The Jacksonville Jaguars lost safety Eric Murray to an elbow injury on the opening kickoff of the 42-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He left the field immediately after the play and didn't return. One day later, head coach Liam Coen announced that Murray is out for the year.
This isn't great news when you take into account that the Jags were already without Antonio Johnson, who's dealing with an ankle injury. Although Johnson could play against the Baltimore Ravens, it's not a given. Sure, Kaevon Merriweather and Rayuan Lane did a superb job of holding the fort against Indy, but Murray's injury could test the team's depth at the position.
The last thing the Jags want is for the secondary to become a liability, so they'll surely try to bring in reinforcements in the upcoming days. And if general manager James Gladstone wants to take a swing at the November 10 deadline, he should then target Budda Baker.
Budda Baker would give the Jaguars an enticing replacement for Eric Murray
Budda Baker is an All-Pro safety and a mainstay of the Arizona Cardinals defense. However, he's been the subject of trade chatter because the Cards are 3-5 and in the midst of a rebuild. If they make him available, they could get a high draft pick for him, probably not a first, but maybe a third could get a deal done. Jacksonville could even throw in a late-round pick to sweeten the deal.
Just recently, Adam Schefter of ESPN stated that he doesn't think Arizona will trade Baker, but that sounds more like an opinion and less like a report. On the other hand, Baker has stated that he doesn't want to be moved. Either way, it wouldn't hurt the Jaguars to reach out and see what it would take to get a deal done.
After all, Baker could form one of the top safety tandems in the NFL once Antonio Johnson is back in the fold. On the other hand, Jacksonville may want to prioritize addressing the interior defensive line after DaVon Hamilton's season-ending injury at the deadline.
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Why the Jaguars would be hesitant to trade for Budda Baker
Eric Murray is a key cog on the Jacksonville secondary, but losing DaVon Hamilton is a bigger blow, which is why defensive tackle may be a bigger priority at the trade deadline. Moreover, Rayuan Lane just had a pick-6 in his first career start, while Kaevon Merriweather has most definitely held his own.
When you take into account that Jalen Husky is also in the mix, the Jaguars may not want to make a big addition at safety. They definitely need to bolster the depth but don't have to take a big swing.
On the other hand, Baker would give the Jaguars a playmaker who could help them solidify their odds of making a playoff push.
In the end, though, it would come down to how high the Jags are on the Rayuan Lane, Jalen Huskey, and Kaevon Merriweather. But even if they feel good about the three of them, they shouldn't rule out the possibility of trading for a playmaker such as Budda Baker.
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