Jerome Baker – May 2, 2023
Download PDF version
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
LB Jerome Baker
(I wanted to get your thoughts on Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio in two ways. How has he introduced himself as a person? And how was he introduced his system? And what have you learned about each in the time you guys have spent together?) – “I mean, I’m still learning who he is as a person. So far he just shoots you straight and he’s not going to sugarcoat it. He likes things the way he likes it. And so far it’s working out. As far as his ability with the playbook and everything, I’m still learning. I’m still trying to figure out his style and the things he likes to do, but that’s why we have this offseason to really learn each other.”
(What excites you about the X’s and O’s that you’ve learned so far?) – “It gives me some freedom to just go out there and just play ball. Sometimes I ask ‘what’s the rule on this?’ And he kind of gives me like, ‘it’s not really a rule, it’s kind of a go play ball.’ So things like that for a player, just to have that freedom, I’ve been playing ball for a long time. So it’s one of those things of, I know what I’m doing. It’s kind of he gives me the freedom to make a play and I’m excited for that.”
(If I could get you to expand a little bit on that freedom to just go out and play ball, do you have like an example on a certain running play or something where maybe you didn’t have that freedom last year? And this year, how is that going to allow you to adjust and maybe be that much more effective?) – “A quick example is just simple things like alignment. Some instances it’s not just an exact thing; it’s kind of however you feel you can get your job done. That’s like a quick example. Little things like that, for a player, it gives you the freedom of you don’t have somebody looking over your back or trying to make sure everything is correctly right. Some guys play a different way and just that little freedom definitely helps.”
(And the second question I have for you real quick, and you probably knew this was coming, but the Tweet you sent yesterday?) – “I always wanted to be a cop. That’s what I went to school for – criminology. I was going to be a cop and I find myself watching movies that are detective movies. Cops, where they just how they pull everybody over and just record all that. And it was just like a random thought of like, ‘I wonder like, could I ever get away?’ I’ll probably never try it. But it was like a random thought. And I knew it was going to stir the pot a little bit, so that’s why I did it.(laughter)”
(Could you get away?) – “Drew (Brooks) said I wouldn’t. (laughter)”
(I know every team their goal for the season is to win the Super Bowl. But I’m wondering what is the spoken goal around there? Do you guys openly talk about winning the Super Bowl? And does that talk start now? Does it start in training camp? What’s going on along those lines?) – “Yeah, I think Mike (McDaniel) does a great job of just keeping us focused on what we’re on right now. And that’s the offseason and just getting back to football and how we do things. But of course you look around the room, you can tell we have a talented group. We had a talented group last year, but we just added more guys, guys got more experience. So I don’t think we said it out loud what our expectations are, but you can just feel the energy of our expectations are high. And that’s why everybody’s here and we’re already working. We’re all locked in.”
(Been here for a while and you’ve seen especially over the last two years or so a lot of new big personalities come into this locker room. I’m curious to hear from your perspective, how you’ve seen those guys integrate themselves into the team because the belief from the outside is too many egos, too many personalities. It’s hard to fit. So from somebody who’s inside there, how have you seen these big name, big personality stars integrate themselves into your locker room?) – “I always said this. I never told them this, but Mr. (Chris) Grier and Mike (McDaniel), they do a great job of just getting guys that are just like, they’re a great teammate outside of great players. They’re just great people. I had my initial thoughts of like, ‘Oh, we’re getting a ‘superstar’ – how’s he going to fit in the locker room where we all push each other no matter who you are, we all push each other?’ Man, it’s no complaints at all, like even like going back to last year when Tyreek (Hill) came. He pushed us to hang out with each other more. Having a Halloween party, those little things of just getting the team together, he pushed it and he was all for it. He was the first one to say let’s play ping pong. Guys like that, they come into the locker room, they really help us. The same thing with (Bradley) Chubb, those guys come in, and they just really want to be a part of the team. They really want to win and it truly just helps the locker room as a whole.”
