If the New Orleans Saints go get some outside help during training camp, it figures to be in free agency to uplift a struggling offensive tackle position.
Trevor Penning, after all, is throwing out bust signals. And first-rounder Taliese Fuaga just suffered an injury.
But what about a trade?
Over at CBS Sports, Cody Benjamin just tabbed the Saints as a team that would classify as a good fit for Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker:
Once considered one of the top players at his position, Baker has seemingly backed off a trade request that mired part of his 2023 offseason. Entering a contract year for a younger team, however, he could still be a candidate for movement, with Jalen Thompson settling in as a starter on the back end.
It’s true the Saints could use some help at safety. They haven’t figured out who to start next to Tyrann Mathieu and just lost free agent Justin Simmons to an NFC South rival.
Baker, 28, is still an effective option, too, but the money factor is worth mentioning. He’s in the final year of a contract that is a $19 million cap hit. So a Saints team flirting with the cap as it is would need to figure out a way to lessen that, perhaps while extending him—and giving up assets to make a trade happen in the first place.
Given the way the Saints seemingly backed off on Simmons despite the free agent’s connections to the coaching staff, the team might be content to stay conservative at the position. Given the troubling state of the roster and organization, that might be the best play for the future.
That said, Baker is a name to keep in mind on the chance Arizona hosts a significant sale at cutdowns or even lets him go to the open market.
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