DeAndre Baker’s Attorney Says He’s “Innocent Of All Charges”
DeAndre Baker’s attorney Bradford Cohen maintains that his client is “innocent of all charges” (via Cohen’s Instagram). Baker and Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar are both wanted for felony charges stemming from an armed robbery, though Dunbar’s lawyer has also denied the allegations. 
[RELATED: Baker, Dunbar Wanted For Armed Robbery]
“I want to thank [the Miramar, Florida police department] for being professional in regards to surrendering and issues with the case,” Cohen wrote. “We understand that the officers can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time. We have had affidavits from several witnesses that also dispute the allegations and exculpate our client. Our investigator has had them for some time. We would have rather presented them to the court at the proper time, rather than in the media, but in this day and age, people rush to judgment. Where some seek publicity, we seek justice. I look forward to moving this case forward to proper conclusion, as we believe our client is innocent of any charges.”
At a party on Wednesday, police allege that Baker held people at gunpoint while Dunbar stole cash and watches from them. Cops say there was also a third masked man involved and some witnesses claim that Dunbar was also armed. Both cornerbacks are facing four felony counts of armed robbery with a firearm while Baker is looking at four additional counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. Although neither player is in custody as of Saturday morning, it does sound like they will cooperate with authorities.
Baker, 22, was hoping to redeem himself this year after a disappointing rookie campaign. Dunbar, 27, was traded from the Redskins to the Seahawks earlier this year – he was looking for a fresh start, as well as a new contract.
Giants’ DeAndre Baker, Seahawks’ Quinton Dunbar Wanted For Armed Robbery
Arrest warrants have been issued for Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, according to TMZ. At a get-together in Florida on Wednesday, police say Baker held partiers at gunpoint while Dunbar looted them. Both men are now wanted by authorities for armed robbery. The Miramar, Florida police department has also confirmed the warrants via press release.
According to police sources who spoke with TMZ, Baker also directed a third man to shoot someone who entered the party in the midst of the robbery. That mystery third wheel did not shoot anyone, but the group did make off with $7K in cash, plus a $25K Hublot watch, an $18K Rolex, and an Audemars Piguet.
Some witnesses claim that Dunbar was also armed; others say he was not. As it stands, both men are wanted for four counts of armed robbery with a firearm. Baker, meanwhile, also faces an additional four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Baker, 22, was a late first-round pick of the Giants just last year. He struggled as a rookie, but he allowed just one touchdown against him at Georgia and the Giants were planning to have him compete for a first-string spot in 2020. Baker finished out his first Giants season with 61 total tackles and eight passes defensed in 16 games, including 15 starts. Per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv (via Twitter), the Giants are unlikely to cut Baker right away, but clearly this will put the club back in the market for a free agent corner.
Dunbar, 27, was traded from the Redskins to the Seahawks in March. Unhappy with his contract, Dunbar wanted out of D.C. and got his wish. For the cost of a fifth-round pick, the Seahawks took on the starting-caliber corner and the final year of his three-year, $10.5MM deal. If the warrants have merit, Dunbar won’t be getting a new contract anytime soon. A Dunbar absence would also sting for the Seahawks, who were looking forward to seeing him build on a strong year. In 2019, Dunbar played the most snaps of his NFL career and came away with four interceptions. For his work, Pro Football Focus graded Dunbar as the league’s second-best cornerback, behind only former Legion of Boom leader Richard Sherman.
NFC East Notes: Crawford, Eagles, Giants
Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC East:
- The Cowboys plan to start Tyrone Crawford at defensive end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, and Crawford recently provided some positive news on his surgically repaired hips. “Surprisingly, I’m feeling great,” Crawford recently said (via the team’s official website). “Obviously, double hip surgery is nothing to play around with. But I’m feeling awesome, ready to go.” The 30-year-old’s hip problems date back to the 2018 campaign, and between him, Randy Gregory, Aldon Smith, and fifth-round rookie Bradlee Anae, there is plenty of promise — but not a ton of certainty — in Dallas’ pass rushing contingent.
