The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to bounce back in 2026. While the roster is stellar at multiple spots, safety remains the biggest hole. It appears that Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps will be the starters on the backend for this team, with Cooper DeJean taking some snaps there as well.
While it's great to see DeJean show the flexibility to play safety, he's an All-Pro in the slot, and they are better off keeping him there. The Eagles need to find an upgrade, and there could be one available via trade. And that's Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker.
Baker has been with the Cardinals for the past nine years, but with them undergoing yet another rebuild, he may want out. Dan Bickley of Arizona Sports recently reported that Baker expressed some displeasure with how the team is handling the situation with Jacoby Brissett.
With the Cardinals slated to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, the Eagles should call them and see what it takes to acquire Baker.
Eagles should strike before another contender lands Budda Baker
Baker has been one of the best players at his position. He's an eight-time Pro Bowler, two-time First-team All-Pro, and two-time Second-team All-Pro. Across 138 games (128 starts), he has compiled 1,021 total tackles, 51 tackles for loss, 44 pass breakups, 10 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and eight interceptions.
Not only has he been highly effective, but he also plays the majority of games. Baker has started in 12-plus games for eight straight seasons. For an Eagles team that needs more juice in the safety room, the idea of trading for Baker has to be on their list.
He's on the books for the next two years and comes in ranked fifth among safeties in AAV (Average Annual Value) at $18 million per season. That has to be very appealing and makes the case for acquiring him that much stronger.
The best part of adding Baker is the versatility he brings to the secondary. He can line up in the slot, in the box, and at free safety if needed. Philadelphia has Quinyon Mitchell and DeJean locking receivers down, so having an All-Pro chess piece in the safety room would only make this defense better.
General manager Howie Roseman isn't afraid to make big moves to improve the roster. That approach has worked very well for him, which is why the idea of making a move for Baker is tempting. He would raise the floor of the unit and could also be a sounding board for Mukuba in his sophomore campaign.
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For an Eagles team looking to make another title run, acquiring an All-Pro at one of your weakest spots isn't a bad idea.
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