The Arizona Cardinals recently surprised many when they opted to remain dormant at the NFL trade deadline regarding star strong safety Budda Baker. The spiraling Cardinals were thought by some to want to cash in on some of their veteran talent, of which Baker certainly qualifies, but they ultimately opted to hold onto the star instead of moving him for future assets.
Now, more information has come out on one specific offer that the Cardinals turned down in order to retain Baker.
“The Bills went to the Cardinals first. Bills GM Brandon Beane was dealing with Arizona about Baker, reportedly with an offer centered around strong second-round value,” reported Easton Freeze of AZ Sports.
Personnel around the league didn't exactly have a glowing review of the Cardinals' decision to keep Baker.
“Every single person I talked to yesterday agreed that it was flat-out baffling that the Cardinals turned that down. It reeks of a foolish ownership decision,” he added.
Many younger rebuilding teams around the NFL opted to trade some of their veteran talent in exchange for future draft assets or young players, including the Tennessee Titans with Jeffery Simmons and the Philadelphia Eagles with Jordan Davis. Evidently, the Cardinals view Baker as part of their long-term plans, despite the fact that he is 30 years old and the team is clearly still a long ways away from competing.
In the meantime, the Cardinals are currently gearing up for their upcoming game against the Los Angeles Rams, one in which rookie quarterback Carson Beck will make his first NFL start with a Motley crew of wide receivers.
Kickoff for that game is set for Sunday at 4:05 pm ET from Phoenix.