NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker is asking the team for a trade.
Source: #AZCardinals star S Budda Baker has requested a trade.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 14, 2023
Baker, the 5-time Pro Bowler who has spent his entire 6-year career with the Cardinals, has reportedly been frustrated with his team in the offseason.
Source: Arizona #Cardinals Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker has requested a trade.
Sources told @joshweinfuss and me that Baker has long been unhappy with his situation this offseason.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 14, 2023
Adding insult to injury, he recently removed the Arizona Cardinal references from his Twitter profile.
Budda Baker's Twitter bio then vs now.
AZ is now missing. pic.twitter.com/uxFvV1rz2J
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) April 14, 2023
What It Means
Just because a player requests a trade, it does not mean the team will grant it.
Baker is an outstanding player, and the Cardinals may want to hold on to him.
Or they may want to see what his value is, in terms of draft picks, with two weeks left until the 2023 NFL Draft.
He has a hefty contract that may deter some teams.
His 2023 base salary is $13,09 million, and his 2024 salary is $14.2 million.
Budda Baker has two years left on the contract extension he signed with the #Cardinals in 2020. He's due non-guaranteed base salaries of $13,096,359 in 2023 and $14.2 million in 2024.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 14, 2023
Baker is only 27 years old and seemingly in his football prime.
He is very consistent and steady.
With the exception of his rookie season, he has played in a minimum of 95% of the defensive snaps for the Cardinals each year.
In 2019, he played in 99% of the snaps, and in 2022, he was involved in 98% of the defensive plays.
Why Is Baker Unhappy?
It is not clear what has triggered Baker’s recent unhappiness.
He understandably would like the Cardinals to play better than they did in 2022 when they finished a disappointing 4-13.
There have been coaching changes in the offseason.
Jonathan Gannon, the former defensive coordinator of the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, is the new Cardinals head coach.
He brought the Eagles linebackers coach on board with him, Nick Rallis, as the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Rallis is the youngest coordinator in the NFL, at 29 years of age.
That makes him just two years older than Baker.
Could that be the issue?
What Has Eluded Baker In His Career
Baker has achieved individual honors, but he has not benefitted from playing on great teams.
In addition to that, he has never scored a touchdown.
He has seven career interceptions over the past three seasons, but Baker has never gotten into the end zone.
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