New England Patriots wide receiver Javon Baker looks like he could get another crack at proving he should stay past cutdown day.
The second-year receiver has had a decent camp, though that hasn’t necessarily translated to games. He’s taken reps on special teams, as well, and is clearly trying to atone for an underwhelming rookie campaign.
There was optimism that Baker would out-perform his fourth-round selection, but he offered few meaningful contributions in Year 1. He had one reception for 12 yards with just four targets in 11 games as a rookie.
Now, he’s in a battle with the likes of Kendrick Bourne and Ja’Lynn Polk to grab one of the last spots. That was made more difficult by the fact that he missed the last two practices leading up to Wednesday’s trip to New York for Thursday’s preseason finale. against the Giants
However, it appears Baker will indeed make the trip, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported Wednesday afternoon.
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That’s big for Baker, who badly needs to show something in game action. Assuming the Patriots carry seven receivers, there’s essentially one spot for Bourne, Baker and Polk, thanks to the rise of Efton Chism III.
Further, Reiss had reported earlier that because Bourne and Polk also missed the last two practices, it was unlikely they would be available Thursday.
Whether enough runway remains for Polk to convince Mike Vrabel and Co. he belongs in the group of 53 remains to be seen. But the fact that dressing Thursday is now in play for Polk means he’ll at least get one more chance at sticking around.
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