Why the Lions Should Think Twice Before Trading for Budda Baker

The Detroit Lions are looking to upgrade their secondary. That’s obvious. The 3-2 Lions are looking to further their playoff chances, and while help is on the way with safety Brian Branch returning from injury, Sports Illustrated floated the idea of trading for Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker.

Detroit got a good look at Baker during the team’s 45-21 victory over Arizona, and Baker brings a versatile and big-play safety who would be a major addition to the secondary. His ability to read the pass for an interception or rush the passer on a safety blitz is comparable to what Branch brings, and it would make the secondary that much more versatile. Baker would be welcomed with open arms, but should the Lions trade for him?

The Pros and Cons

On one hand, every team, whether undefeated or winless, should be working to get better across the board. Baker is better than what’s on the field currently. The secondary, while showing improvements, can’t out-improve talent. With Detroit having the salary to absorb him and the picks to acquire him, it should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that.

While Detroit could definitely use him, there’s major uncertainty around the health of safety Kerby Joseph.  While his health status remains unknown, and it’s severe enough for Branch to return from a torn Achilles first, there’s still belief that Joseph can return. If so, does the team move one to the bench for rotations? Does someone get moved to cornerback? There are a lot of potential lineups that could happen, but both sides are contingent on whether Joseph is ever healthy.

While another safety would definitely help, the biggest issue is pure coverage from the cornerback position. Trades for players like Baker are valuable, but the focus, unless the deal is surefire, needs to be on a cornerback 1 and more cornerbacks. The lack of size and talent with defensive backs is alarming, and why the exact same prototype of receiver is dominating the Lions. A cornerback like Riq Woolen or comparable would be the first target, but that’s not to say Baker shouldn’t be.

The Lions need secondary help, and while the team is getting safety help, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and Baker is potentially a pickup.