Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman is catching heat for some of his 2024 free agent signings, especially linebacker Devin White — who was released before ever playing a snap for the Eagles — and invisible pass rusher Bryce Huff.
Another move that was celebrated in March but appears headed in the wrong direction was the Eagles' reunion with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
CJGJ’s first stint with Philly, during the 2022 season, was awesome. He had a career year with 67 solo tackles and six interceptions as the Eagles made a run to Super Bowl LVII.
Back with Philadelphia following a year away with the Detroit Lions, CJGJ hasn’t been able to replicate the kind of impact play that saw him thrive under former defensive coordinator Sean Desai.
Per PFF, Gardner-Johnson has struggled with eight missed tackles through four games this season. He’s among the team’s lowest-graded defenders after the first month of the season with a 50.6. The only starter lower is middle linebacker Nakobe Dean (41.9).
For that reason, the 33rd Team’s Jeff Diamond, a former general manager of the Minnesota Vikings and team president of the Tennessee Titans, believes Roseman and the Eagles will hunt for upgrades at the safety position prior to the NFL’s Nov. 5 trade deadline.
In one of five bold deadline predictions, Diamond named Philadelphia as the landing spot for disgruntled All-Pro safety Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals. Here’s the full take:
Budda Baker is a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who has had a tumultuous relationship with the Cardinals front office over his contract in recent years.
He signed a four-year, $59 million extension in 2020 that made him the league’s highest-paid safety at the time, but he was unhappy with the deal after a couple of seasons. He was given a pay raise without an extension for the 2023 and 2024 seasons and will hit free agency next March if he’s not extended.
Baker is off to a fine start this season with 52 tackles (fourth-most in the league), but he had no interceptions, forced fumbles, or fumble recoveries last season or through five games in 2024.
He’s a former second-round pick of the Cardinals who, at 28 years old, has plenty of quality seasons left. He’s an attractive potential trade target for teams looking for help on defense as long as they can handle his $14.2 million base salary this season and his future demands.
Arizona is coming off an upset win in San Francisco and, at 2-3, could be a playoff contender in the NFC. Their defense is not great (25th ranked, even with Baker). They may decide to hang onto their leading tackler, but if they think he’s headed out the door in 2025 free agency (which is likely) and the team is still below .500 at the trade deadline, a good offer may entice them to trade Baker.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman has never been shy about adding talented players. The Eagles are treading water at 2-2 but are in the mix in the NFC East race and have a stretch of winnable games before the trade deadline (Browns, Giants, Bengals, and Jaguars, after which they have Dallas and Washington back-to-back).
Philadelphia’s defense was second-ranked in 2022 when they were a Super Bowl team, but they took a big dip to 26th last season in a season that ended badly with losses in six of their last seven games, including a playoff blowout at Tampa Bay, who then beat them again 33-16 two weeks ago before their bye. The Eagles D currently ranks No. 27 and Baker would be an obvious upgrade over starting safeties Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
The Eagles have the cap space and the draft capital (probably a second-round pick would be required) to swing a deal for Baker. I think doing so would be a positive step for an Eagles defense that could use an impact player like Baker.
The Eagles have their share of roster shortcomings as the trade deadline approaches, notably No. 3 wide receiver. The secondary is another area that would be wise to shore up, especially with rookie Cooper DeJean set to make his first career NFL start at nickel in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
If the first month of the season taught us anything about the Eagles, it’s this: The team has above-average talent, but little depth at several critical positions. Philadelphia definitely feels like it’s a move away from reaching true Super Bowl contender status in 2024, and acquiring a versatile superstar like Baker certainly qualifies.
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