Veteran defender apparently in the Vikings trade rumor mill

Most Minnesota Vikings fans wouldn't put the safety position anywhere near the top of the list for the team's trade needs, but The Draft Network disagrees.

Veteran defender apparently in the Vikings trade rumor mill

Minnesota made a low-risk trade for running back Cam Akers on Tuesday night, sending a conditional sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Akers and a conditional seventh-round pick. And more deals could be on the way as the trade deadline is still 20 days away.

And according to Justin Melo of TDN, the Vikings could be targeting Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker. The veteran defenseman is apparently in the trade, and Melo has mentioned Minnesota as a possible landing spot.

“The 5-0 Minnesota Vikings join the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs as the remaining undefeated teams,” Melo wrote Tuesday. “Brian Flores was an excellent defensive coordinator for the Vikings this season, but the pass defense was a weakness. Currently they are allowing the 30th ranked 263 pass yards per game.”

These are the Vikings' safeties at the moment:

• Harrison Smith
• Camryn Bynum
• Josh Metellus
• Theo Jackson
• Jay Ward
• Bobby McCain (practice squad)

The addition of Baker could also improve Minnesota's safety level beyond 2024. Smith could retire after this season and Bynum is scheduled to enter free agency in March.

“The aging Harrison Smith is still competing at a high level,” Melo explained. “Camryn Bynum has developed into a top-notch safety unlike him, but acquiring a chess piece like Baker would allow Flores to use more three-safety sets. Flores, one of the most creative defensive minds in the entire league, would understand how to utilize Baker's skills around the line of scrimmage to help his struggling back end.”

This is Baker's Professional football focus Continuation over eight seasons:

• 2017: 72.5
• 2018: 65.9
• 2019: 71.4
• 2020: 75.3
• 2021: 65.0
• 2022: 73.7
• 2023: 64.8
• 2024: 68.7

Baker's contract expires this season, so the financial situation would work beautifully for any team. If the Vikings want him, they can even sign him within five months without requiring trade capital.

Overall, the Vikings' safety room is pretty well stocked, and if any other trades are negotiated in the next three weeks, it will likely be cornerback, wide receiver, interior offensive line or interior defensive line depth.

However, given Baker's high-profile resume, no Vikings fan would be too upset about the TDN trade idea. Baker can shoot.

He will be 29 years old in January.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel. VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis and opinion on all things purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Guilty Pleasures Performed: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, “The Sopranos,” Basset Hounds and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA just as closely as he follows the NFL.

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; All contract information from OverTheCap.com.