Tre'von Moehrig Misses Top 32 Rank, Panthers Should Trade for Safety Who Made It

The Carolina Panthers signed star safety Tre'von Moehrig to a three-year, $51 million deal ahead of the 2025 season. It was one of many moves that helped spur a league-worst defense to mediocrity.

Moehrig has been as advertised, excelling in the run game and giving Ejiro Evero a chess piece to work with. He's been hailed as one of the league's most versatile players.

That said, he did not rank within the top 32 on PFF's list of the best safeties. He ranked pretty low in that metric, actually around 50th-best. While PFF grades are not perfect, it is a little troubling to be ranked so low.

Fortunately, there is a top-32 safety who made the cut and could be available via trade, and the Panthers ought to jump on that.

Panthers should trade for Budda Baker to help Tre'von Moehrig

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) practices during training camp | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker did not request a trade, but let's examine his situation for a moment. The Cardinals are pretty bad and they play in an absolutely loaded division. They need assets, and Baker is both aging and expensive.

Plus, with two years of team control left, the safety would likely fetch a pretty decent trade return for the Cardinals. Now, for the Panthers: they need safety help, and Baker would give them a solid duo to play over the top.

Moehrig is a run-defending safety who struggles badly in coverage, allowing nearly 80% of passes to be completed while in coverage. Lathan Ransom, Zakee Wheatley, and Nick Scott are somewhat decent options next to Moehrig, but they're no Baker, at least not yet.

Baker just made the cut for PFF's top 32, ranking 32nd. Bradley Locker wrote, "An eight-time Pro Bowler, Baker is a well-respected player — but one whose advanced statistics paint a more cloudy picture. Baker has sat below a 65.0 overall PFF grade in two of the past three seasons."

Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) practices during a walkthrough | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately, Baker's coverage has dipped in recent years, but he's still a much better and more proven commodity than any of the three options the Panthers are currently working with. Ransom and Wheatley are young, and Scott just isn't that good.

Baker is obviously on the decline, but that just means he can play until Ransom or Wheatley is ready to start full-time, mentoring them and providing improved safety play in the interim. It's a win-win for everyone involved, including the asset-needy rebuilding Cardinals.

And despite Locker's harsh description, Baker did make the top 32, and Moehrig didn't.

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