NFL free agency is largely about enthusiasm for a brief period of time, followed by the knowledge that most players are on the market for a reason. Whether it’s because their skills have deteriorated, they don’t fit into a system, they have injury issues, or they had an attitude/culture fit issue with their prior squad, free agents rarely have a significant impact on their new team.
A number of players, like LB Jerome Baker Jr., were recently released after signing hefty contracts in the last several years, either as free agents or with their own teams.
This year’s free agency is likely to follow suit, but for the time being, fans and journalists are thrilled about what can happen.
Baker is a guy that Cleveland Browns fans are interested in, and the former Ohio State Buckeyes standout and Cleveland native loving this post about returning home would further fuel speculation:
We verified the above screenshot on his account.
Baker, who recently turned 27, would be an intriguing fit for the Browns. He is a lighter linebacker, similar to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who could benefit with a strong defensive line in front of him. Baker recorded 587 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 46 quarterback hits, 22.5 sacks, 21 passes defended, and six forced fumbles during his six seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
Baker was excluded from our Free Agency Frenzy article on linebackers owing to the date of his departure. Given his age and experience, it will be fascinating to see what kind of contract is available, given linebackers (like running backs) have been undervalued in free agency year after year. Except for JOK, Cleveland has a limited number of players under contract heading into the offseason.
The Dolphins will pay just under $5 million in dead salary cap space after releasing Baker, on top of another $17 million from prior releases. The former third-round pick signed a three-year agreement worth $37.5 million, but was dismissed with one year remaining to save Miami about $10 million on the cap.
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