Bye Bye Budda

[ASUCHRIS]

You build your team around a player like Budda. You don't get rid of him.

Paying top money to a safety that doesn't really make plays is a really bad move. It limits your flexibility at other premium positions. On top of that, Budda is getting older and more injury prone.

Do you anticipate that will get better for a guy who plays like a wrecking ball and is 5'10 and under 200 lbs?

 

[BritCard]

What does NFL top 100 or him making the Pro Bowl 2 years ago had to this team now?

He's been completely average for over a season and has an $18.25m cap hit next year. For a safety. For a safety that plays free safety mostly that has no instincts for the ball.

I want a good team, and you don't get that with CB1 money tied up in a free safety. It's vibe based roster construction. Paying Budda $18m is the equivalent of paying James Conner $15m. Except Conner contributes far more when on the field.

 

[Cardiac]

It was just a way to be nice with a veteran who is fully appreciated by the fanbase, cause of his effort and aggressive style of play
Monti is a rookie GM so...

That's a little simplistic imo. I truly believe Monti was serious.

 

[BirdGangThing]

What does NFL top 100 or him making the Pro Bowl 2 years ago had to this team now?

He's been completely average for over a season and has an $18.25m cap hit next year. For a safety. For a safety that plays free safety mostly that has no instincts for the ball.

I want a good team, and you don't get that with CB1 money tied up in a free safety. It's vibe based roster construction. Paying Budda $18m is the equivalent of paying James Conner $15m. Except Conner contributes far more when on the field.

First you said we had a whole team of Budda Bakers - with the context being that was a good thing

Now you're saying Budda sucks and is washed

 

[kerouac9]

I'm of two minds about this. Obviously, having an $18.5 million cap hold on a safety is not ideal. But you're going to have to pay somebody.

We're on schedule to spend more than 2x our cap dollars on offense than defense in 2024 (this is before extending Hollywood Brown, the only high-dollar pending free agent). Why are we seeking cap flexibility when we have $65 million in available cap space and there's a limited number of free agents available?

Now, Budda enters 2024 in a contract year at age 28. He can probably make one more big contract. I don't think you want 31 year-old Budda Baker being the highest-paid player on your defense, but there's a reasonable argument to be made that, should he prove a good citizen the rest of the way, we can and should extend his deal, lower his cap hit next season, and put him more in line with the market and a little above Jalen Thompson's $8 million salary.

It's cray-cray that the Cards have two safeties in the top 12 safety contracts when both their deals are two years old or more. Keim should be dumped in that landfill with those copies of E.T. for Nintendo.

 

[Krangodnzr]

I'm of two minds about this. Obviously, having an $18.5 million cap hold on a safety is not ideal. But you're going to have to pay somebody.

We're on schedule to spend more than 2x our cap dollars on offense than defense in 2024 (this is before extending Hollywood Brown, the only high-dollar pending free agent). Why are we seeking cap flexibility when we have $65 million in available cap space and there's a limited number of free agents available?

Now, Budda enters 2024 in a contract year at age 28. He can probably make one more big contract. I don't think you want 31 year-old Budda Baker being the highest-paid player on your defense, but there's a reasonable argument to be made that, should he prove a good citizen the rest of the way, we can and should extend his deal, lower his cap hit next season, and put him more in line with the market and a little above Jalen Thompson's $8 million salary.

It's cray-cray that the Cards have two safeties in the top 12 safety contracts when both their deals are two years old or more. Keim should be dumped in that landfill with those copies of E.T. for Nintendo.

Imagine if Simmons and Collins did work out and the Cardinals would have had to sink big money into both ILB and S, while good teams let those guys walk, draft a guy to replace them in the 3rd round, and pick up the comp pick.

 

[nationsrj]

What is the feeling that McBride has a major penalty every game?
He has had 3 accepted penalties, 5 yards against WAS, 10 yards against SF, and 10 yards against SEA. 2 Holding penalties and 1 false start.
Under that belief, we should remove DJ Humphries, he has 6 penalties for 50 yards.
Holding at WAS, Holding and ineligible down field vs DAL, False start at SF, False start at LAR, Disqualification at SEA.

 

[TheCardFan]

But you're going to have to pay somebody.

but there's a reasonable argument to be made that, should he prove a good citizen the rest of the way, we can and should extend his deal,

Horrible logic

 

[kerouac9]

Horrible logic

Okay.

 

[BritCard]

Imagine if Simmons and Collins did work out and the Cardinals would have had to sink big money into both ILB and S, while good teams let those guys walk, draft a guy to replace them in the 3rd round, and pick up the comp pick.

