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The Dallas Cowboys could be a potential top landing spot for a disgruntled star.
As proposed by CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo, the Cowboys are one of the top five potential landing spots for Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker. The 27-year-old is requesting a trade from the Cardinals due to unhappiness over his current contract, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“Team source: Budda Baker informed the Cardinals in February that he wanted to be traded or receive a new deal to make him the highest-paid safety,” wrote Schefter on Friday, April 14.
Proposed Trade Sees Cowboys Unload Malik Hooker for Budda Baker
According to DeArdo, the Cowboys may not need Baker, but a potential blockbuster deal could entice team owner Jerry Jones into making a deal for the five-time Pro Bowler. Dallas has already made notable trades this offseason for veterans Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore.
Furthermore, Dallas could offer safety Malik Hooker in a potential deal for Baker, who currently projects as a backup behind Jayron Kearse and Donovan Wilson. However, Hooker has starting experience — he previously served as a starter with the Indianapolis Colts — and is coming off of a career year with 62 tackles.
“The Cowboys don’t need Baker, but this is the type of deal Jerry Jones loves making,” writes DeArdo. “Baker would make an already talented Cowboys defense a truly dominant group alongside Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs. Dallas also has the resources to make such a trade happen. In a trade with Arizona, the Cowboys could include Malik Hooker, Dallas’ current starting free safety who is coming off of a career year.”
There’s little doubt that Baker would immediately become the team’s best safety. According to Pro Football Focus, the 27-year-old ranked as the 17th-best safety in the NFL (73.7 grade) last season.
“Baker’s greatest asset in 2022 was his ability to stop the run, earning an 80.2 run defense grade (10th) thanks to a 6.1% run-stop rate (fourth) and eight tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage (third),” writes Jonathon Macri of PFF. “Baker was playing some of his best football late in the year before he got hurt in Week 16, including an 80.7 coverage grade from Weeks 12-16, which was a top-five mark at the position.”
Budda Baker’s Pay May Prevent Cowboys Trade
However, there might be one major holdup in a potential deal for Baker and that’s pay. Baker desires to be the highest-paid safety in the league, which means he would have to earn an average annual value of at least $19.1 million per season. The Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin James is the top earner at the safety position, averaging $19.0 million per season.
At the current moment, Baker earns an average annual value of slightly under $14.8 million, which makes him the seventh-highest paid player at the position.
While the Cowboys would probably have no issue surrendering a decent draft pick — think third-round draft pick as a starting point — for Baker, the potential contract value becomes an issue, especially when factoring in that Dallas already has three starting-caliber safeties on their roster. Furthermore, Hooker actually performed just as well as Baker last season, posting a 73.9 defensive grade, according to PFF.
“Hooker’s second year in Dallas led to his best grades since his second NFL season,” says Macri. “While working as the team’s primary deep safety, he wasn’t tested often but managed a 72.4 coverage grade (19th) and allowed just 0.22 yards per coverage snap, which was tied for second best among qualifying safeties.”
By comparison, Hooker is due just $4.3 million this season. Meanwhile, Kearse is due just $6.2 million and Wilson has a $3.3 million cap hit for this season.
As enticing as it may be to have a star-studded defensive backfield featuring Baker and cornerback Trevon Diggs, the cost of paying Baker may be too much for the Cowboys.
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