It’s been three weeks since the Cardinals conducted their mandatory minicamp and it’s now fewer than three weeks until rookies and veterans report for the start of training camp on July 25.
On a team with numerous questions, the most significant revolves around safety Budda Baker. It is presumed that Baker will report to camp, but that doesn’t mean he will be on the field practicing.
Baker was present for minicamp in mid-June, but did not join his teammates for on-field work.
Last summer, left tackle D.J. Humphries was said to be out of practice because of a stomach bug, but it miraculously disappeared after he signed a contract extension. Late in the season, tackle Kelvin Beachum admitted that “hold-ins” were one of the many items that plagued the team during the year.
Earlier in the offseason, there were reports that Baker wants to be the highest-paid safety in the league and had asked to be traded to play on a contender.
Then, last week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Media discussed the Baker situation on air, and quickly received text messages from agent David Mulugheta, who asserted that Baker “doesn’t want to be the highest-paid safety. He never said that.”
Mulugheta also told Garafolo that Baker’s contract should be extended if the Cardinals “believe he is a long-term part of his future plans” and that the safety is seeking to be “paid fairly for what he brings to the table.”
During minicamp, general manager Monti Ossenfort was asked about Baker’s status on Arizona Sports 98.7 and said, “The communication between us and Budda continues to be great. I have made my feeling very clear on how I feel about Budda and the rest of the organization as well. We were just excited to have him back in the building and we look forward to continue to have that dialogue as we go.”
The looming question is simple: what constitutes “fair?”
Baker currently has two years remaining on the contract he signed in 2020 that is scheduled to pay base salaries of $13.1 million this year and $14.2 million in 2024. None of the money is guaranteed although this year’s salary becomes guaranteed when he is on the opening-day roster.
The average per year on the total deal is $14.75 million, which ranks seventh in the NFL among safeties and was first when the seal was signed. The six players ahead of him are Derwin James of the Chargers ($19.1 million), Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Steelers ($18.25), Jamal Adams of the Seahawks ($17.5), Jessie Bates of the Falcons ($16.0), Harrison Smith of the Vikings ($16.0) and Justin Simmons of the Broncos ($15.25). Behind Baker is Kevin Byard of the Titans ($14.1).
It’s notable that Mulugheta represents James, Bates and Byard.
What’s also important is that Bates is the only player in that group to have guaranteed money in 2024 and that’s because he signed as an unrestricted free agent during the current offseason.
Also significant is that Baker’s 2023 salary is larger than all those players except for Simmons ($14.4 million) and Byard $13.6). Some of the lowers salaries of the other players are the product of contract structure and the effort to keep the salary-cap charge low in the early years of the deals.
James, Fitzpatrick and Bates are under contract through 2026, Adams and Smith through 2025 and Simmons and Byard through 2024.
Also worth noting is that the guarantees in Baker’s contract totaled $33.1 million, while Bates’ new deal included $36 million guaranteed. The largest guarantee was James’ $42 million.
What these comparisons tell us is that it shouldn’t be very difficult to extend the contract of Baker, who won’t turn 28 until January, with additional guaranteed money.
Ossenfort has insisted since the day he was hired that Baker is the type of player and leader he wants.
The general manager said then, “When I came for my interview in the conference room where we sat down and spoke, there was a picture of Budda on the wall. I was the only one in the room and the interview had not got started yet. I distinctly remembered I was with the Patriots at the time and Budda came in. We interviewed Budda at the Combine for our 20-minute interview.
“After the end of that 20-minute interview, I think I was ready to run through a brick wall for Budda Baker and I just relayed that story to him. Budda Baker, and there’s other leaders on this team as well, but Budda Baker represents everything that we want this organization to be and I am excited to be on a team with him.”
While it’s time for the organization to step up and for Ossenfort to show how truly excited he is “to be on a team with him,” it’s also critical that Baker and Mulugheta’s definition of “fair” is similar to the Cardinals.
Don’t hesitate to comment or ask questions on Twitter @hbalzer721 or email me: howard@gophnx.com
