the next round by the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers.
Despite the team being young– the youngest to win a playoff game since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger– the crew performed well and played with increased confidence as the season wore on. Quarterback Jordan Love, who drew some question marks from fans and media prior to the season, played like the star many thought he’d become, working with maturity as the leader of the upstart offensive squad.
But while the future may be bright in Green Bay, there are still areas that need improvement. If a Super Bowl run (or, at the very least, a deeper run in the playoffs) is in their immediate future, weaknesses needs to be addressed.
Addressing Safety Needs With Budda Baker
One of those weaknesses appears to be at safety, where the team may lose Darnell Savage to free agency, as well as Jonathan Owens and Christian Uphoff. The Packers are generally not known for big-ticket free agency pickups, so it might be unlikely that they’d go that route to re-stock the position.
However, an impact player to help fill the vacancies may be available via trade– Arizona Cardinals six-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker.
The seven-year veteran is in the last year of his 4-year, $59 million deal with Arizona and would appear to be an odd business fit for a Packers front office which has been conservative with its acquisitions. It would be especially odd since the team is currently working with less than $8 million in cap space according to Over the Cap.
Making Budda Fit
But Matthew Schmidt of NFL Analysis is among several analysts who feel that the Packers could bite the bullet and make this trade as a team that feels it may be just one or two elite impact players away from making a serious Super Bowl bid next season. And, conversely, the Cardinals may be looking to deal existing players for team-building draft capital.
“The Packers could send a 2024 second-round draft pick to Arizona in exchange for Baker,” wrote Schmidt, “which would provide Green Bay with a terrific Savage replacement and give the Cards a valuable draft asset to use toward the probable retooling of their roster.”
The minds behind the Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department also feel that the trade would provide an immediate boost to the team’s defense:
“Green Bay could potentially lose safeties Jonathan Owens, Christian Uphoff and Darnell Savage in free agency this year. Dealing for Arizona safety Budda Baker, who is entering the final year of his contract, could help reload the secondary quickly.”
Of course, making such a deal would require some budgetary gymnastics for a team walking a financial tightrope, like the Packers are. Bringing Baker aboard would probably require Green Bay to immediately cut a contract extension with the veteran to shift around resources and make the big-earning starter a better money fit.
But Baker would be worth it.
What Budda Baker Would Bring To The Packers
The 28-year-old is still considered to be in his physical prime and will provide an immediate positive impact on the team. And, in the case of the Packers, he’d bring much-welcomed, seasoned, veteran leadership to a young team brimming with youthful confidence. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he’d be a mentor by example to all those around him and help elevate everyone’s game.
He’s also a dependable, durable field presence who’s only missed 10 of 115 possible regular season games over the course of his career.
All in all, this would be an excellent move to make for the Packers and one which wouldn’t cost the team too much other than the effort to execute some creative bookkeeping.
