The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without starting safety Eric Murray for the rest of the season due to a season-ending elbow injury. Sitting at 5-2 and in control of the AFC South, the team is expected to make a move to fix the hole. One name to keep an eye on is Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com.
The Jaguars reporter noted that the trade would be similar to a move the team made last season.
“Baker, 30, entered Week 8 with 145 games of regular-season experience (all with the Cardinals),” wrote O’Halloran. “With Arizona in a rebuild, he would likely welcome the opportunity to join a contender, like receiver Jakobi Meyers did last year when he was acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders.”
O’Halloran notes that the Jags will have to find some cap space to make the move.
“The Jaguars would have to get creative to fit the remaining $8.13 million under their cap, but this is where Gladstone’s experience with the Los Angeles Rams will come in handy,” added O’Halloran.
This could end up making a trade more likely, as the Cardinals look to shed salary cap space and get a pick back.
Jacksonville Jaguars Could Trade for Arizona Cardinals Safety Budda Baker
O’Halloran is not the only one with the suggestion. John Shipley of Jaguars OnSI also notes that trading for Baker is the best thing the Jaguars could do in response to losing Murray.
“Now that the Jaguars are without their most veteran and experienced safety, Baker would somehow make even more sense for the Jaguars now than he did this time a week ago,” wrote Shipley. “With the Jaguars badly needing somebody in the back end outside of Jourdan Lewis, who has simply seen and played a lot of football, few options make more sense than Baker.”
While the Jaguars could make an offer that the Cardinals cannot refuse, Arizona is surprisingly sitting at 3-5, and right now, they do not appear to be selling.
Cardinals Might Not Trade Baker
Adam Schefter joined the Pat McAfee podcast to talk trades. He noted that he is not sure if the Cardinals will trade Baker after their surprising start.
“Budda Baker? That guy’s been such a stud. I don’t know if Budda Baker’s going to be traded; I don’t think Arizona wants to move on from a guy who has meant so much to that franchise, who is such a baller,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show.
Baker is an eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro for the Cardinals. He has spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with the team, so his role with the team means a little bit more than some others.
The Jaguars are going to need to make an offer that the Cardinals cannot turn down. The Tennessee Titans did not want to trade Jeffery Simmons until the Chicago Bears made a strong offer. That would be how the Jaguars can get the Cardinals to listen.
Jaguars Urged to Replace Injured Starter With 8-Time Pro Bowler