DMN: Could Baker be next Romo?
By Todd Archer
04:59 PM CDT on Thursday, May 24, 2007
IRVING – He stands 6-2. He is right-handed. He went undrafted. He can hit a golf ball a mile. One day he wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
In 2003, that described Tony Romo.
Now that description fits for Matt Baker.
Baker spent last year on the Cowboys' practice squad, and he enters this year hoping to secure a spot on the 53-man roster behind Romo and Brad Johnson.
"I've been at that point all year," Baker said. "Not just specifically what I have to do to make it, but just getting better every day and continuing to get better so I can prove I belong here and be a solid quarterback come this season."
When Baker joined the Cowboys last August in Oxnard, Calif., he was fourth on the team's depth chart behind Drew Bledsoe, Romo and Drew Henson. When the team cut Henson, Baker remained but never made it to the active roster as coach Bill Parcells chose to keep two quarterbacks.
"It was tough being out there (last year) as the third guy," Baker said. "I prepared every week like I had to be ready to play. That's the way you had to look at it and learn. You go through everything with the team and then not being there in gameday and not exposed to all of that was hard."
In his senior year at North Carolina, Baker completed 180-of-346 yards for 2,345 yards – the fourth-highest single season total in school history – with nine touchdown passes and 11 picks.
The Cowboys actually had a fifth-round grade on Baker entering last year's draft and considered signing him as an undrafted free agent, but they were not at the top of his list because he wasn't sure he would get an opportunity.
When they signed him, then-coach Bill Parcells quickly liked Baker's decision making and ability to get rid of the ball. In the recent mini-camp and the on-field teaching activity practice open to the media, Baker showed a stronger arm than last summer. He credited the improvement to working against the Cowboys' defense in last year's practice and the work with conditioning coach Joe Juraszek.
"I can make the same throws as last year as I can this year, but it's just being comfortable in taking risks and knowing when to take risks," Baker said. "I have a better feel for the speed of the game."
Like Romo, Baker had a passing interest in the recent draft and was glad to see the Cowboys pass on taking Brady Quinn in the first round or any quarterback in the subsequent rounds. They signed Matt Moore after the draft and have since added Richard Bartel, but during the recent off-season workouts Baker has taken his fair share of the reps.
"You've got to compete with anyone, but I was hoping they wouldn't draft one early because in my position it's not too often you let an undrafted guy from the year before compete with a top draft pick," Baker said.
While not in uniform for a game last year, Parcells made sure Baker got a taste of the regular season when he allowed him on the sideline for the Christmas game against Philadelphia, a rare move for practice squadders. Baker soaked up the atmosphere and the feel as he hopes to one day take snaps for real.
"Everybody wants to start, I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Baker said. "I want to beat out Tony at some point. Tony, I'm sure, said the same thing when he was in my position. That's the way you have to look at it. You can't look at it like, 'I just want to be a backup.' There are reasons why he's lasted so long. He's studied hard. He knows the offense. He knew what he was up against and that's how you have to do it."
04:59 PM CDT on Thursday, May 24, 2007
IRVING – He stands 6-2. He is right-handed. He went undrafted. He can hit a golf ball a mile. One day he wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
In 2003, that described Tony Romo.
Now that description fits for Matt Baker.
Baker spent last year on the Cowboys' practice squad, and he enters this year hoping to secure a spot on the 53-man roster behind Romo and Brad Johnson.
"I've been at that point all year," Baker said. "Not just specifically what I have to do to make it, but just getting better every day and continuing to get better so I can prove I belong here and be a solid quarterback come this season."
When Baker joined the Cowboys last August in Oxnard, Calif., he was fourth on the team's depth chart behind Drew Bledsoe, Romo and Drew Henson. When the team cut Henson, Baker remained but never made it to the active roster as coach Bill Parcells chose to keep two quarterbacks.
"It was tough being out there (last year) as the third guy," Baker said. "I prepared every week like I had to be ready to play. That's the way you had to look at it and learn. You go through everything with the team and then not being there in gameday and not exposed to all of that was hard."
In his senior year at North Carolina, Baker completed 180-of-346 yards for 2,345 yards – the fourth-highest single season total in school history – with nine touchdown passes and 11 picks.
The Cowboys actually had a fifth-round grade on Baker entering last year's draft and considered signing him as an undrafted free agent, but they were not at the top of his list because he wasn't sure he would get an opportunity.
When they signed him, then-coach Bill Parcells quickly liked Baker's decision making and ability to get rid of the ball. In the recent mini-camp and the on-field teaching activity practice open to the media, Baker showed a stronger arm than last summer. He credited the improvement to working against the Cowboys' defense in last year's practice and the work with conditioning coach Joe Juraszek.
"I can make the same throws as last year as I can this year, but it's just being comfortable in taking risks and knowing when to take risks," Baker said. "I have a better feel for the speed of the game."
Like Romo, Baker had a passing interest in the recent draft and was glad to see the Cowboys pass on taking Brady Quinn in the first round or any quarterback in the subsequent rounds. They signed Matt Moore after the draft and have since added Richard Bartel, but during the recent off-season workouts Baker has taken his fair share of the reps.
"You've got to compete with anyone, but I was hoping they wouldn't draft one early because in my position it's not too often you let an undrafted guy from the year before compete with a top draft pick," Baker said.
While not in uniform for a game last year, Parcells made sure Baker got a taste of the regular season when he allowed him on the sideline for the Christmas game against Philadelphia, a rare move for practice squadders. Baker soaked up the atmosphere and the feel as he hopes to one day take snaps for real.
"Everybody wants to start, I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Baker said. "I want to beat out Tony at some point. Tony, I'm sure, said the same thing when he was in my position. That's the way you have to look at it. You can't look at it like, 'I just want to be a backup.' There are reasons why he's lasted so long. He's studied hard. He knows the offense. He knew what he was up against and that's how you have to do it."
posted by The Gryphon at 10:13 PM
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