I wouldn't bank on comp picks for a while. This team is going to be active in FA and will likely wipe out any decent comp picks they might otherwise pick up.

 

[Krangodnzr]

I wouldn't bank on comp picks for a while. This team is going to be active in FA and will likely wipe out any decent comp picks they might others pick up.

Comp picks are a pipe dream for a few years.

 

[BritCard]

I'm of two minds about this. Obviously, having an $18.5 million cap hold on a safety is not ideal. But you're going to have to pay somebody.

We're on schedule to spend more than 2x our cap dollars on offense than defense in 2024 (this is before extending Hollywood Brown, the only high-dollar pending free agent). Why are we seeking cap flexibility when we have $65 million in available cap space and there's a limited number of free agents available?

Now, Budda enters 2024 in a contract year at age 28. He can probably make one more big contract. I don't think you want 31 year-old Budda Baker being the highest-paid player on your defense, but there's a reasonable argument to be made that, should he prove a good citizen the rest of the way, we can and should extend his deal, lower his cap hit next season, and put him more in line with the market and a little above Jalen Thompson's $8 million salary.

It's cray-cray that the Cards have two safeties in the top 12 safety contracts when both their deals are two years old or more. Keim should be dumped in that landfill with those copies of E.T. for Nintendo.

There's plenty of areas that money can be spent.

$18m in a safety is bad on any team. On a bad team that's rebuilding it's insanity.

And it doesn't have to be in FA. We have a tonne of draft picks we can use in trades where Budda's cap hit can be put to better use. It's just a bad deal and a huge overpay.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

There's plenty of areas that money can be spent.

$18m in a safety is bad on any team. On a bad team that's rebuilding it's insanity.

And it doesn't have to be in FA. We have a tonne of draft picks we can use in trades where Budda's cap hit can be put to better use. It's just a bad deal and a huge overpay.

We have to avoid spending money just because we have it, especially on non-premium positions on a non-playmaker. Even if it costs some draft compensation, I'd much rather pay for the playmaker at rush/CB/LT/WR.

 

[MadCardDisease]

There's plenty of areas that money can be spent.

$18m in a safety is bad on any team. On a bad team that's rebuilding it's insanity.

And it doesn't have to be in FA. We have a tonne of draft picks we can use in trades where Budda's cap hit can be put to better use. It's just a bad deal and a huge overpay.

This is the old way of thinking when the safety position was consider a non premium position. Gone are the days when your Strong Safety was basically just another LB who was very limited in coverage ability or a Free Safety whose only job was to make sure that no one got behind them.

In the modern game the safety position has evolved. Because of rule changes that help the passing game and the rise of uber athletic TEs the Safety position has become much more important. With 4 and 5 WR sets being much more common, a Safety must now be able to cover WRs and athletic TEs. Additionally a safety must be still able to help support stopping the running game. Those two way type of safeties come at a premium.

Just look at the trade the Eagles recently made to acquire S Kevin Byard. The Eagles have really missed the two-way playmaking ability that they lost when Gardner-Johnson signed with the Lions this season.

Eagles acquiring safety Kevin Byard via trade with Titans

 

[kerouac9]

This is the old way of thinking when the safety position was consider a non premium position. Gone are the days when your Strong Safety was basically just another LB who was very limited in coverage ability or a Free Safety whose only job was to make sure that no one got behind them.

In the modern game the safety position has evolved. Because of rule changes that help the passing game and the rise of uber athletic TEs the Safety position has become much more important. With 4 and 5 WR sets being much more common, a Safety must now be able to cover WRs and athletic TEs. Additionally a safety must be still able to help support stopping the running game. Those two way type of safeties come at a premium.

Just look at the trade the Eagles recently made to acquire S Kevin Byard. The Eagles have really missed the two-way playmaking ability that they lost when Gardner-Johnson signed with the Lions this season.

Eagles acquiring safety Kevin Byard via trade with Titans

If you can't see why the Eagles might be willing to spend resources to get a safety to complete their picture compared to where the Cards' roster is right now, I don't know what to tell you.

If you think that Budda Baker is a two-way safety able to cover WRs and athletic TEs (and will be in a couple years), we're probably not going to have a meeting of the minds on this.

 

[juza76]

This is the old way of thinking when the safety position was consider a non premium position.
Just look at the trade the Eagles recently made to acquire S Kevin Byard. The Eagles have really missed the two-way playmaking ability that they lost when Gardner-Johnson signed with the Lions this season.

