Safety Baker ‘eager to get back out’ on special teams
Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers prefers to use reps at training camp to evaluate new players over those he already has ample film on, but Budda Baker is getting antsy.
“Budda grabbed me the other day in the hallway. He said, ‘Hey, when am I gonna get some reps? What’s the plan? What’s going on?’” Rodgers said. “So he’s eager to get back out there.”
After the impact he made last season, it’s easy to see why Baker wants to get back out there. The safety was named first-team All-Pro and voted to the Pro Bowl for his performance on special teams, leading the Cardinals with 16 special teams tackles. That total was good for third in the league, as well.
Baker was able to prove himself as a rookie, but coach Steve Wilks contends it was about more than that.
“He understands that it’s about the team,” Wilks said. “The guy’s not selfish at all. Good player. Again, when you look at certain guys that I just fall in love with, he’s one of them, just because of his makeup.”
Baker’s not the only player actively seeking reps on special teams. Rodgers said that “the gunner line is about 15 deep on both sides” throughout practice. Wilks has repeated that he sees special teams as a place for players to stand out, and Baker’s urge to get back out there exemplifies that.
“You want guys who want to step up and do that. You get some guys that think special teams is not for them, but again, it’s important,” Wilks said. “Very unselfish individual. I love how he practices each and every day, the physicality, the toughness.
“Everything about him is what we’re looking for.”
Next man up
Wilks wants to rotate in players as much as he can, but that’s more of a necessity than choice when it comes to linebackers. Both Josh Bynes and Deone Bucannon did not practice Thursday due to injuries.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to get these guys back soon,” Wilks said. “I’m not going to give you a timetable, but we’re looking for maybe one day next week with Bucannon, and it’s still up in the air with Josh. He has a little sprain, nothing serious, but a sprained neck, and we’re just going to make sure we take our time with that.”
Bucannon has been day-to-day since injuring his knee on August 2. Bynes’ injury is newer – he sat out both Wednesday and Thursday. With Wilks penciling in Bucannon’s return for next week, other players get more reps against the Chargers. Bynes and Bucannon are both listed as starters on the unofficial depth chart, along with Haason Reddick.
Bucannon’s MRI showed no structural damage, and Wilks said the delayed return hasn’t come from a setback.
“I think it’s more rest,” Wilks said. “Anytime you’re talking about the knee, you want to be very cautious with that.”
Rosen still an angry bird?
A day after saying he’s tried to put the draft behind him, Cardinals rookie quarterback Josh Rosen went on the team’s flagship radio station on Thursday morning and admitted he’s still plenty perturbed about being the fourth quarterback selected in the first round behind Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen.
Appearing on the Arizona Sports 98.7 FM as a guest on the Doug and Wolf Show, Rosen said he’s “not paying attention to anything outside this building,” but then he added, “It’s also noted in in my head that three GMs made a very poor mistake. But I’m happy they did because I’m very satisfied with where I am.”
“I think I landed in the best situation of any quarterback in the draft,” Rosen went on. “However, I’m still very frustrated and angry that three GMs thought three other quarterbacks were better than me. I’m still very determined to prove them wrong.”