Welcome aboard, CFA Chris Baker

Thanks for the research. Like you, I am very intrigued by Chris Baker.

Great write up and research broncosmontana.

Hopefully he will dominate as a Bronco.

I feel better about the pick. Thanks for the research. Recommended.

Chris should work very well with Carlton Powell who is also a devoted Christian.

loljk

Don’t you know our front seven is our most glaring need?

loljk

We always get the experts opinions… but I feel like learning from the fans that love their team was an excellent source to draw from. Of course there are a wide spectrum of fans thoughts, just like we have here. But it was nice to see their opinions on a guy that hadn’t played for them in a while. I felt it was pretty unbiased as they didn’t have a reason to defend or pump him up.

Great job… and thanks for sharing your link over there so we could read the conversations ourselves.

I was very pleased that we were able to sign him as a UFA. Training camp should be quite the battlefield this season. Survival of the fittest!

Needs some conditioning but could do very well rotating. He has to make the team though!

War Room analysis
Strengths: Gives good effort and has power at the point of attack. Is adept at defeating blocks, shedding and making plays on the ball. Flashes pass-rush wiggle and hand use. Is a strong wrap tackler. Knows how to locate the football. Has tackle-to-tackle range. Plays like a student of the game. Is good at identifying run or pass. Can recognize blocking schemes and effectively disrupt run plays. Has good hand strength and explosion to handle linemen. Has bull-rush strength to collapse the pocket and flashes initial quickness against less athletic offensive tackles.

Weaknesses: Is a modest athlete in terms of speed, agility and quickness. Couldn’t be an effective outside pass rusher in the NFL. Looks stiff when he changes direction. Lacks closing speed to the QB and can’t make tackles outside the tackle box.

Bottom line: Baker was a solid college player. He can defeat single- and double-team blocks and make plays on the ball. He has good power and strength at the point of attack and is a solid competitor. Baker must play tackle in the NFL, because he does not have the range or speed to be an end. He will take time to develop and must be in the right system. He will likely be a late-round pick.

It’s a humbling feeling when a person gets knocked off their ‘high horse’, playing one of the top colleges in the country (PennSt) then the next thing you know you are at a small college (Hampton). He feels blessed that he was given a second chance, where some others might of went off in a deferent direction. We have our NT now, and maybe just maybe the MSM in a year or two will be saying BJ who, Ron who…It would be a good feeling for me to see this guy suceed. 13-3 Baby

I guess I missed the story about how he got in trouble. Can someone fill me in.

Oh, and I know I need to change my sig, unfortunately.

I LOVE that we’ve brought in a crew of “high character guys”. Moreno, Smith, Quinn and crew are great guys and I couldn’t be happier to have them.

But, somehow, this story with Chris Baker and the possibility of redemption for a kid who made some mistakes and had some bad luck has really captivated me. It doesn’t hurt that he plays such an important position, but I think it goes beyond that…

I may be setting myself up for heartbreak later (really), but I’m rooting for this kid more than probably any other.

I didn’t like this pick, but now that I have heard he has turned himself around, I am happy to have him on the Broncos.

There was one more post over at Black Shoe Diaries today. This one was from one of Chris’ high school coaches (or claims to be). I think it is very positive and I remain extremely hopeful on this signing. : )

CoachCohen wrote:

Chris Baker at Penn State
I was the Defensive Coordinator for Chris at Windsor (CT) H.S. in 2003 and 2004. Chris is a fine student athlete, I also taught him in History class. Basically at PSU he was accused of being in 2 on campus fights. I think enough of Chris that I wrote a character letter on his behalf. However, due to the expenses of the legal process, Chris pled guilty to misdemeanors with the understanding that he would be able to continue his career at PSU…however once all the sht hit the fan (ESPN doing report on PSU supposedly being out of control last summer on OUtside the Lines)—-Paterno responded by kicking 2 players off the team, one being Chris. I felt that Chris was treated unfairly, however he thrived at Hampton.
I really believe that the charges against Chris were against the character that I had grown to appreciate while having him as a player and student.
i spoke to him last night and he is fired up to start with a clean slate. He is a FREAK of an athlete and I think will make people in Denver very happy for years to come.

One of things that people unfamiliar with the situation at PSU should understand is the controversy surrounding the team at that time. Baker’s dismissal didn’t occur under normal circumstances. There were frequent stories being written and reports in the media around that time about the amount of criminal investigations of members of the football team. The issue, as many fans of PSU football saw it, was of an out of control football team, and there was a growing chorus of complaints about having lost the team to the wrong element, who were also purportedly the reason for PSU’s downturn in on-the-field success.

Baker’s punishment was part of this media circus.

Here’s an article, with excerpts below.

written July, 27, 2008 —

Since 2002, 46 Penn State football players have faced 163 criminal charges, according to an ESPN analysis of Pennsylvania court records and reports. Twenty-seven players have been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to a combined 45 counts.

these criminal charges coincide with concerns from a former player, a recruiting analyst, local media and others that Penn State has pursued recruits who are good athletes but might have questionable character issues, in order to improve performance. The team under head coach Joe Paterno faced an unprecedented four out of five losing seasons from 2000 to 2004.

Paterno says the allegations about recruiting are simply not true.

“We tried to get kids that were good, solid kids,” the coach said. “We may have made a mistake or two, but there was no deliberate attempt.”

One of the more extreme incidents was the April 2007 melee at the apartment, in which Britt was injured. Originally, six players faced nine felonies and 18 lesser charges. The courts dismissed counts against four players and allowed the remaining two to plead guilty to misdemeanor offenses. …

…According to court documents and witness statements, here’s how the incident played out: Britt and two friends got into an argument with Penn State safety Anthony Scirrotto and his girlfriend on the street. That confrontation ended with Britt and his friends walking to a party at a nearby apartment and Scirrotto calling his teammate Lydell Sargeant. Scirrotto said about 15 guys then showed up.

The football players found the apartment and, according to Britt and other witness reports, rushed in and started punching and beating partygoers.

It’s not clear what actually happened in the fight but Baker was charged because a number of witnesses were able to agree that he was present. Other players were also present but testimony as to who started the fight and why differed. The media reports, such as this one by ESPN’s Behind the Lines, cast the story in light of PSU’s on-the-field failures during that period and Paterno’s willingness to recruit players of suspect character (sound familar?).