Cardinals Erred Not Trading Budda Baker, Josh Sweat This Offseason

Kyle Odegard argues that the Arizona Cardinals made a major mistake by not trading veteran defensive stars Budda Baker and Josh Sweat during the offseason. Following a 36-30 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers that dropped Arizona to 1-2, Odegard highlights that the Cardinals rank 29th in defensive EPA, largely blaming the poor on-field performances of Baker and Sweat.

According to Odegard, general manager Monti Ossenfort chose to retain the high-priced veterans in an attempt to save his job rather than prioritizing long-term rebuilding. Odegard notes that Baker and Sweat's declining play has severely lowered their potential trade deadline value, leaving the franchise worse off regardless of whether they are traded or retained.