A Trade Could Be on the Vikings Radar Heading into the 2023 Season
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings were a very active team this offseason in terms of trades and free agent signings. One of their more notable moves was bringing in CB Byron Murphy from the Arizona Cardinals to be their new top cornerback for the 2023 season. However, it may not be out of the realm of possibility that they could bring in one of Murphy’s former teammates ahead of the season.
Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report recently laid out eight predictions for this year’s training camp, and one such prediction involved a trade that could be on the Vikings radar. The player that they would acquire in the trade? Cardinals safety Budda Baker.
“Budda Baker has already made it clear that something has to change in his situation with the Arizona Cardinals. He wants to be the highest-paid safety or a change of scenery, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter,” Moton wrote. “In Year 1 under a new regime, the Cardinals may opt to trade Baker rather than pay top dollar for a player at a low premium position. Keep in mind that the club outright released three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in May.”
The Cardinals are a team in the middle of a rebuild, and especially with Kyler Murray set to miss the beginning of the 2023 season due to his ACL tear, they may be content to tear things down this year and look ahead to 2024 with their new coaching staff.
Baker was selected in the second round of the 2017 Draft by Arizona, and since then, he has emerged as one of the best safeties in the entire league. Particularly as a physical run-stuffer, it is hard to find someone better than the Cardinals safety.
Combining Baker with Harrison Smith and Lewis Cine in the Vikings secondary, and even Josh Metellus, one of the more underrated defenders on the team, would give Minnesota a high-flying safety group that arguably could be one of the very best in all of the NFL.
A trade to acquire the Cardinals safety could be a security blanket for the future as well. There is no telling how much longer Smith has in the NFL, particularly as a starter. The safety turned 34 years of age in February, and he is one of the oldest players in the league at this point.
As for the Cardinals, trading Baker now would allow the team to open up cap space not only for this year but also in 2024. Per Over the Cap, Arizona would save just over $13 million this year as well as $14.2 million in 2024. For a team that already has over $50 million in space next spring, this would make them huge players in free agency.
Overall, it seems that Baker will be the next Arizona Cardinal to depart from the team after an exodus of veterans over the past few months. The safety could be an excellent fit in Minnesota.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.