{"id":861899,"date":"2026-04-09T00:41:44","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T00:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/861899\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T00:41:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T00:41:44","slug":"colts-urged-to-trade-for-8x-pro-bowl-defensive-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/861899\/","title":{"rendered":"Colts Urged to Trade for 8X Pro Bowl Defensive Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Budda\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker<\/p>\n

The Indianapolis Colts<\/a> lost multiple members of their 2025 season secondary room, including starting safety Nick Cross<\/a>, who went to sign with the Washington Commanders<\/a> on a two-year, $14 million deal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Indy has added Jonathan Owens<\/a>, who last played for the Chicago Bears<\/a>\u00a0and Juanyeh Thomas<\/a>, who last played for the Dallas Cowboys<\/a>, to one-year deals, but none appear to step into that starting safety spot.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL<\/a> Draft is coming up in just a couple of weeks, with one member of the NFL media believing the Colts could make a trade and acquire a safety for the new season.<\/p>\n

Trade Idea Lands Colts 8X Pro Bowler\"Budda<\/p>\n

GettyTrade idea tabs Colts as option for a member of the Cardinals<\/a> defense<\/p>\n

The Indianapolis Colts made a big splash in the 2025 free agency by adding Cam Bynum<\/a> on a four-year, $60 million deal. Without Nick Cross<\/a> next to him, Bynum doesn\u2019t have a starting partner.<\/p>\n

Fox Sports Ralph Vacchiano dropped trade ideas<\/a> for the teams in the AFC before the upcoming draft. The reporters\u2019 trade pitch lands the Colts, Arizona Cardinals<\/a> safety Budda Baker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey lost Nick Cross in free agency, a huge hit to their defense that they have yet to adequately address. Enter Baker, who\u2019s 30 years old and signed through 2027? Surely, the rebuilding Cardinals would make him available and be happy to rid themselves of the remaining two years and $33 million left on his deal,\u201d Vacchiano wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Colts think they can contend if QB Daniel Jones<\/a> is healthy, so adding a safety who has gone to seven straight Pro Bowls to play behind CB Sauce Gardner<\/a> would be exactly the anchor their defense needs, even if it costs them a Day 2 pick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baker has played at both the free and strong safety spots in his career, and will have no issue filling in the gap left by Cross.<\/p>\n

The safety is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro through his 9-year career, and is still able to produce at the age of 30. In the 2025 season, Baker produced 120 tackles, 5 pass deflections and an interception on the Cardinals team that finished the season with a 3-14 record.<\/p>\n

If Budda Baker were to remain on the Cardinals, he would be going through another rebuild, as the team parted ways with Kyler Murray<\/a> and has first-year head coach Mike LaFleur.<\/p>\n

If he were to make his way to the Colts, he would join a team that still has more building to do, but appears headed in the right direction.<\/p>\n

In Vacchiano\u2019s trade pitch, the Colts would give up the 78th overall pick of the 2026 NFL draft and a 2027 sixth-round pick.<\/p>\n

Adding Baker Gives Indy Top DB Rooms in the League\"Charvarius<\/p>\n

GettyIndianapolis Colts DB Charvarius Ward<\/a><\/p>\n

The Colts secondary room was hammered with injuries in the 2025 season, but entering the 2026 season fully healed gives the team one of the best secondaries in the league.<\/p>\n

All-Pro cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner, who both suffered injuries last season, will return healthy for another season under Lou Anarumo.<\/p>\n

Cam Bynum had a sneaky good season in his first year with the Colts, earning a 70.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Then adding a player of Budda Baker\u2019s quality will bolster any defense, regardless of the talent they have.<\/p>\n

Indianapolis already used a bunch of resources on acquiring Gardner in a trade from the NY Jets<\/a>, highlighting that they were going all in on the 2025 season. What are a couple of picks?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tJason Garcia<\/a> Jason Garcia is a sports contributor for Heavy Sports who joined the team in 2025, covering the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. More about Jason Garcia<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Colts\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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