The Miami Dolphins’ roster moves have been fast and furious since the team returned to training camp. The Dolphins, like many other NFL teams, have been forced to put the new reserve/COVID-19 list to good use as teams look to find consistency with the health of their players amid the ongoing pandemic — and yesterday was no exception. Just days after being placed on the list, veteran linebacker Jerome Baker has been removed from the list, which means he will be permitted to be back in the team facility and partake in the ongoing strength & conditioning programs the Dolphins are currently undertaking.

But the move did come with a counter, as the Dolphins announced that the team also placed rookie RB Malcolm Perry on the list.

We have been awarded CB Picasso Nelson Jr. off waivers from Indianapolis. We have also activated LB Jerome Baker off the reserve/COVID-19* list and placed RB Malcolm Perry on the list.

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 3, 2020

But Miami’s roster moves yesterday weren’t just limited to transactions on and off the reserve list, Miami was active once again on the waiver wire — claiming cornerback Picasso Nelson Jr. off the wire from the Indianapolis Colts. Nelson is a second generation NFL player, his father played two seasons as a linebacker in the 1990s for the Houston Oilers and New York Giants. Nelson Jr. is an alumni of Southern Mississippi who logged 202 total tackles and 5 interceptions over the course of his five years with the school.

Nelson Jr. is likely a long-shot to make the roster given the depth that Miami can claim in their cornerback room, but the Dolphins must have seen something they liked at some point in the evaluation process to feel as though this was a lottery ticket worth investigating. Nelson spent the entire 2019 season as a member of the Indianapolis Colts practice squad before being claimed by Miami yesterday.

The Miami Dolphins announced yesterday that two additional players had been assigned to the new reserve/COVID-19 list — a new designation in 2020 that allows teams to separate players from the rest of the roster as needed due to either a positive COVID-19 test or close contact with a positive COVID-19 test. Miami’s first trio of players to be assigned to the list were LS Blake Ferguson, CB Cordrea Tankersley and IDL Benito Jones (who has since been removed from the list and given the all-clear), but now Miami has added LB Jerome Baker and IDL Zach Sieler to the mix.

The Dolphins’ starting linebacker is the biggest name yet on Miami’s roster to be impacted by the ongoing pandemic — and regardless of whether or not he himself has tested positive or if he’s simply endured a close encounter, Baker took to social media yesterday to assure everyone that he’s okay:

Y’all I’m fine. Appreciate the love and support.

— Jerome Baker Jr. (@Lastname_Baker) July 31, 2020

Several Dolphins, including fellow linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, were recently revealed to have already recovered from the virus — which is currently widespread throughout the South Florida region. Positive tests among players was to be expected on all 32 teams across the league as preparations continue for a return to play, that trend falls in line with what was seen in both NBA and MLB circles in each of those league’s respective ramp up periods.

The Dolphins can return all members currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list to normal status upon proper clearance and none of the designations are expected to impact Miami for the regular season.

The Miami Dolphins have to be thrilled with how their investment in linebacker Jerome Baker has turned out thus far. A third-round pick out of Ohio State in 2018, Baker has steadily become one of the most recognizable faces on the Dolphins defense. No, team success for Miami didn’t come in bunches last year and the defense has plenty of improvement ahead of it, but Baker figures to be a big catalyst for that improvement. It starts with building upon what was a strong “sophomore” season in South Florida.

Baker played 97% of the team’s defensive snaps last season while logging 126 tackles and only missed on 6 attempts all season — good for an excellent 4.5% missed tackle rate. His impact plays, such as sacks and interceptions, weren’t necessarily as frequent as the team would have hoped — but there’s no reason for optimism that Baker’s ascending play will position him well to make those plays in the future.

And, if Baker’s hype video for the upcoming season is any indication, he looks ready to make a splash.

"If You're Good At Anticipating The Human Mind, It Leaves Nothing To Chance." pic.twitter.com/OrLSHOFEpu

— Jerome Baker Jr. (@Lastname_Baker) July 7, 2020

This has been a trying offseason and those with the discipline and continued commitment to being ready for the start of the 2020 season are likely the players who will thrive the most. So if Baker has been putting in this kind fo work all summer, the Dolphins figure to be getting an even better version of the linebacker in year three.

One of the primary appeals to building through the NFL Draft is that the talent playing on the rookie wage scale is exponentially cheaper than what a comparable player would command on a second or third contract. With that in mind, it is sensible as to why so many teams that make postseason runs do so on the back of a young, upstart quarterback — the quality of play at the sport’s most important position is the biggest competitive advantage a team can have.

And while the Dolphins didn’t have an upstart rookie contract quarterback in 2019, they did indeed have several standout players that are making the most of their playing time while doing so for cheap. There is no better example than Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker — who was a 3rd-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft and has since become one of the primary leaders of this Dolphins defense. Baker, as a 3rd-round pick, only sees a fraction of his value in his salary; but the NFL has put in place performance based compensation to help accommodate the biggest overachievers relative to their contract.

2019 was a good one for Baker, and his bank account will reflect that accordingly. The NFL released their performance-based compensation yesterday and Baker’s influx of $191,282 was among the 25 highest payouts across the entire NFL.

.@MiamiDolphins LB @Lastname_Baker earned himself an extra $191,282 for 2019 in the form of performance-based pay. The compensation in the performance-based pay program is based on playing time and salary level.

— Alain Poupart (@apoupartFins) March 12, 2020

For as effective as Baker was this past season, it could have been even better. Baker lost several turnovers on account of defensive penalties and the lack of depth on Miami’s defense served as a barrier to prevent Miami from best weaponizing their speedy linebacker. With more reinforcements around him in 2020, Baker figures to be even better in year three this season. But for now, getting six figure kickback for standing out is a nice start and not a bad consolation.

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Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker has had an exciting year. After a promising rookie season, Baker was pegged by the Dolphins new coaching staff as a potential breakout candidate. The staff talked about Baker’s football intelligence, his versatility and his character as standout qualities that combined to have the recipe for a highly successful season.

Baker has not disappointed. The Dolphins’ leading tackler through 15 games (116 tackles), the second-year linebacker has transformed into a leader on the gridiron in Miami. Leadership comes with many responsibilities, some that extend beyond the field of play. And we now know Baker has lived up to his potential off the field as well — he’s just been awarded the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) “Good Guy Award” from the South Florida chapter of the organization.

Jerome Baker (@Lastname_Baker) receives the Good Guy Award from South Florida chapter of PFWA for always being available and cooperative with media in good times and bad. Here he is admiring the award. pic.twitter.com/469CQSIfNY

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 27, 2019

As ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe states, the award is given to the player who provides availability and cooperation with the media with the utmost professionalism. And despite the trying times in South Florida this season, this award seems to indicate that Baker hasn’t wavered with his responsibilities to speak with the media and provide insight on the day to day operations inside the Miami Dolphins locker room.

That, combined with his high level of play, seems to indicate that the Dolphins have an official steal on their hands — remember, they drafted Baker with the 73rd overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Given the leadership he’s shown and the versatility he brings to the table, it’s fair to say Baker is worth much more than that to the Dolphins now. The jump Baker experienced from his rookie season to his second season was a significant improvement across the board. If Baker can replicate that jump once more from year two to year three?

Look out. Especially as the Dolphins look to over haul the rest of this roster and provide a more complimentary set of teammates. Baker may be a real good one for a real long time.

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