- The Eagles surprisingly selected Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts in the second round of this year’s draft, but the team plans to deploy Hurts as a gadget player in much the same way the Saints have used Taysom Hill. Given that, and given Carson Wentz‘s injury history, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP believes Philadelphia needs to go out and sign a veteran signal-caller. The Eagles believe they can be a championship contender in 2020, and a player like Cam Newton or Joe Flacco could keep the club afloat in the event of a Wentz injury. In Shorr-Parks’ estimation, the same cannot necessarily be said for Hurts, Kyle Lauletta, or Nate Sudfeld.
- Like it or not, the Giants‘ offense will not contain too many elements from what the team ran last year and will instead look a lot like the system that new OC Jason Garrett ran in Dallas (Twitter link via Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network). Garrett garnered plenty of criticism over the years, but the Cowboys did finish first in yards per game and second in offensive DVOA in 2019. New York head coach Joe Judge clearly believes 2019 is a good indicator of what a Garrett offense can do.
- Yesterday, we learned that the Giants are exploring training camp sites outside of New Jersey, one of the states hit hardest by COVID-19.
Contract Details: 5/13/20
We will round up the contract details of recent signings/restructures right here as they come in today:
- Ted Ginn Jr, WR (Bears): One year. Veteran salary benefit worth $1.187MM. $137.5K signing bonus, $1.05MM salary ($750K guaranteed). Cap charge of $887,500 (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Cooper Rush, QB (Giants): Restructure. One-year, $1.25MM. $100K signing bonus. $900K salary ($50K guaranteed). Up to $250K in per game active roster bonuses (Twitter link via Wilson).
Clearly, while Rush got some guaranteed cash through his restructure — as opposed to the non-guaranteed $2.113MM tender he was scheduled to play on — it “only” amounts to $150K. So that may not tell us too much about Big Blue’s plans for him.
Giants May Move Training Camp
Add the Giants to the list of teams that may move their training camp site. Instead of New Jersey – one of the nation’s most hard-hit areas – head coach Joe Judge says the Giants could hold training camp at a different facility in another state (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan).
[RELATED: Arizona Gov.: Sports Can Resume On Saturday May 16]
Ideally, Judge says the Giants would keep things as-is, but they’re exploring all of their options and working on multiple plans. They’re far from alone in that: the Cowboys, 49ers, Chargers, and Rams are all set to run their practices in California, and they may have to pivot to another part of the country after Los Angeles County extended its sheltering orders for another three months.
“Our opps [operations] department is doing a great job right now mapping out a lot of different scenarios in terms of if, for some reason, we have to relocate,” Judge said. “They’re making connections around the area and around the country as to whatever we may need to do. We’re waiting on directions from the league in terms of making decisions on that,” Judge said (via Newsday).
Judge knew he’d be in for a completely new experience when he signed on to be the Giants’ head coach this year, but he couldn’t have anticipated a situation like this. As he eases into his new role, he’ll have help from offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who spent nearly ten years running his own practices as the Cowboys’ head coach.
In other Giants news, Judge says the team is thinking about re-signing edge rusher Markus Golden. Previously, a reunion was viewed as unlikely at best.
Giants Interested In Markus Golden
The Giants have thus far opted against adding a high-profile edge rusher. For several weeks, they have not been viewed as likely to re-sign Markus Golden. Joe Judge said the team’s top 2019 pass rusher remains on the radar.
The first-year Giants HC said the team is interested in Golden, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, and engaged in discussions with him after the team placed the seldom-used UFA tender on him (Twitter link).
New York’s UFA tender will only tether Golden to the team if no one else signs him by July 22. Golden finished last season with a Giants-most 10 sacks, reviving his stock after an ACL tear tanked it during his Cardinals tenure. In 15 games from 2017-18, Golden recorded just 2.5 sacks. The former second-round pick, however, has two double-digit sack seasons now.
