The Miami Dolphins will have a new defensive coordinator and as many as six new starters on that side of the ball to open the 2024 NFL season.
The purge on defense continued on Tuesday when the Dolphins informed linebacker Jerome Baker they were releasing him.
Miami Dolphins Cut Jerome Baker
“God opens doors for me but I still keep spare keys,” Baker wrote on X (formerly Twitter) earlier in the day.
Baker was set to earn $10.8 million this year, and while the Miami Herald reports that he agreed to take a pay cut to remain in Miami, the two sides never could agree on a number.
The release will save $9.8 million against the cap — moving the Dolphins closer to NFL compliance with eight days until the league’s new year. They are now roughly $15 million over the cap.
But the move also removes a talented, reliable, and well-liked member of the organization.
Baker, a third-round pick by the Dolphins in 2018, started 82 of a possible 99 games in his six seasons with the Dolphins and missed just five due to injury.
Miami is reportedly open to bringing Baker back. But if he bolts, Baker will finish his Dolphins career with 587 tackles (including 31 for loss), 22.5 sacks, 46 quarterback hits, six forced fumbles, five interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns.
Baker’s release comes less than two weeks after the Dolphins cut defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and notified cornerback Xavien Howard that he would not return in 2024. Miami is designating Howard as a post-June 1 cut.
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The Baker news comes on the same day that the Dolphins elected against using the franchise tag on Christian Wilkins, making it likely that he will also be on another team in 2024.
What’s more, key 2023 Dolphins defensive players Andrew Van Ginkel, DeShon Elliott, Eli Apple, Raekwon Davis, and Brandon Jones are all free agents this year.
Those potential departures, combined with uncertain timelines to return for injured pass rushers Bradley Chubb (ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles), will make for a tricky first offseason for new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
The Dolphins did announce one addition to their roster Tuesday: defensive tackle Isaiah Mack, who spent time with eight different organizations — including with Weaver and the Baltimore Ravens — since entering the league as an undrafted rookie in 2019. He has 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 25 career games.
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