Eagles acquiring safety Kevin Byard via trade with Titans

Byard didnt cost too much and he Is a true playmaker to be honest
He made 27 interceptions in 7 1/2 seasons
Budda 7 in 6 1/2 seasons

 

[PJ1]

Was thinking about a few years ago playing in Seattle. Budda wrecked two Seahawk running backs which huge hits. Just don’t see that from him anymore. And he is hardly a ball hawk.

 

[BigDavis75]

I'm of two minds about this. Obviously, having an $18.5 million cap hold on a safety is not ideal. But you're going to have to pay somebody.

We're on schedule to spend more than 2x our cap dollars on offense than defense in 2024 (this is before extending Hollywood Brown, the only high-dollar pending free agent). Why are we seeking cap flexibility when we have $65 million in available cap space and there's a limited number of free agents available?

Now, Budda enters 2024 in a contract year at age 28. He can probably make one more big contract. I don't think you want 31 year-old Budda Baker being the highest-paid player on your defense, but there's a reasonable argument to be made that, should he prove a good citizen the rest of the way, we can and should extend his deal, lower his cap hit next season, and put him more in line with the market and a little above Jalen Thompson's $8 million salary.

It's cray-cray that the Cards have two safeties in the top 12 safety contracts when both their deals are two years old or more. Keim should be dumped in that landfill with those copies of E.T. for Nintendo.

I agree with this take overall but what would you have done with Jalen here?

 

[kerouac9]

I agree with this take overall but what would you have done with Jalen here?

Probably keep him. His numbers are also crazy. He's a free agent after the 2025 season. You probably let him walk in his Age 27 year and collect a comp pick for him.

If we keep both in 2024 and don't do any contract shenanigans we'll have $31 million in cap money invested in the safety position.

That's more than half of the cap dollars we currently have allocated to the defense in 2024. #lolKeim

Kyler + Budda + Thompson represent more than 2/3 of our TOTAL 2024 CAP LIABILITIES at the moment.

 

[BritCard]

This is the old way of thinking when the safety position was consider a non premium position. Gone are the days when your Strong Safety was basically just another LB who was very limited in coverage ability or a Free Safety whose only job was to make sure that no one got behind them.

In the modern game the safety position has evolved. Because of rule changes that help the passing game and the rise of uber athletic TEs the Safety position has become much more important. With 4 and 5 WR sets being much more common, a Safety must now be able to cover WRs and athletic TEs. Additionally a safety must be still able to help support stopping the running game. Those two way type of safeties come at a premium.

Just look at the trade the Eagles recently made to acquire S Kevin Byard. The Eagles have really missed the two-way playmaking ability that they lost when Gardner-Johnson signed with the Lions this season.

Eagles acquiring safety Kevin Byard via trade with Titans

Yes it's such an important position that one of the best safeties in the league cost them a 5th, 6th and a garbage player on his 3rd team.

All positions are important but it's relative, safety is one of the least important.

 

[PACardsFan]

Yes it's such an important position that one of the best safeties in the league cost them a 5th, 6th and a garbage player on his 3rd team.

All positions are important but it's relative, safety is one of the least important.

Larry Wilson played 13 years from 60-72 & was widely regarded as the BEST safety of his era. He revolutionized the safety blitz, had a whopping 52 career interceptions, 5 of which he took to the house, and impacted so many of the games he played in. And yet, the Cardinals still never made the playoffs once during his career. That’s not an indictment of him, but of position he played.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Yes it's such an important position that one of the best safeties in the league cost them a 5th, 6th and a garbage player on his 3rd team.

All positions are important but it's relative, safety is one of the least important.

You can get by with a just a guy at safety, but try doing that with LT, QB, Edge, WR, and to a lesser extent CB. You can build a playoff team with replacement level players at ILB, TE, S, and G.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Paying top money to a safety that doesn't really make plays is a really bad move. It limits your flexibility at other premium positions. On top of that, Budda is getting older and more injury prone.

Do you anticipate that will get better for a guy who plays like a wrecking ball and is 5'10 and under 200 lbs?

Listen I get it. But not exactly we have a bunch of great players on the roster or in the secondary.

 

[PJ1]

Larry Wilson played 13 years from 60-72 & was widely regarded as the BEST safety of his era. He revolutionized the safety blitz, had a whopping 52 career interceptions, 5 of which he took to the house, and impacted so many of the games he played in. And yet, the Cardinals still never made the playoffs once during his career. That’s not an indictment of him, but of position he played.

Also an indictment of the teams he played on. More difficult to make the playoffs then as well.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Listen I get it. But not exactly we have a bunch of great players on the roster or in the secondary.

That's not a reason to throw money at a position that's of lesser importance. The Cardinals are teaching the point where they can start building the roster the right way. Throw big money at Christian Wilkins or Chris Jones instead of Budda Baker.