The Buffalo Bills might be one player away from cementing a Super Bowl roster, and the clock is ticking toward the November 10 NFL trade deadline.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put the Bills at the top of his list of NFL teams that could make a “shock” trade, predicting Buffalo will move to land 8-time Pro Bowler and 4-time NFL All-Pro Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker.
The Bills are 5-1 coming off their Week 7 bye and host the struggling Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.
“Buffalo’s secondary has become a liability and could be the team’s Achilles heel if it isn’t addressed at the trade deadline,” Kay wrote on October 27. “While Buffalo reinforced the cornerback position by bringing Tre’Davious White back into the fold for the third time, adding a versatile safety like Budda Baker could be what leads this secondary back to respectability. Baker has been languishing on a Cardinals team that has only reached the playoffs once during his nine-plus seasons with the club. The eight-time Pro Bowler has been one of the few consistent bright spots in recent years and remains a force despite Arizona’s dismal 2-5 start to the 2026 campaign … he’s also under contract through next season after agreeing to a three-year, $54 million extension in December 2024.”
Baker Longtime Subject of Trade Rumors
Baker was part of one of the greatest high school football teams of all time at Bellevue (Wash.) He stayed close to home to play for the University of Washington, where he was an All-American and 2-time All-Pac-12 pick before the Cardinals selected him in the second round (No. 36 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft.
Baker has been one of the NFL’s best safeties for the last decade. He’s also been the subject of trade rumors for years — and has requested a trade in the past.
Bills Have Volatile Situation at Safety
The Bills have a volatile situation at safety, where they were forced to turn to controversial former NFL interceptions leader and Super Bowl champion C.J. Gardner-Johnson on a 1-year, $3 million contract.
There have been problems with Gardner-Johnson from the start, including head coach Joe Brady having to tell him to turn off an Instagram Live session in the training room, among other issues and behavioral transgressions, and things seemed to reach a turning point in Week 6 when he was suspended for 1 game for spitting on Las Vegas Raiders tight end and NFL All-Pro Brock Bowers.
Baker is definitely more expensive than Gardner-Johnson, but he also comes without the headaches and could be relied on down the stretch — hopefully on the way to a Super Bowl run.
‘Shock’ Buffalo Bills Trade Pitch Fixes Secondary With $54 Million All-Pro