Tag: kawaan baker

Packers sign WR Kawaan Baker to practice squad

The Packers are signing Kawaan Baker, a seventh-round pick of the Saints in 2021, to the team’s practice squad.

The Green Bay Packers have signed wide receiver Kawaan Baker to the practice squad, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.

Baker was a seventh-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2021. He was waived on Monday after serving a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Baker was reportedly having a solid training camp before the suspension and totaled four receptions for 44 yards in three preseason games. 

As a rookie, Baker spent most of last season on the Saints practice squad but did play in two games. He appeared in 27 special teams snaps and none on offense.

Over his final three seasons at South Alabama, Baker hauled in 118 passes for 1,727 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is listed at 6-1, 215 pounds, and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash with a 39.5-inch vertical jump at his pro day. His Relative Athletic Score is 9.08 out of 10.0, with elite speed and explosiveness but poor agility.

Baker will wear number 82 for the Packers, per Schneidman. 

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Several Saints players change jersey numbers after roster cuts

Several Saints players changed jersey numbers after roster cuts. Here’s who is wearing a new number:

Multiple New Orleans Saints players selected new jersey numbers after roster cuts made a lot of options available, though most of them are on the practice squad. Here’s who is wearing a new number per the team’s official website roster:

NFL suspends Saints receiver Kawaan Baker for 6 games to open 2022 season

NFL suspends Saints receiver Kawaan Baker for 6 games to open 2022 season for violating performance-enhancing substances policy:

This is surprising: ESPN’s Field Yates reported Tuesday that the NFL has suspended wide receiver Kawaan Baker for the first six games of the 2022 season. Baker, who turns 24 in a few weeks, was a seventh round pick for the New Orleans Saints last year who spent his rookie season on the practice squad. An NFL statement clarified that Baker will be suspended due to violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.

Receiving this suspension will be tough for him. Baker was competing for the last spot at wide receiver on the 53-man roster, with at least five players already locked in to make the cut between Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry, Marquez Callaway, and Deonte Harty. Tre’Quan Smith is likeliest to round out the group should the Saints run six-deep this year.

Still, he has a shot at making the practice squad again. Baker will be free to practice with the Saints throughout training camp and in their upcoming preseason games, competing for one of the two or three practice squad openings reserved for wideouts. Others in the mix include Kevin White, Easop Winston Jr., Kirk Merritt, and undrafted rookies Dai’Jean Dixon and Rashid Shaheed.

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Saints sign 8 practice squad players to reserve/future contracts

The Saints signed 8 practice squad players to reserve/future contracts, including 2021 draft pick Kawaan Baker:

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The New Orleans Saints reported 8 reserve/future contracts with practice squad players on Monday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire, including 2021 draft pick Kawaan Baker. This means they’ll all count towards the 90-man offseason roster limit at a minimum salary, helping the team to reload for 2022.

Here’s what you need to know about each returning player, and who hasn’t been re-upped yet:

Saints waive rookie draft pick WR Kawaan Baker

New Orleans Saints: Rookie draft pick Kawaan Baker among roster cuts

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The New Orleans Saints have begun the difficult process of cutting their roster down from 80 players to just 53, and one of the first to go was rookie wide receiver Kawaan Baker. The team’s seventh round draft pick out of South Alabama struggled to separate from the pack in training camp. While he should be a favorite to land on the practice squad for more development, he has to clear waivers first.

Additionally, the Saints also waived wide receiver Easop Winston, who handled the bulk of returns duties on punts and kickoffs during their two preseason games. He made our final roster projection as an option to fill in for Deonte Harris, but the All-Pro returns specialist still has not officially received notice of his two-game NFL suspension following an offseason DUI charge. If Harris is cleared to start the regular season, Winston doesn’t have a role on the team.

This is an ongoing process that will continue to see roster moves filed in the hours and days ahead, so stay tuned for updates. For now, the Saints wide receiver corps includes two injured starters (Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith) whose Week 1 availability is in doubt, along with Marquez Callaway, Ty Montgomery, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Chris Hogan, and Kevin White. The team rarely rosters more than five receivers so keep an eye out for more movement.

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Saints cast their final pick in 2021 draft, select WR Kawaan Baker

The New Orleans Saints used their final pick in the 2021 NFL draft to select South Alabama slot receiver Kawaan Baker, a high-upside athlete

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Three days and hundreds of draft picks later, the New Orleans Saints turned in their final card at the end of the seventh round, selecting South Alabama wide receiver Kawaan Baker at No. 255 overall.

An average-sized prospect at 6-foot-flat and 210 pounds, Baker has his work cut out for him standing out against the young receivers already on the depth chart; look for him to compete for snaps in training camp against Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harris, and Juwan Johnson, among others.

One edge Baker enjoys is his overall athleticism. He posted an impressive 10-yard split of 1.49 seconds in the 40 yard dash (timing the sprint in 4.45 seconds at his pro day workout), along with big-time hops of 39.5 inches vertical and 10 feet 9 inches broad. He’s explosive and has as great a shot at sticking as anyone else, especially if he continues to play well from the slot.

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