A quarter of the way through the 2024 season, Green Bay Packers fans continue to search for answers regarding their team's defense.
Everywhere you look, this defense is loaded with first-round picks. From Kenny Clark, to Rashan Gary, to Quay Walker, to Jaire Alexander, the blue-chippers are everywhere. But as we all saw in the 31-29 loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, those blue-chippers sometimes fail to show up when it counts.
One of the big question marks coming into the season was the safety position, which has been a mixed bag to this point. Free-agent signee Xavier McKinney has been fantastic, but the Vikings gashed the Packers on long pass plays, and rookie Javon Bullard hasn't yet blossomed into a star.
If the Packers want to go for broke in 2024, they could stand to add one more safety. It would likely be a player on an expiring contract, and preferably one with a high-level pedigree.
One such safety is Arizona Cardinals six-time Pro Bowler Budda Baker. Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox listed Baker as one of the top 10 trade candidates most likely to be moved by this season's deadline.
"If the Cardinals aren't able to turn things around before the trade deadline, standout safety Budda Baker will become a logical trade chip," Knox said. "He's a six-time Pro Bowler who can provide positional versatility at safety and is still playing at a high level."
The only complicated piece of the puzzle, from the Packers' perspective, is that McKinney and Baker are both free safeties by trade. One would likely have to shift over to strong safety, likely McKinney because of his slightly bigger frame.
However, getting two talents of McKinney's and Baker's caliber in the same secondary is worth a slight positional tweak. Meanwhile, Bullard could learn under the tutelage of the two veterans and still fill in for certain nickel and dime packages.
If the Packers are feeling opportunistic this season, a trade for Baker is likely the best improvement they can make defensively before the deadline. It remains to be seen whether they will pursue such lavish upgrades.
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