(And you mentioned something that I think the world probably wants to know. Is the ping pong table back in the locker room?) – “No, it isn’t there. (laughter)”
(I want to get your take on… because you played for so many different defensive coordinators. Can you name them all number one, and what did they all help you bring to your game?) – “No. I can’t name them all because I truly am one of those guys, once I’m on this year, everything before it’s kind of out the window. No, I can’t name them all. I don’t even want to try. (laughter)”
(How many different defenses has this been for you?) – “Three or four, maybe three or four? I mean, two of them were kind of similar. Yeah, three or four.”
(Earlier you had mentioned the freedom to kind of just go play ball, and I’m curious to hear from your perspective, the role that the guys up front play for you to do that, DT Christian Wilkins, DT Zach Sieler, and DT Raekwon Davis. How do they help you I guess, stay clean, stay free like that?) – “I mean, those guys, they’re tough. They’re team players and they have the ability to make plays on their own. Playing behind those guys for a few years now, you kind of know what each player’s strengths are. What some things that they don’t really do. When I play behind Raekwon (Davis), it’s a lot different than when I play behind Christian (Wilkins), and when I play behind Christian it’s a lot different than (Zach) Sieler. Those guys are kind of different in their own way. Just like with any sport, being around a guy and playing with the guy for so long, you kind of figure out what they like and what they like to do. I know sometimes Christian is just going to shoot the gap and make the play. Raekwon is going to clog it up. Like all these guys have different roles and different ways they play the game and it’s my job as a linebacker to make them right and definitely getting a great feel for that and this defense, it allows me to do other things now so definitely excited.”
(You got another name the linebacker room this year, LB David Long. What’s your impressions of him so far?) – “Man, he fits right in. His personality, everything he does, he just fits right. I’m excited. He came in and he just strictly just wanted to work and just get each other better. And man, he’s been doing that. Communication has been on point. So I’m excited. Right now it’s easy. There’s nobody playing against us so for now it’s definitely working out and I’m excited. He’s one of those guys that it’s not this or that it’s kind of let’s just talk through and figure it out and it’s definitely working out.”
(Like obviously you’ve been in a few different defenses, but I think this is the first time since your rookie year you haven’t been like in a ‘Patriot-style’ defense. I’m curious like when you have a Vic Fangio scheme, more zone, what that may do for you and you guys as a defense?) – “I think the main thing is it gives us a chance to really disguise and kind of make plays. I’m not going to say our last defense I’d been on that we couldn’t make plays, but it was a lot of rules like, this is what you have to do. This is what it has to be. This matchup has to be this matchup. There’s no switching with the guy or talking to somebody. It’s more ‘this is what it is and this is what we’re going to do.’ In this defense it’s kind of players figure it out. There are no set rules on how far your drops are. This guy’s got to cover this guy. It’s really know the defense and apply the defense with what the offense is doing. So it’s a lot more freedom. Definitely a lot more freedom. But it looks like it’s definitely going to work out for us.”
(I wanted to ask based on what you have heard or seen on film, how do you think LB David Long skill set complements your skill sets since you’ll be working together?) – “Yeah, I’m one of them guys. I don’t like asking about guys or asking around about guys, because I want to get the impression that they gave me. Some guys, they’ve been on a team and their circumstance wasn’t as great and they come here and they’ve got something to prove. And the way they do things might have been different. And I mean, so far, man, we kind of just feed off each other. He’s a fast, physical guy. I think of myself as fast, physical guy. He communicates. I like to communicate. Right now, we’re kind of just feeling each other out. We’re both learning at the same pace. We’re both new for both of us. So we’re still just learning how to feel each other out and so far, so good. There are no complaints or anything like that. Just the subtle difference. I mean, he’s very similar to me as far as like his body type and how he plays the game so I’m excited. I’m definitely excited.”
(I think that both of you guys are officially listed as inside linebackers, but not traditional like big guys who are lumbering thumper. You guys are athletic, you can run, you can theoretically play outside linebacker, you’ve even played the edge. I guess where I’m going with this is does anything change in regard to how we should describe your position? Or is it just inside linebacker? Is that correct?) – “Honestly, I’ve always tried to describe my position to a lot of people and I had a hard time doing it. I would just tell people, I just go wherever they need me. I pride myself on that. I will always pride myself on that. And this defense, we haven’t put in too much yet, but it looks of it, you never know where I could be so I’m just preparing for whatever and I’m happy to get another year in this league and I’m excited.”
