The Facts: Baker's days with the New York Jets have ended. The Jets are releasing the tight end who has played his first seven NFL seasons with the franchise, FOXSports.com has learned. The Jets hope to re-sign Baker to a restructured contract but could find competition for his services on the free-agent market.
Diehards Line:The Jets would have needed to guarantee Baker a $9 million payout over the next three seasons if he remained on the roster after March 5. As FOXSports' Alex Marvez notes, Baker's role was greatly downplayed last season after the emergence of rookie tight end Dustin Keller. The 29-year-old Baker caught only 21 passes for 194 yards and no touchdowns, his lowest totals since an injury-plagued 2005 campaign.