Back
Once again, the Buffalo Bills, led by former NFL MVP, look like they have a team capable of competing for their first Super Bowl. However, as usual, not everything is perfect in Buffalo, where first-year head coach Joe Brady leads the league’s highest-scoring offense, but also has a defense ranking 24th in points allowed.
While Buffalo is nearing a top-10 rushing defense, it’s the passing defense that has left much to be desired, allowing the third-most passing yards in the NFL while ranking in the middle of the pack (18th) in net yards per attempt. So, if there’s one area where Bills general manager Brandon Beane may be considering an upgrade ahead of the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline, it’s likely in the secondary. Yet Buffalo could find a short-term fix that becomes a long-term solution on the trade block.
With the Bills looking to capitalize on a 6-1 start, they’re a strong candidate to make a trade deadline move before Tuesday arrives. One option could present itself from a team that was expected to be one of the worst in football when the season kicked off.
Buried in a column from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday was an interesting nugget connecting the Bills to two-time First-Team All-Pro safety Budda Baker, who’s stuck on a 3-5 Arizona Cardinals team.
“Also on the Arizona front, safety Budda Baker remains on my radar, though he has been a Cardinals lifer and would be hard to trade. But my sense is the consistent losing has weighed on him, and teams such as Buffalo or Jacksonville could try to take advantage of that.”
Jeremy Fowler on Buffalo Bills/Budda Baker
The Cardinals are coming off an overtime win last week, but are still open to moving parts around, evidenced by Wednesday’s trade announcement involving Jacoby Brissett. Though, the 33-year-old QB had recently fallen to third on the depth chart after Gardner Minshew III proved he was more than worthy of receiving more opportunities.
It’s not the same story in the Cardinals’ secondary, where Baker remains a fixture on Nick Rallis’ unit. The 30-year-old Baker is signed through 2027, so there’s no urgency to move him. Yet, the Cardinals could be open to doing him a favor by sending him to a contending team, and the Bills may be the perfect fit.