One of the Buffalo Bills' biggest remaining needs this offseason is at safety.
Buffalo moved on from safety Jordan Poyer earlier this offseason. And safety Micah Hyde is a free agent who is considering retirement.
As a result, the Bills were named this week by CBS Sports as one of the best potential suitors for Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker, who could be available via trade.
Baker, who turned 28 in January, earned his sixth career Pro Bowl selection this past season after totaling 87 tackles in 12 games for the Cardinals (Baker missed time early in the season with a hamstring injury).
From CBS Sports: Baker briefly sought a trade last offseason before getting a slight raise from Arizona. The Cardinals can certainly afford his pricey deal with so much cap space, but they also have a younger Jalen Thompson on the back end of Jonathan Gannon's defense. If they can get a solid pick in return, they might prefer another younger investment on a seemingly ascending unit. Baker's versatility and physical punch, meanwhile, could be appealing to teams more suited to contend.
Baker is under contract through the 2024 season. According to Spotrac, Baker's cap hit in 2024 is $19 million.
The Bills are expected to have $16 million in cap space after the draft.
On June 1st, the Bills will have roughly 16M of cap space for Brandon Beane (counting the draft class) to do whatever he'd like with (sign/trade for someone/roll it to next year). At the moment the Bills will be getting a 4th and 5th-round pick next year from the comp formula
— Kevin Massare (@KevinMassare) April 1, 2024
If Buffalo decides to swing a trade for Baker, they'll almost certainly need to sign the veteran defensive back to an extension.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!