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With the Los Angeles Rams continuing their transition to a 3-4 defense, a player to potentially look out for in the coming days of free agency is former Washington and Tampa Bay Buccaneers DL Chris Baker. Baker was just released by the Buccaneers after spending one season with the team:
Bucs are releasing DT Chris Baker, source says. Was due $4.875m in 2018, $3m of which would’ve been fully guaranteed the fifth day of the league year.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 20, 2018
After spending six years with Washington, Baker established himself as one of the better 3-4 DEs in football earning himself a 3-year $15.75 million deal with the Buccaneers in 2017. Baker had a very rough year transitioning into the 4-3 defense the Buccaneers deployed and it showed with a 0.5 sack season after registering six the season prior.
At his best, Baker is a strong DE who can re-establish the line of scrimmage helping stop the run effectively and offering some juice as a pass rusher. As a 30-year old who recently flopped on his large contract, Baker’s price will likely drop.
Adding Baker would probably mean a move back to NT for DE Michael Brockers. Personally, I would prefer to leave Brockers at DE and go for a true NT, but the ties with Baker are undeniable. Both Head Coach Sean McVay and Linebackers Coach Joe Barry spent time with Baker in Washington, naturally making him a player to keep tabs on.