Miami Dolphins commit to Jerome Baker, Gesicki should be next
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins made an investment in Jerom Baker over the weekend making sure that the linebacker doesn’t hit free agency next year. Now the question is will Mike Gesicki be next?
It was announced over the weekend that the Dolphins and free agent to be Jerome Baker agreed to a three-year extension that will pay him $39.4 million with $28.4 million guaranteed. That’s a big price to pay for a player that doesn’t carry the star power as many others around the league but while fans of other teams are wondering why Miami paid such a premium, the reality is Baker is one of the most consistent linebackers and leaders of this defense and is still getting better under Brian Flores.
On Friday, media peppered Baker with questions about a long-term deal or an extension. Baker said he wanted to stay in Miami for his entire career.
"“Oh, yeah. I want to play here for the rest of my career. I love it here. I love the fans. I love the organization. I love everybody here. Yeah, I definitely see myself playing here for a long time.” – Jerome Baker"
Baker was coy about a new contract and never hinted that he was talking with the team. On Sunday, he agreed to the three-year deal. Now the question is whether or not Mike Gesicki will get a new deal done?
Gesicki was taken in the same draft, one round earlier, and has been a productive tight end for the Dolphins but this is relatively new territory for the Dolphins front office and frankly, we don’t what value they put on the position.
Miami hasn’t had a franchise-type tight end in a very long time. The last name that comes to mind was Charles Clay and he wasn’t as talented as Gesicki is. The Dolphins may view him as expendable given the addition of Hunter Long in the draft but that could be a mistake if they do.
Having two quality tight ends is a rare thing in the NFL but the Patriots have done very well with it in New England and both Chris Grier and Brian Flores are very familiar with how Bill Belichick utilizes the position. It would be a surprise if something got done before July or for that matter before camp. Miami has allocated quite a bit of money to Baker and still has to sign three of their remaining draft picks, including Long.
Last week we took a look at who the Miami Dolphins should prioritize among the 2022 impending free agents, Mike Gesicki was number one and Jerome Baker was number two.