The Buccaneers just hired a new defensive line coach, and they’ve already starting remaking the group he has to work with.
Via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Buccaneers are cutting veteran defensive tackle Chris Baker.
He was scheduled to make $4.875 million this season, and $3 million of it would have been guaranteed if he was on the roster March 19.
They beat that deadline by almost month, moving on after a disappointing first year there. He signed a three-year, $15.75 million deal last March, but had just half a sack last season while playing next to Gerald McCoy.
The fact he was in the middle of more off-field drama than plays made it an easy call, after he incited a shouting match among teammates in December after he didn’t seem bothered by a costly penalty late in a loss to the Panthers.