Washington Redskins nose tackle Chris Baker (92) prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles. Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Redskins impending free agent defensive lineman Chris Baker recorded 28 tackles and a sack last season and the big run-stuffer started the final three games of the season. Moved to left end in Week 14, Baker rotated around the defensive line, and he has the ability to plug up holes as a nose tackle or 3-4 DE. That versatility is attractive to the Redskins, as it makes up for his inability to generate much push in the passing game.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Redskins have re-signed Baker to a three-year deal worth $12 million, including $4 million in guaranteed money, per his agents Chitta Malik and Tony Paige. That’s a pretty nice wad of cash, and it confirms that Baker will have a sizeable role- he’s getting starter money right there- on defense next year. It’s unsurprising to hear that the 26-year-old Hampton product has re-signed, as Jim Haslett and the Redskins have always wanted to keep him. In fact, it seems like they’ve made it a priority to keep most of their free agents on their porous defense, as they paid veteran corner DeAngelo Hall a huge amount of money earlier this month.
Baker was wise to take this deal from the Redskins instead of hitting the open market, and the $4 million annually proves that Haslett and the franchise have big plans for him as a starting end. He had the best season of his career last year, and he’ll only get better and have a bigger role. I wonder if the Redskins could have kept him for less money, and it’s clear that Baker is a big winner this offseason.