The enigma surrounding Jerome Baker
With the exception of Xavien Howard, whose formal exit from the Miami Dolphins is scheduled for March 13, Jerome Baker now has the most starts of any player on the roster.
However, given his salary and the Dolphins’ precarious cap situation, one of the biggest uncertainties of this offseason for the organization is how long Baker will have that distinction.
Grier offered his support for Baker, as he would for any player mentioned, in his conversation with the South Florida media group at the NFL scouting combine. However, he did leave open the potential that Baker’s 82nd career start for the Dolphins last season was his final one.
Grier remarked, “We would adore having Baker here.” The most important thing, in my opinion, was for the new defensive staff to observe the squad and the defense as a unit once they joined. Mike (McDaniel) and I will meet when we have those conversations with the defensive staff, and we’ll decide here in the coming weeks.
AVAILABLE CHOICES WITH BAKER
As is the case with many things in today’s world, Baker’s job security is dependent on his 2024 cap figure, which is $14.8 million as of right now, according to overthecap.com.
By releasing Baker before he enters the last year of his contract extension (minus two vacant years), the Dolphins can cut that amount by about $10 million. Baker would then count around $5 million against the cap but be removed from the team.
To reduce Baker’s cap burden, another option would be to sign him to a longer contract. Alternatively, you might try to approach Baker about taking a pay cut or looking for a better offer on the free market.
Ultimately, a lot may depend on how Baker fits into Anthony Weaver’s scheme as defensive coordinator and what he thinks of him.
Before missing two games in 2023 (a knee injury in the season finale against the Buffalo Bills and a wrist injury in the game where he played for a while despite having a broken bone), Baker was a reliable starter for the Dolphins, reaching 100 tackles in three of his six seasons. He has also shown durability.
If it weren’t for the Dolphins’ cap situation—they had almost $38 million more in effective cap space as of Thursday morning, according to Over The Cap—Baker’s position might not even be in doubt, but that’s Miami’s reality this summer.
To comply with the cap, hard choices will need to be taken; one of those hard choices may be whether to accept Baker.
