The Bengals released Chris Baker earlier today.
This really comes as no surprise, given the Bengals recent decisions they’ve made. Why they cut him was pretty simple:
- Baker was set to make $3 million.
- Baker was not going to start.
Put the pieces together. Bengals cut Baker because they didn’t want to pay $3 million for a bench player. Bengals basically cut Baker for the same reason as Iloka and LaFell. But let’s look at what went wrong with Swaggy
Bengals terminated the contract of veteran DT Chris Baker.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2018
Swaggy No More
Chris Baker problem began last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a good couple years with the Redskins, Baker hit the free agency market. The Bucs gave him a pretty nice contract. Here’s the thing about the Buccaneers, they are a bunch of dumbasses. Baker is a big run stuffer. However, the Buccaneers thought they should use him as more of a pass rusher. Guess how that ended. Anyways, instead of trying to move him to where he should be, the Bucs released him and we picked him up on a 1 year deal worth $3 million.
When we signed him, we were all fooled. We thought we’d finally get Geno Atkins some help. We were excited. And with Swaggy being the run stuffer we thought he was, there was good reason. However, once we got to training camp, he disappointed. Baker failed to show any signs of promise. And in preseason games, he failed to impress.
Preseason
Chris Bakers preseason performance was not good. Too start, he didn’t start. Billings started over him. So you’d expect him to play well, right? Nope. He played like a un drafted free agent he one was. Than same thing happen against the Cowboys. His lack of performance was a big reason on why he got cut.
The Rise of Andrew Billings
Andrew Billings has been a stud in training camp. And in preseason games, he has proved that’s not a fluke. Perhaps the signing of Baker pushed Billings to be better. Anyways, if Billings didn’t step up, Baker wouldn’t of gotten cut.
Getting walked back by Geno Atkins happens to the best OLinemen. This is vs Andrew Billings, known more as a run defender. #CINvsDAL pic.twitter.com/aR9i5f0gDt
— Josh Cohen (@jco3215) August 21, 2018
Bengals Look Like An NFL Team
I look back at the Bengals cutting LaFell, Iloka, and now Baker, and one thing is actually happening: The Bengals actually look like an actual NFL team. Crazy, right? Bengals are finally actually making regular team decisions. And these are good decisions. If the Bengals keep this trend, you can watch out for Ryan Hewitt and Michael Johnson to get cut.
Never easy getting cut but hey it’s part of the business Thank You @Bengals Coach Lewis Mike Brown for the opportunity. God is not done with me yet #staytuned #SWAGGYTIME
— Chris Baker (@cbakerswaggy) August 24, 2018
This article was published unedited and raw. Any concerns or corrections should be pointed to Braeden directly.
