Baker Act
July 31st, 2017
New Bucs defensive tackle Chris Baker
Well, new Bucs free agent defensive end Chris “Iverson” Baker was wearing sweat pants today and wasn’t practicing as his teammates donned pads for the first time this summer.
JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman wrote long ago about Baker’s questionable practice desire. (See link above.) Baker was not a regular at spring practices open to media. And now Baker has been given a day off.
Kaufman advised Joe that Baker was held out today and it was just “precautionary.”
Likely, the Bucs were being careful of the wet conditions. But that’s just an assumption and Baker’s situation is unclear.
One might think Baker would be salivating to get on the field and would have insisted he at least be allowed to practice in a limited way. Did that happen? Joe doesn’t know.
Joe sincerely hopes the Bucs are just being careful with a prized 29-year-old veteran in the trenches, where it’s easy to turn an ankle.
Would Joe bet on that? Not even $5.00.
July 31st, 2017 at 12:18 pm
“One might think Baker would be salivating to get on the field and would have insisted he at least be allowed to practice in a limited way.”
Why? I thought we already knew the guy wasn’t that into practice?
My expectations are tempered for this dude until regular season. Just hoping for health
July 31st, 2017 at 12:21 pm
He was fine after practice on Saturday. He actually hopped over the partition (to get out of the rain) into the VIP section and was talking to us there and to media that came over. So if he did anything, it would have been yesterday…
July 31st, 2017 at 12:22 pm
Bucs need to draft a DT early next year and say goodbye to this guy.
I will be surprised if we get two good years out of him.
July 31st, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Dude had his knees wrapped in ice while they were still on the field yesterday. Probably just giving the knees a rest… Still a little concerning for a player who isn’t yet fully integrated in the team. If he’s got bum knees, we just bought ourselves a rental player for maybe 2 years.
July 31st, 2017 at 12:27 pm
Until the real bullets come Swaggy deserves to relax and enjoy the show.
McCoy and Baker will bring opposing QBs to their knees. No pun intended!
11 more days for the real 1,2 show. oh yeah!!!
Go Bucs!!!
July 31st, 2017 at 12:33 pm
Show us what Stevie T looks like with the first team. All this rain is scaring the BaJesus outta me and the forecast doesn’t seem to have a very low percentage of it any time soon.
July 31st, 2017 at 12:34 pm
Need to get the indoor ready by tomorrow
July 31st, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Practice??? We talking about practice.
July 31st, 2017 at 12:58 pm
Maybe it’s a bad angle but 29 years old and a gut like that, he’s spent the last five years, like Joe, eating a lot of wings and drinking a lot of beer…..should serve him well in the fourth quarter in September home games….
July 31st, 2017 at 12:59 pm
Someone important player always has ice on their knee during the early parts of training camp. As a matter of fact, it is usually a veteran player that is getting a break or ice wrap. I don’t see any issues yet. If it lasts until next week than we can start discussing this.
July 31st, 2017 at 2:07 pm
His stats seem unremarkable.
I still would have picked up a solid RT and kept Spence.
July 31st, 2017 at 2:26 pm
Never been a fan of players who get their name in lights for what they don’t do or won’t do. It’s just beginning to seem like there’s a lot of ‘Don’t Do’s’ with Swaggy. And Joe, I wouldn’t take that bet either at this point.
July 31st, 2017 at 2:28 pm
I wish Baker would have come to camp at 320 lbs.
July 31st, 2017 at 2:38 pm
I know some one will say he is listed as 320lbs., but I would say Baker is closer to 335 lbs. just my opinion!!
July 31st, 2017 at 2:40 pm
@Bighoghaynes
When it comes to eyeing up guys,,,,, we trust your opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 31st, 2017 at 3:11 pm
LOL Rhealist
I’m confident that between the trio of GMC, McDonald and Baker – we will have more than adequate push up the middle this year. IF all are healthy. Based on history – that’s a big IF…
Fingers crossed. We really need our aging Dline starters to stay healthy this year – especially Ayers and McCoy…
July 31st, 2017 at 3:11 pm
maybe big stevie tu’ekolavatu will take his job from him
July 31st, 2017 at 3:32 pm
I seem to remember that AI didn’t like to practice and he was an amazing talent. This whole shtick about baker not practicing is played out. Stop crying people. All he has to do is put up numbers on game day and u Sallys will forget all about him not practicing. Jeez, it’s training camp joe. Can’t you find something that USB actually worth writing about?
