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Jerome Baker

Seahawks, Titans Agree To Swap LBs Jerome Baker, Ernest Jones

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

Ernest Jones is heading back to the NFC West, being involved in a second trade this year. The Titans and Seahawks have a linebacker-for-linebacker swap lined up, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.

The Seahawks are sending Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones, who was originally dealt from the Rams to the Titans in August. The contract-year linebacker will head back to the Pacific Time Zone to finish up his free agency audition. It’s a 2025 fourth, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

This marks the second Titans seller’s trade of the day, with the move coming hours after the team agreed to send DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs. This checks in as a slightly lower-profile deal, but Tennessee secured a better return for Jones compared to Hopkins. Collecting a conditional fifth-round pick for the former All-Pro receiver, the Titans now have Baker and a fourth coming back. Like Jones, Baker is in a contract year.

As the Rams informed Jones this offseason would not be extended in 2024, his camp received permission to negotiate a trade. While Jones had said he did not request a trade out of Los Angeles, the Rams agreed to one in short order. L.A. collected a fifth-round pick for Jones and a sixth. Despite the season being nearly half over, the Titans did better in their Jones return.

Overall, Tennessee did quite well in the two Jones trades. The team gave up only a 2026 fifth-round pick but has obtained Baker, a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2026 sixth in exchange. The Seahawks will bet on the younger linebacker while the Titans retool.

A former Rams starter who played a role for the Super Bowl LVI team before being highly productive from 2022-23, Jones has started five games with the Titans. He leaves Tennessee with 44 tackles (second on the team) with three TFLs and two pass deflections. Jones, who briefly teamed with UFA addition Kenneth Murray in Tennessee, led the 2023 Rams in tackles with 145 — to go with 4.5 sacks and 14 TFLs. This came after Jones teamed with Bobby Wagner as a starter in 2022.

The Seahawks had used free agency to staff their LB position, though they did not make the kind of commitment there the Titans did via their three-year Murray pact. Seattle signed Baker and Tyrel Dodson, bringing in the former as a street free agent following his Dolphins release. Baker’s second 2024 relocation will come after he started all five games he played with Seattle. Baker made 30 tackles (two for loss) and forced a fumble during his brief Seahawks stint.

Pro Football Focus has Baker and Jones ranked alongside each other among off-ball ‘backers this season, placing Baker 46th and Jones 47th. PFF has Baker rated as a superior coverage linebacker, though Jones checked in as a top-15 overall option at LB in 2023. He will now have a chance to use the Seahawks as a springboard to a nice 2025 payday.

Baker being nearly three years older explains the compensation in this trade. Baker will turn 28 on Christmas Day; Jones will be 25 next month. The Seahawks hold exclusive negotiating rights with their newly acquired defender until the March legal tampering period.

In Miami, Baker worked as a hybrid player of sorts. He showed the type of blitz acumen that has boosted the profiles of Demario Davis and Devin White. The former third-round pick notched 22.5 sacks in six Dolphins seasons, topping out at seven under Brian Flores in 2020. Baker did not assimilate as easily into Vic Fangio‘s defense last season, but he will now go from one ex-Raven assistant’s scheme to another by moving from Mike Macdonald‘s defense to Dennard Wilson‘s.

While Jones is tied his third-round contract, Baker is attached to a one-year deal worth $7MM. The Seahawks, however, already paid Baker a $4MM roster bonus; he is due barely $1MM in prorated base salary. As Baker joins Murray on a 1-5 Tennessee team, Jones will team with Dodson as a pair of contract-year LBs for a 4-3 Seattle team.

NFL Injury Updates: Higgins, Herbert, Seahawks

September 20th, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals have operated through the first two weeks of the season without two of their top targets from the 2023 NFL season. Tyler Boyd found his way to Tennessee in free agency, and Tee Higgins has missed the first two games of the year with a hamstring injury. Quarterback Joe Burrow will be happy to see one of the two return in Week 3 against the Commanders, according to Ben Baby of ESPN.

Higgins has been limited at practice throughout this past week, but the fifth-year wideout claimed that “he feels 100% healthy and…should be able to play at full strength” this Monday night. Higgins broke 1,000 yards receiving in his second NFL season despite missing three games, and he’ll be challenged to do so in 2024 after missing two already.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may be just as happy to see Higgins as Burrow is. The only major receiving threat in the team’s first two games, Chase has been limited to 10 catches for 97 yards so far this season. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin have been the beneficiaries of Higgins’ missed time, and they’ll hope that their early efforts have earned them some targets as WR3 and WR4 moving forward.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been seen very little at practice this week after getting rolled up on in last week’s game. Per James Palmer of Bleacher Report, Herbert told reporters he had been dealing with a high ankle sprain. Herbert also mentioned that a decision hasn’t been made yet on whether or not he’ll play this Sunday.
  • The Seahawks will likely be without four starters in Week 3. Running back Kenneth Walker and linebacker Jerome Baker are both doubtful, while outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and right tackle George Fant have already been ruled out. Per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Walker could return in Week 4 after missing two contests. ESPN’s Brady Henderson adds that the team is hopeful Nwosu will be back by then, too. He’s reportedly “progressing really quickly,” according to head coach Mike Macdonald.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

July 23rd, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/18/24

July 18th, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

As a reminder, players who land on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list can be activated at any time during training camp or the preseason. If players remain on either of those two lists following initial 53-man rosters, they’ll be forced to sit out the first four games of the 2024 season.

While the majority of the Dolphins’ injuries were expected, Isaiah Wynn‘s placement on PUP is a bit of a surprise. The offensive lineman continues to recover from a quadriceps injury that ended his 2023 campaign in October, but his rehab is apparently taking longer than expected. After mostly playing offensive tackle to begin his career, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the former first-round pick is expected to be the “front-runner” at left guard once he’s healthy enough to see the field. Jackson also passed along that Salvon Ahmed‘s issue isn’t related to his season-ending foot injury from last season and is a result of a “minor medical issue.” The RB is firmly on the roster bubble heading into training camp.

Seahawks Contract Details: Hankins, Wallace, Anchrum, Shenault, Dodson, Burns, Baker

April 6th, 2024 at 4:23pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details from recently agreed-upon contracts in Seattle:

  • Johnathan Hankins, DT: One year, $2.05MM. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Hankins’ new deal includes a base salary of $1.24MM and $300K of guaranteed money in the form of a signing bonus. He can earn up to $510K in per-game active roster bonuses.
  • K’Von Wallace, S: One year, $1.5MM. Henderson informs us that Wallace’s contract will have a base salary of $1.13MM and includes $205K of guaranteed money that all comes in the signing bonus. Wallace will also be able to earn up to $170K via per-game active roster bonuses.
  • Tremayne Anchrum, G: One year, $1.16MM. Once again, Henderson tells us that Anchrum’s new deal will include a base salary of $1.06MM and a guaranteed amount of $100K in the form of a signing bonus.
  • Laviska Shenault Jr., WR: One year, $1.29MM. According to Henderson, Shenault’s new contract has a guaranteed amount of $1.15MM comprised of $985K of his base salary (worth a total of $1.13MM) and a $167.5K signing bonus.
  • Tyrel Dodson, LB: One year, $4.26MM. Dodson’s new deal has a guaranteed amount of $1MM comprised completely of his signing bonus, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. With a base salary of $2.25MM, Dodson can earn an additional $250K in a workout bonus and a potential $760K in per-game active roster bonuses. Nick Korte of OvertheCap.com tells us that the contract adds another seventh-round compensatory pick for the Bills in 2025 while taking a sixth-round compensatory pick away from the Seahawks.
  • Artie Burns, CB: One year, $1.38MM. Condotta also tells us that Burns has signed for the veteran minimum, once again. He’ll hold a base salary of $1.21MM with $75K of guaranteed money in the form of a signing bonus. He can earn another potential $92.5K with a roster bonus.
  • Jerome Baker, LB: One year, $7MM. We were already aware of the $7MM value of Baker’s deal, but ESPN’s Henderson informs us that Baker’s new deal has a guaranteed amount of $6.02MM, consisting of his $2.02MM base salary and $4MM signing bonus. The $977.5K remaining in non-guaranteed money will come in the form of per-game active roster bonuses.

Seahawks Sign LB Jerome Baker

March 16th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seattle linebacking corps will look completely different on the inside in 2024. With the departures of Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Devin Bush in free agency and the release of Nick Bellore, the only returning inside linebackers in 2024 are Jon Rhattigan and Drake Thomas, who combined for 26 defensive snaps last season. After bringing in Tyrel Dodson to fill some of these holes this week, the Seahawks secured another experienced starter in former Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. The team has since announced the move.

Funny enough, Brooks and Baker will swap jobs in 2024. The Dolphins released Baker after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a restructured contract that would lower Baker’s salary cap impact. Miami quickly moved to replace the veteran, signing Brooks to a three-year, $30MM deal. Now, Baker heads to the opposite corner of the country to fill the role that Brooks left vacant in Seattle on a one-year, $7MM contract.

Baker’s release wasn’t necessarily a result of any lack of on-field production. While missing four games did keep Baker from reaching the 100-tackle mark for only the second time in the last five years and he didn’t have quite the same impact on the team’s pass rush as he has in the past, he showed an impressive improvement in coverage, nabbing two interceptions and three passes defensed. Teaming Baker up with Dodson, who excelled as the top-graded linebacker in the league in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Seattle will be home of one of the league’s top pass-defending duos at linebacker.

Baker is coming off wrist surgery that placed him on injured reserve for four weeks near the end of the regular season. He was able to return from IR in time for the Dolphins’ regular season finale, but Baker reinjured his wrist in that game and sat out of the playoffs. The offseason should give him plenty of time to recover, allowing him to potentially start alongside Dodson in 2024 at full strength.

Titans Interested In DL Arik Armstead, To Meet With LB Jerome Baker

March 13th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Two recent cap casualties are on the Titans’ radar, one of them having an extensive history with GM Ran Carthon. A year after Carthon brought in Daniel Brunskill and Azeez Al-Shaair from the 49ers, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports Arik Armstead is on the team’s radar.

While other teams are expected to show interest in the departing San Francisco standout, the Titans are a known suitor. Armstead, 30, has played all nine seasons of his career with the 49ers. Carthon was not in San Francisco’s front office when the team chose him in the 2015 first round, but the veteran exec was with the team when it extended the 6-foot-7 D-lineman. Armstead is likely set to be a post-June 1 49ers cut, though he would be free to sign elsewhere beginning Wednesday.

Additionally, the Titans have scheduled a visit with former Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Spending six years with the Dolphins, Baker received his walking papers as the AFC East team made a journey under the salary cap. That odyssey involved cutting multiple regulars. The Titans saw the Dolphins sign linebacker David Long last year; they will see about adding Baker during a Thursday meeting.

Carthon’s team is changing its defense this offseason, bringing in Dennard Wilson to run the show after six years with Mike Vrabel (feat. Shane Bowen) in charge. Armstead has excelled in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, being moved to a full-time defensive tackle role as the 49ers found their footing under Kyle Shanahan. While Armstead has battled injury trouble over the past two seasons, he declined a 49ers pay cut and will test free agency for the first time. He will do so not long after undergoing knee surgery; knee and foot issues cost Armstead late-season time last year, though he returned for San Francisco’s playoff slate.

The 49ers gave Armstead a big-ticket extension in 2020, choosing a slightly cheaper deal there rather than giving DeForest Buckner a top-market DT deal. Armstead stayed mostly healthy from 2019-21, racking up 10 sacks to help the Super Bowl LIV-bound 49ers in 2019 and adding six as the 49ers returned to the NFC title game two years later. He totaled five sacks and 13 QB hits — matching his second-highest single-season total — despite missing five regular-season games in 2023. Pro Football Focus ranked the veteran fifth among interior D-linemen in pass rushing, while ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted him 10th.

Miami gave Baker a three-year, $37.5MM extension in 2021. Showing an ability to rack up tackles and sacks with the Dolphins, Baker put together some versatile seasons to start the 2020s. He racked up seven sacks and 112 tackles in 2020 and posted a 5.5/92 pairing a year later. The former third-round pick delivered a four-sack, 100-tackle 2022. Although Baker missed time with an MCL injury and left Miami’s regular-season finale immediately after being activated off IR, he is only 27 and should have a chance to start again in 2024.

Tennessee lost multiple defensive pieces — Al-Shaair and Autry — to Houston this week, though the team did add a linebacker piece in ex-Chargers first-rounder Kenneth Murray. The retooling club will consider some additional pickups, however, with both Armstead and Baker undoubtedly available at discounted rates compared to their second contracts.

Dolphins To Release LB Jerome Baker

March 5th, 2024 at 3:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

As they continue to move toward cap compliance, the Dolphins will move on from a starter in the linebacking corps. Jerome Baker is being let go, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter notes the sides attempted to work out a restructure to lower Baker’s cap hit (slated for $14.79MM). No agreement could be reached, however, and he will now be able to hit free agency. In spite of that, Schefter adds Miami is open to Baker returning at a lesser price.

The six-year veteran has spent his entire career in South Beach, starting 82 of 94 games. He has remained a highly important member of the team’s defense during that stretch, but moving on will yield notable financial benefits. Miami will save $9.82MM in 2024 cap space while creating a dead money charge of just $4.97MM. As one of the teams with work to do to get under the cap ceiling by next week, those funds will be welcomed.

If a reunion cannot be worked out, however, the Dolphins will have a notable hole to fill at the LB spot moving forward. Fellow starter David Long is in place for one more season (although with no guaranteed salary owed, he too could be a candidate for a cost-saving move). Baker has posted 100 or more tackles three times in his career, and he has added 22.5 sacks along the way. Replacing that production on the free agent market or in the draft will not be easy.

Miami ranked seventh against the run in 2023, although Baker has not drawn rave PFF reviews for his work in that department for much of his career. He has, on the other hand, received better evaluations for his efforts in a pass-rush capacity and his performances in coverage. Entering his age-27 season, Baker should be able to garner a market for his services if he elects to head elsewhere for the first time in his career.

The Dolphins sat roughly $28MM over the cap after the expected release of cornerback Keion Crossen. Further savings will be seen at the start of the new league year when Xavien Howard is let go, and like in Baker’s case the team is open to a reunion on that front. More financial work is still to come, though, and in any case Miami’s defense will likely feature a number of new faces in 2024.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/9/24

January 9th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed to one-year extension: T Devin Cochran

Miami Dolphins

Dealing with a gutted edge-rushing corps, the Dolphins signed three veterans on Tuesday. They added Justin Houston, Bruce Irvin and Malik Reed. These three join Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram as notable edge rushers healthy for the AFC’s No. 6 seed.

Dolphins’ Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel Likely Done For Season

January 8th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already down Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for the season, the Dolphins continue to run into brutal injury luck on their front seven. Injuries to Jerome Baker and Andrew Van Ginkel on Sunday night appear likely to be season-enders.

Just activated from IR ahead of Week 18, Baker sustained a wrist injury for which he has already undergone surgery. The sixth-year linebacker is out for the Chiefs matchup and likely the rest of the playoffs, according to NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. Van Ginkel, who has played a key role since Phillips’ injury, is also likely done for the season due to the foot injury that forced him out of Sunday’s night’s game.

In addition to these adjustments DC Vic Fangio will need to make, Mike McDaniel said the team is not expected to have Xavien Howard back against the Chiefs. Additionally, backup edge rusher Cameron Goode suffered a torn patellar tendon in the loss to the Bills and will miss the season, McDaniel said.

In the event Miami’s defensive personnel turns this into a shootout — a less common occurrence with this Chiefs edition compared to previous Patrick Mahomes-piloted teams — McDaniel said (via Wolfe) Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert are looking more likely to return to action Saturday night. Waddle has missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, while Mostert — the NFL’s touchdown leader, with 21 — missed Weeks 17 and 18 with knee and ankle trouble.

Still, Fangio’s troops are depleted to a point the defense will look quite different even from the shorthanded crew that took the field against the Bills. Goode’s injury left the Dolphins with Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram on the edge. Fangio had benched the former early this season, and the Dolphins only re-signed the latter in December. The team used Ingram as a practice squad elevation in Week 18, doing so not long after cutting Jason Pierre-Paul. It would be interesting if the Dolphins reached out to JPP in this emergency circumstance. Miami still has quality personnel inside, in Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler, but its OLB setup has been gutted.

Van Ginkel has been effective as both a rotational rusher and a starter this season, notching a career-high six sacks along with 19 QB hits. He also posted a pick-six against the Commanders. Baker battled back from an MCL sprain; the Dolphins had used their final IR activation on their middle linebacker last week. A seventh-round pick, Goode played only 76 defensive snaps this season.

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