Getty Defensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback questions aside, the Minnesota Vikings have several other areas of the roster to address this offseason. They could lose their top three edge rushers in free agency. And they only have one linebacker with significant experience under contract for 2024: 2023 undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr.
It could be easier to fill the latter void in free agency.
To that end, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon suggests Miami Dolphins free agent linebacker Jerome Baker, who has strong ties to the coaching staff.
Gagnon lists the Vikings as the “best fit” for the former third-round pick.
“Jerome Baker arguably peaked with seven sacks and 112 tackles in 2020, but he’s still been an effective and consistent starter since then, and he turned only 27 in December,” Gagnon wrote on March 8. “The Ohio State product might never be an All-Pro, but he’s capable of being an effective regular starter for several years to come.”
Baker is coming off a down campaign in 2023. He posted career lows in games played, solo and combined tackles, and a career-worst 12.4% missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Reference. He also tied his career-low with 1.5 sacks on the year.
However, he did score his second career touchdown.
Jerome Baker the Touchdown Maker!
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“It would thus make a lot of sense for new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores to make a strong push for Baker, who was at his best under Flores’ tutelage in Miami,” Gagnon wrote.
Baker spent three seasons under Flores with the Dolphins.
He notably had 330 tackles and 14.0 sacks, forcing five fumbles in that span. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker ranks 18th in the NFL with 587 total tackles since he entered the league in 2018, per Stathead.
Drew Rosenhaus Clears Up Injury Concerns for Jerome Baker
GettyJerome Baker #55 of the Miami Dolphins.
Baker appeared in 13 games last season, missing four of the last five regular-season contests with an MCL sprain. He also missed Miami’s Wild Card round playoff loss following wrist surgery. That the Dolphins waived him with a “failed physical” designation could be concerning.
However, that was only after talks to renegotiate his contract stalled.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, intimated there is mutual interest in his return. But only if Baker fails to find a suitable fit elsewhere, which the agent does not expect of issue.
“The coaches shared with Jerome they were interested in him coming back. I think this was more of a salary thing,” Rosenhaus said on “The Joe Rose Show” on March 6. “Certainly there’s interest in Jerome with the Dolphins organization, and it’s mutual. But we couldn’t reach a satisfactory agreement in time. And as a result, he’s now a free agent.”
Miami saved $9.8 million by releasing Baker from his three-year, $37.5 million contract.
Brian Flores Could Have Significant Influence on Vikings’ Free Agency
GettyDefensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings.
A move like this in free agency would be a sign the Vikings are indeed leaning into Flores. He returns after landing among the betting favorites to land the Washington Commanders‘ head coaching vacancy earlier this offseason.
“Multiple league sources shared in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Vikings are focused on infusing Brian Flores’s unit not just with experience but also with accomplished players,” The Athletic’s Alex Lewis wrote on March 8. “One team source explained that upgrades are needed at every position except safety.”
The Vikings can get to roughly $50 million in cap space with some cuts and restructures, per Lewis.
They could also extend Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson as part of that process.
But the Vikings have to address the holes and deficiencies of the defense. That is even if they don’t prioritize an off-ball linebacker like Baker, who has five interceptions, six forced fumbles, one recovery, and 22.5 sacks in his career.