Budda Baker had gotten to the end of a lengthy press conference last week -- the one where I was for some reason stunned to realize he was still in his 20s, even going into his ninth NFL season -- when he uttered what I thought might've been his most interesting point of the conversation.
He was talking, as he often does, about being a mentor and helping teammates out, when he noted last year he finally got to "understanding everyone is not perfect."
"I kind of had to not be as angry when guys are messing things up," Baker said. "That's when I kind of got hot with the second or third time messing it up. Just understanding that those guys are trying hard. Everyone wanted to do their job."
I don't think Baker was ever at Bruce Banner levels, but frustration would be understandable. The Cardinals have gotten crazy young in the cornerback room since Jonathan Gannon's arrival as the organization sought to rebuild the position. It doesn't hurt that some of those guys have been around long enough that they too are vets -- Garrett Williams has quickly gone from young guy to important vet, for instance.
The news of Sean Murphy-Bunting getting hurt takes more of that experience away from the position. But let's face it -- when you have drafted cornerbacks in the second round in back-to-back years like Max Melton and Will Johnson, you're expecting those guys to emerge as starters sooner rather than later.
The Cardinals are trying to put those pieces together as a unit. That's what this part of the offseason is for, Baker said, to "work to get to that spot."
"When we get to the season," Baker added, "have my full trust in everybody."
