Cowboys Trade Malik Hooker For Cardinals' Budda Baker? Does Media Proposal Fit?

Could the Dallas Cowboys continue their trade-heavy offseason by targeting Arizona Cardinals' disgruntled star safety Budda Baker?

FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys’ offseason has been highlighted by the trades for veteran stars Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore, which is maybe one of the reasons multiple national media outlets envision Dallas doing it again ... this time with arguably the NFL's best safety in disgruntled Arizona Cardinals star Budda Baker.

The Pro Bowl safety wants out of the losing situation in Arizona ... but he also wants to be the NFL's highest-paid safety.

Currently, Baker is the seventh highest-paid safety in the league, with an average salary of $14.75 million, a far cry from the No. 1 in his position group, Los Angeles Chargers Derwin James, who has a $19 million average salary.

And all of that right there ought to really end the Baker-to-'Boys speculation. ... and not because he wouldn't be coveted; Baker has made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams in his six-year NFL career.

And he is nothing if not passionate.

Budda Baker has requested a trade… he is indeed tired of losing 👀pic.twitter.com/jtFxt6POlL

— The Game Day NFL (@TheGameDayNFL) April 14, 2023

So along comes the national media. ... with the usual attempt to connect the dots.

According to a recent CBS article, Dallas is one of "the top five landing spots'' for Budda. ... a concept fueled by a misguided notion or two.

“The Cowboys don’t need Baker, but this is the type of deal Jerry Jones loves making. Baker would make an already talented Cowboys defense a truly dominant group alongside Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs,” CBS writes. "In a trade with Arizona, the Cowboys could include Malik Hooker ...''

And?

Hooker (and change) for Baker? Deal!

But of course, that isn't the "deal'' at all.

Baker might be that team's best player; you (the Cowboys, the Eagles, whomever) aren't getting him for "Hooker and change.'' Meanwhile, the Cowboys have carefully assembled their "Three-Headed Monster at safety, with team-friendly deals on the trio of Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson and Hooker.

Kearse counts $6 mil against the 2023 cap, Hooker $4 million and Wilson $3 million - that's three guys for $13 million ... as opposed to one Budda for $19 million. And while we understand the origins of the idea of "Jerry likes to do monster deals,'' that idea is misguided.

We just showed you the kind of deals Dallas likes to do in the form of Kearse, Hooker and Wilson.

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You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahDDelgado.

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