Getty Jerome Baker pick-six.
The Seattle Seahawks are signing former Miami Dolphins captain and linebacker Jerome Baker to a one-year, $7 million deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Baker, 27 years old, finished the 2023 season with 78 tackles and 1.5 sacks, the fewest amount in both categories since 2019. Baker has had 100-plus tackle seasons in three of his six seasons and more than three sacks in four of the six.
The former Dolphins captain was expected to sign with a different team and does that with a Seahawks defense that’s historically been one of the best in football.
After signing three linebackers in free agency, it was clear Baker would have to find a new team.
Dolphins Wanted to Keep Jerome Baker
The Miami Dolphins moved on from Baker due to cap reasons. He was due for a $14.7 million hit against the cap, a price the Dolphins weren’t willing to pay.
Baker was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft and has been with the team since, producing in each season.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke about Baker being a potential cap casualty during the NFL Combine, hinting at the new defensive staff wanting to change things up. Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post reported what he had to say on March 5.
“We’d love to have Baker here,” Grier said. “I think the big thing for us was to have the new defensive staff come in, spend time watching the team, watching the defense as a staff together. Once we have those discussions with the defensive staff, Mike (McDaniel) will get together and then we’ll make that decision here in the next couple of weeks.”
Baker was one of many Dolphins’ defensive players who moved to a new team this offseason, including Xavien Howard, Christian Wilkins, and Andrew Van Ginkel.
While the defense, which allowed 23.2 points per game, the 10th most in the league per game, could’ve been better, losing four important defensive players leaves some worries next season.
However, the additions of Anthony Walker Jr., Kendall Fuller, Jordyn Brooks, Shaquil Barrett, and Jordan Poyer should fill what the Dolphins lost.
What Will Baker Bring to the Seahawks?
Baker played in just 13 games during the 2023 season, the fewest of his career. It was the reason for his stats being the worst they’ve been in his career.
When healthy, he was one of the most important players on the Miami Dolphins’ defense, someone who can tackle with the best of them in the NFL.
The hope for him is that he can do the same thing with the Seattle Seahawks, giving them another linebacker who can make plays. If he can give them similar production to what he did from 2020-2022 when he posted at least four sacks and 92 tackles, $7 million will be a team-friendly deal.
Just as important as anything else, Baker was spoken highly of by his teammates and took his time with the Dolphins as an honor. When named the captain in 2019, he showed his appreciation for his teammates, saying the following, according to Alain Poupart of the Dolphins.
“It’s a true honor, just to get chosen by your teammates,” Baker said. “That’s really an honor and I’m definitely grateful. I don’t take it lightly at all. (I’m just going to) go out there and every day and just show the example. Whatever (Flores’) message is, I just carry it out to the rest of the team. It also means to go out there and perform, and just do what I’ve been doing. Just try to get better every day.”