The Philadelphia Eagles clearly have some work to do after a disastrous end to their 2023-24 campaign, and and a former NFL executive tells the NFL Analysis Network a potential solution.
“Philadelphia needs to get aggressive this offseason and they know it,” said the former exec. “I think Howie [Roseman] will do just that. Budda Baker is a guy that could take that defense to the next level.”
The Eagles are in obvious need of help in their secondary, as they ranked 31st in the NFL in passing defense this past season.
Philadelphia tried to address the issue at the trade deadline by swinging a deal to acquire safety Kevin Byard from the Tennessee Titans, but Byard was a massive disappointment for the club.
If Philly can strike a deal with the Arizona Cardinals for Baker, however, things might change.
Baker is widely regarded as one of the best defensive backs in football and just made his fifth Pro Bowl appearance after registering 87 tackles in 12 games.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Washington, was selected by the Cardinals in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He hit the ground running during his rookie campaign, finishing with 74 tackles, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and seven passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
A tackling machine, Baker then racked up 147 stops during his third season, and in 2020, he rattled off 118 tackles, a pair of sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and six passes defended, earning his second First-Team All-Pro selection in the process.
Baker has been a consistent force in the Cardinals’ defensive backfield since entering the league, but with just one year left on his contract, Arizona may attempt to move him this offseason.
If the Cards attempt to do that, the Eagles should be at the front of the line.
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