Getty Budda Baker #3 of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Minnesota Vikings rank third in the NFL with 20 sacks. Their pass defense has otherwise proven porous, though, amid injuries to several cornerbacks and the death of rookie Khyree Jackson. A trade could prove beneficial with the deadline on November 5.
However, targeting a different position could help address the Vikings’ potential Achilles heel.
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo lists the Vikings as one of three teams that “should” target Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker in a trade.
“Brian Flores has been an excellent defensive coordinator for the Vikings this season, but the pass defense has been a weakness. They’re currently allowing a 30th-ranked 263 passing yards per game,” Melo wrote on October 15.
“The aging Harrison Smith is still competing at a high level. Camryn Bynum has developed into a starting-caliber safety opposite him, but acquiring a chess piece like Baker would allow [Vikings defensive coordinator Brian] Flores to deploy more three-safety sets. One of the most creative defensive minds in the entire league, Flores would understand how to utilize Baker’s skill set around the line of scrimmage to help his struggling back end.”
Melo’s closing point is key because Baker is flawed in coverage.
His 63.9 overall grade through seven weeks from Pro Football Focus is the fourth-lowest mark of his career. He has surpassed that mark in a single game once so far.
Still, the six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Baker, is tied with three Indianapolis Colts players – linebackers E.J. Speed and Zaire Franklin and safety Nick Cross – for the fourth-most total tackles in the NFL entering Week 7.
He also ranked as the No. 89 overall player on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list for 2024 in July.
Vikings Rising Star Continues to Go Overlooked
GettyJosh Metellus #44 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Flores and the Vikings already deploy three safeties often. Smith, Bynum, and Josh Metellus rank second, third, and fourth on the team in snaps, per PFF.
Smith is a six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro and has gotten support from colleagues as a future candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he retires. At 35 years old, that time may be coming sooner than later for the veteran.
The 26-year-old Bynum has been a topic of discussion in the final year of his four-year, $4.2 million contract with free agency on the horizon.
Metellus, however, is overlooked in Melo’s analysis.
He is also 26 years old and was a Pro Bowl candidate in 2023, falling short by season’s end despite finishing the campaign with 2.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles with 1 recovery and 1 interception. He also fills a versatile role like Baker, making a Vikings trade for the latter unlikely.
Proposed Vikings Trade Lands Cardinals’ Budda Baker
GettyBudda Baker #3 of the Arizona Cardinals.
If the Vikings feel Smith’s run is near its end and fear losing Bynum – who can play corner in the meantime – in free agency in 2025, moving on Baker now could make sense.
This Heavy Sports trade proposal aims to add Baker without breaking the bank.
Vikings get:
- Budda Baker
Cardinals get:
-
2025 fifth-round pick (via CLE)
2026 sixth-round pick (via LAR)
Baker is in the final year of a two-year, $28.2 million contract. The Vikings would be on the hook for his $14.2 million base salary in a trade. That is unless Arizona agreed to pay it to improve their return.Minnesota would need to create cap space by extending Baker or cutting salary from the current roster to afford him.
The Vikings have $10.9 million in cap space as of October 16, per Over The Cap.
They can generate north of $17 million more in wiggle room by extending right tackle Brian O’Neill and cornerback Byron Murphy’s contracts. Restructures for those players would generate $13-plus million.
For the Cardinals, the deal above saves them $15.1 million in cap space. It also nets draft capital from two teams trending in the wrong direction through six weeks of the 2024 season.
Still, Baker would be a luxury trade target for the Vikings.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He's based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
