The Carolina Panthers may have already put together one of the NFL’s strongest offseason runs, but a proposed trade pitch from Zach Roberts of Sports Illustrated suggests they might not be done yet.
The recent idea has Carolina trading for Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker to complete the defense.
Up to this point, the Panthers have addressed their biggest needs in free agency, adding impact talent like Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd. They even turned a surplus into value by moving Andy Dalton for a draft pick rather than letting him walk.
Carolina Panthers would need to move money around to pull off wild Budda Baker heist
More importantly, they avoided desperation. General manager Dan Morgan built a roster that no longer forces the team into a corner heading into the draft. That’s exactly why this potential move stands out. Despite all the progress made, safety remains the one spot that hasn’t been fully solved.
The Panthers brought back Nick Scott, who posted a career high of 111 tackles and started every game last season. But he’s not a difference maker.
Carolina could address it in the draft. Prospects like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren or Dillon Thieneman make sense, or even Jakobe Thomas later. But the entire point of this offseason was to avoid being forced into a single option.
Right now, the Panthers don’t have to draft a safety, which opens the door to something more aggressive. A proposed trade for Baker checks every box.
The Cardinals' safety is still playing at a high level, coming off a 120-tackle season and yet another Pro Bowl appearance — his seventh straight. Even at 30, there are no clear signs of decline.
More than production, it’s the style of player Baker is that fits what Carolina is building. He’s instinctive. He’s physical. He plays fast. And he raises the floor of an entire secondary. The bigger hurdle isn’t compensation, it’s the salary cap.
Baker is owed roughly $34 million over the next two years, including a 2026 cap hit north of $14 million. For a team that already spent aggressively in free agency, that’s not insignificant. But it’s also not impossible.
Extending Damien Lewis could free up over $9 million. A decision on Tommy Tremble — extension or release — creates additional flexibility. Moving on from edge rusher Patrick Jones II adds even more room.
Trading for Baker would eliminate their last real weakness. It would give them complete flexibility in the draft. And it would send a message to everyone that the Panthers are ready to win.