April 19, 2023

Budda Baker isn't hiding that he wants to be an Eagle

Cardinals All-Pro safety Budda Baker has requested a trade. Since then, he's dropped some hints that he may want to be moved to the Eagles.

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

The Eagles lost their two starting safeties, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps, this offseason to free agency following the Super Bowl run. Just this month, Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker requested a trade from the lowly Arizona Cardinals (rough break for Jonathan Gannon). Obviously, whenever a big-name player becomes available at a position of need, Eagles fans' imaginations run wild about Howie Roseman swooping in and pulling off yet another heist.

Could the Eagles actually do that this time around with Baker, a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection entering his age-27 season?

In a recent mailbag, our Eagles beat writer Jimmy Kempski discussed a possible trade for Baker, writing:

Gardner-Johnson is 25 years old. Baker is 27, and he has scheduled salaries of $13,096,359 in 2023, and $14,200,000 in 2024. Again, Baker is a good player and an outstanding run defender, but his current pay is $5.5 million/year more than what the Eagles were willing to pay Gardner-Johnson. And he's not happy with his pay. And you'd have to give up a pick to get him. Pass.

I'm on the same wavelength as Jimmy. You can't have stars at every single position. The Eagles have major money tied up at quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line and cornerback. Roseman might be a wizard, but he's not Gandalf making fireworks out of nothing here. There are limits to how stacked a team can be.

Whether the Eagles want Baker remains up in the air, but Baker continues to hint that he'd be down to play for a true championship contender in Philadelphia.

When Jalen Hurts signed his massive five-year contract extension, many Eagles players were quick to give him props on Twitter. Baker went above and beyond and shouted out Hurts, too:

Hard work Always Prevails!!! Congrats to JHurts. Best thing about a guy like him is the work Never stops!
— Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) April 17, 2023

Hmm...

Eagles running back Boston Scott, much like every Eagles fan on the internet, took note of Baker's tweet, sharing a classic deep-fried Howie meme to go with it:

https://t.co/J9rPsx3yfk pic.twitter.com/ziBuD3OKSa
— DIG B0ston. (@BostonScott2) April 17, 2023

Baker was recently on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams" show with host Kay Adams. The conversion turned to what Baker is looking for in a new coach. Adams asked, "What are you looking for in your new coach? Give me the one most important quality." Baker replied, "I like real. Just be real... Just be yourself. Don't be anything else. Something that I really like is that Eagles coach. He is who he is."

“Something that I really like is that Eagles coach, [Nick Sirianni]. He is who he is.”

Budda Baker on what qualities he is looking for in a new head coach. 👀

📺: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams

pic.twitter.com/Eb1OxSdfso
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 18, 2023

The Nick Sirianni effect. Makes you think!

Though Baker has undeniably had a good career and is still a star, the vibes feel a bit off for me because this is the play I remember him most for, one that had Hurts defenders believing he had the goods to be a legit NFL QB back in 2020: