Update:
Chick Hernandez is now reporting that veteran DL Chris Baker is finalizing the details of a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
- Ian Rapoport adds that Baker’s contract with the Bengals is worth just over $3 million.
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Chick Hernandez is reporting that free agent DL Chris Baker met with the Bengals on Tuesday and took a physical for the team. According to Hernandez, it’s likely Baker ends up signing with Cincinnati.
It’s worth mentioning that signing Baker to a contract won’t impact a team’s 2019 compensatory picks, given that he was released this offseason.
Baker, 30, originally signed on with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Hampton back in 2009. He lasted just over a year in Denver before he was waived and later signed to the Dolphins practice squad.
After Miami cut him loose at the start of the 2011 season, Baker signed on to the Redskins’ taxi squad and spent the next five years in Washington. The Buccaneers elected to sign Baker to a three-year, $15.75 million contract that included $9 million guaranteed last offseason and he was set to make base salaries of $4.87 million over the final two years of the agreement.
However, the Buccaneers cut him loose in a move that freed up $4,875,000 of available cap space.
In 2017, Baker appeared in 15 games for the Buccaneers and recorded 33 tackles, a half sack and two pass defenses. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 96 interior defensive lineman out of 122 qualifying players.
We have him featured in our Top 100 – 2018 NFL Free Agents list.
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