Sam Baker Rumors & News

Okay, I'll take Pete Prisco's bait. Just this once! The CBS Sports columnist ran down the players he believes are most overrated and underrated for each team. For the Falcons, he selected Osi Umenyiora as his most overrated, based on his declining numbers in recent years. His most underrated? Sam Baker. Let me be clear: Baker did a good job last year. It was arguably his best season as the team's starting left tackle, and he got a nice fat contract for it. I would actually argue that Prisco is overrating Baker, who is about a league average left tackle when everything balances out. We ...

Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Sam Baker, right, and wounded veteran Joshue Dickey depart for a fishing trip on Lake Lanier in Buford, Ga., Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Fishing with the Falcons is the team's annual fishing outing that gives wounded veterans a chance to fish with the players, coaches, and cheerleaders. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

If Mike Smith's comments at the State of the Franchise event are any indication, there's going to be an epic camp battle among the Falcons' offensive linemen this summer. Epic! Sam Baker and Justin Blalock are the only returning Falcons with a guaranteed spot in the starting lineup. From there, it's not exactly a crap shoot, but as far as Smith is concerned, nobody is guaranteed anything. “There’s going to be an open, big competition with our offensive line,’’ Smith said. “We’ve got some young guys that we’ve drafted and they’re ready to step in and do it. I can’t say to you right n...

When we rolled toward the 2012 season, we all knew that Sam Baker wasn't the most stable option at left tackle and Tyson Clabo had right tackle pretty well locked down. Coming into 2013, Sam Baker is the most stable option, and Tyson Clabo is gone. Yes, things have changed on the ends of the Falcon offensive line. You might even say it's a line in flux, especially on the right side. Whether that will translate into short-term success or failure, and especially whether it will result in long-term success or failure, remains to be seen. What we do know is who is on the roster at tackle...

We're more than a week and a half into free agency, and it's time to take stock of how you think the front office and Thomas Dimitroff have done thus far. Here's a reminder of what's happened thus far: William Moore, Sam Baker, Garrett Reynolds, and Tony Gonzalez have re-signed. Steven Jackson is on board. The Falcons have lost John Abraham, Dunta Robinson, Michael Turner, Vance Walker, Will Svitek and Lawrence Sidbury. The Falcons have been linked to free agents like Osi Umenyiora, but have not pulled the trigger yet. That's where we stand today. Let us know if you approve of the j...

After the Falcons signed Steven Jackson to a three-year deal and brought back starters Tony Gonzalez and Sam Baker, almost every offensive question mark was given an answer. Peter Konz is the center of the future. Garrett Reynolds showed improvement and should be competing for playing time at right guard. Matt Ryan is still Matty Ice, only now he has a playoff win under his belt. The defense, of course, is much less certain. Gone are aging starters John Abraham and Dunta Robinson, along with contributors Vance Walker and Lawrence Sidbury. Gone too could be Brent Grimes, arguably the te...

I hate to be a naysayer, but sometimes you have to play devil's advocate. Will Svitek is officially out of the picture, we're on the hook for a cool $18.25 million in guaranteed money, and Sam Baker's arms aren't getting any longer. I know, his arms aren't that short. And I know, he showed vast improvement in 2012. Moreover, his durability issues [knock on wood] seem to be a thing of the past. But he still isn't all that and a piece of aged cheddar. Baker gave up six sacks in 2012; he was also responsible for Matt Ryan hitting the deck an additional 8 times. He was Pro Football Focus' ...

Goodbye, Will Svitek. The Patriots have snapped up the reserve tackle, who started capably at left tackle when Sam Baker went down in 2011. Svitek is coming off an injury and isn't exactly young, but he's a solid player all the way around. The Falcons apparently either weren't interested in bringing him back or not interested in paying the price the Patriots gave him. The Falcons will likely roll along with some combination of Mike Johnson, Lamar Holmes and potentially a draft pick behind Sam Baker and Tyson Clabo. It'll be interesting to see how the camp battles shake out, and whether...