Through the first seven weeks of the NFL season, no team in the NFC West has managed to establish any real consistency. The Seattle Seahawks started strong at 3-0, only to stumble to 4-3 in a matter of weeks. The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams continue to battle injuries, making it difficult for either to gain momentum. Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals have now gone two full seasons without securing back-to-back wins.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The NFC West is one of only two divisions in the NFL with three teams holding a losing record, the other being the AFC East, where the Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots are struggling to find their footing.
While the Cardinals, especially after their win over the Chargers on Monday Night, are right in the middle of the bad but competitive NFC West, The Athletic’s NFL staff suggests a different approach for Arizona’s front office as the trade deadline approaches—one that most fans might not want to hear.
Given the inconsistency in the NFC West and the injuries plaguing other teams, The Athletic proposes that the Cardinals should consider selling at the trade deadline. Specifically, they suggest trading two-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker, a cornerstone of the franchise since being drafted in the second round of the 2017 draft.
Doug Haller wrote: “Trade Budda Baker. The All-Pro safety will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. He is a team captain and its strongest voice. And at 28, he is still playing at a high level. But entering Monday’s game against the Chargers, the Cardinals had not looked like a team that was ready to contend. That means making tough decisions. Moving Baker won’t be popular among fans, but it might be the organization’s best move.”
According to The Athletic’s playoff predictor, which simulated over 100,000 games, the Cardinals playoff odds stand at 23%. This is just 2% below the Seahawks and 11% below the 49ers. Additionally, according to Tankathon, the Cardinals have the third-easiest remaining schedule in the NFL
As the November 5 NFL trade deadline approaches, all eyes will be on the Cardinals’ front office to see whether they choose to sell off valuable assets like Baker or make a surprising push toward the playoffs in a division that remains wide open.
