The Patriots have a difficult decision to make on 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker ahead of roster cuts.
For now, Baker is still on the 90-man roster. The young wide receiver has done little on offense this summer but has found a niche on special teams as a gunner.
“Well, I think you look at the entire body of work, and I think you try to evaluate everything, not just the special teams, but what else can they do? And in Javon’s case, he’s a wide receiver,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “And I think the more that he does the special teams, I think the better that he’s gotten, and he’ll understand how that he can use his play strength, his speed, some of the receiving tools and fundamentals as a gunner, potentially. We tried to get him some reps at corner yesterday on a punt return. He’s played on the kickoff for us. Those are new, especially for a young player who’s played receiver most of his life. So I think that the more that he’s done it, the more comfortable that he’s gotten, and we’ll continue to evaluate him.”
If Baker is kept, he’d likely be the seventh wide receiver on the team. Part of their decision will come down to whether they feel another player can replicate his promise on special teams. In Thursday night’s preseason finale, Baker forced a muffed punt return as a gunner. He was also targeted twice on offense but didn’t come away with a catch. Through three preseason games, Baker had one 13-yard catch on 10 targets with three drops.
Originally Published: August 22, 2025 at 1:50 PM EDT