As of now, the Giants’ top edge rushers are former Packers backup Kyler Fackrell and recent third-round picks Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines. The Giants surprised most by avoiding high-profile edge defenders in free agency and not drafting one until Day 3. While Carter and Ximines combined for nine sacks last season, the Giants ranked 22nd in sacks last season (36) even with Golden on the team.
In early April, Golden’s asking price was too high for the Giants’ liking. The 29-year-old defender may or may not have reduced it. The chances Golden returns to New York appear to have increased.
Giants Renegotiate Cooper Rush’s Deal
Cooper Rush has a new team and a new contract. On Friday, the Giants reworked the quarterback’s deal to reduce his overall price while providing him with some guaranteed dollars (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Giants Sign Mr. Irrelevant]
Rush’s original deal called for $2.113MM in 2020, but that sum was completely non-guaranteed. Now, Rush will see a base value of $1.25MM, with some portion of that being guaranteed. That could bode well for Rush’s chances of making the final cut.
The Giants have Daniel Jones locked in as their starter with Colt McCoy slated to serve as the QB2. Alex Tanney and undrafted rookie Case Cookus are also in the mix, meaning that Rush will be vying with four other quarterbacks for two spots – or potentially just one. Rush has a few things working in his favor. First, there’s the guaranteed chunk of his deal. Second, there’s his longstanding relationship with new Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. The same can’t be said for Tanney, a favorite of former head coach Pat Shurmur who has no guaranteed dollars on his contract.
Rush, 26, has appeared in just two NFL games since entering the league with the Cowboys in 2017.
Giants Sign Mr. Irrelevant, Tae Crowder
The last pick of the 2020 NFL Draft was one of the first to sign. On Thursday, “Mr. Irrelevant” Tae Crowder inked his rookie deal with the Giants, per a club announcement.
Crowder – a 6’3″, 245 pound athlete – came to the University of Georgia as a running back in 2015. Midway through his redshirt frosh season, he switched to linebacker. As time wore on, he got more and more burn with the Bulldogs. Last year, he set a new single-game career high with 12 stops against South Carolina and also managed a 60-yard fumble return against Tennessee. All told last season, he had 62 tackles, four for a loss, and four passes defended.
Towards the end of Day 3, Crowder was at the point where he didn’t expect to hear his name called. He certainly didn’t expect a call from the Giants, who had already taken three other linebackers over the course of the weekend. Even though he was likely to land a deal on the UDFA circuit, it was welcome news, especially since the selection reunited him with former UGA coach Kevin Sherrer, who now serves as the Giants’ outside linebackers coach.
Crowder will look to stay relevant in New York/New Jersey and stick on the 53-man roster as a special teams player. Still, it’s a crowded portion of the depth chart with a dozen linebackers vying for a handful of spots behind Kyler Fackrell, David Mayo, Blake Martinez, and Lorenzo Carter.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/5/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Derrick Gore
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Reggie White
New York Jets
- Waived: CB Kyron Brown, WR Keon Hatcher, RB Jalin Moore, DE Charles Tapper
Giants Claim QB Cooper Rush Off Waivers From Cowboys
The Giants have claimed Cooper Rush off waivers, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The quarterback was cut by Dallas earlier this week, giving all 31 of the NFL’s other teams an opportunity to grab him.
The move brings Rush back together with Jason Garrett, the Cowboys’ former head coach and the Giants’ current offensive coordinator. Their relationship won’t necessarily guarantee him a spot on the final roster, however.
The Giants have Daniel Jones locked in as their starter with Colt McCoy slated to serve as his primary backup. There’s also Alex Tanney and undrafted rookie Case Cookus on board, making Rush the fifth QB on the offseason roster. For what it’s worth, the Giants have flexibility in this space – Cookus’ UDFA deal is dirt cheap and Tanney’s contract can be dropped without any fiscal penalty between now and the start of the year.
Rush, 26, has appeared in just two NFL games since going pro out of Central Michigan.