July 31st, 2017 at 3:35 pm
*****is actually ^^^^^^
July 31st, 2017 at 4:50 pm
I kept saying
Dontari Poe!!!
Dontari Poe!!!!
Dontari Poe!!
Atlanta got him cheap at 8 mil for 1 year.
If he blocks our running lanes this year, remember teacher man warned you.
He would have been perfect next to McCoy!!!
WTF!!!!
We have so much extra money!!!!
July 31st, 2017 at 4:58 pm
I know hope iam wrong but he looks like a lazy (Albert Haynesworth)
July 31st, 2017 at 5:50 pm
This dudes gonna be a bust, guarantee it.
July 31st, 2017 at 5:57 pm
I am not to worried about what is going on right now with a part time DT!!!!! And his contract is basically a 1 year deal with an option to pick up for the following 2 years!!!!!!!!
With the injury history of Clinton McDonald an other DT we should see a better rotation with less playing time to hopefully keep the big guys semi healthy!!!!!!!!
July 31st, 2017 at 6:05 pm
Geez, the media puts a negative slant on a guy who has only said great things about being here, and seems to be a good dude, and the sheep start jumping over the fence. WE have no idea why he sat out. But, Koetter does. Jay Hayes does. Mike Smith does. How about we let those guys determine Swaggy’s motor. Last I heard, they kinda like him. Unreal how fast manipulation permeates the followers.
July 31st, 2017 at 6:15 pm
Sometimes it’s hard to get amped about something that doesn’t actually mean anything. However, he’s on a new team and needs to get familiar with EVERYTHING!!!
He needs to be out there. I hope Mcdonald stays healthy this season he’s an old school blue collar dude
July 31st, 2017 at 6:22 pm
BucEmUp, so you know why he wasn’t out there? And, if for a valid reason, he should’ve been because some would feel better?
July 31st, 2017 at 6:42 pm
Quit all the whining and let things play out…..we are in far better shape than Spence & Bowers….
Ayers, GMC, Baker, McDonald, Gholston and don’t forget Stevie T!!!
July 31st, 2017 at 7:50 pm
Chris Baker is a bulldozer who is great against the run and can get to the QB. Baker had 42 pressures and 24 stops last year. Combined with GMC, Robert Ayers and Noah Spence makes this one of the, if not the best DL in the game.
July 31st, 2017 at 8:28 pm
A 330+ pound veteran DT brought in to help this team get over the hump, who probably has bad knees given his size, sits out a practice on a super sloppy field condition day and the dipsh!ts on this site along with the media want to make a big deal about it.
Get real people. It’s the begining of training camp. Do you want to see these guys stay healthy and smart leading up to the first game, or do you want to see them go balls out in practice and blow out a knee ligament?
Newsflash…..every team sits their veteran players when in doubt. Are the media and fans of other teams this niave, or is it just the Bucs?
July 31st, 2017 at 8:54 pm
@ Realist : where your female….
July 31st, 2017 at 8:56 pm
@ pickgrin : still the cheerleader!
July 31st, 2017 at 11:06 pm
Maybe he has to get used to the summer heat…. heat exhaustion maybe… I was suffering all day from heat exhaustion friday and was bed ridden saturday
July 31st, 2017 at 11:36 pm
THE OL is gonna be downfall of this team, which licht has not addressed
August 2nd, 2017 at 9:56 am
Calm down !!! This is amd has been a run stuffing ROTATION GUY. The GM and coaches knew what they were getting before the wrote the check. He will be slotted for a certain number of plays on the field with GMAC and then back to the bench. I like the depth and versatility of our D-line and as a old NG cant wait to watch these guys hunt as a unit.