Antonio Brown Retires (Again)
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. On Monday, Antonio Brown announces his retirement from the NFL. This marks at least the third time Brown has publicly called it quits since September of last year. 
[RELATED: Patriots, AB Settle Grievance]
“At this point, the risk is greater than the reward,” Brown tweeted. “Thank you [to] everyone who [has] been a part of this journey. I sincerely thank you for everything!”
Brown, of course, isn’t the only player who is concerned about the risk involved with playing this season. Still, it remains to be seen whether his latest farewell will stick. Less than three weeks ago, Brown was lobbying the Seahawks to pair him with friend and workout partner Russell Wilson. There were also rumblings of AB and Tom Brady getting together in Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers weren’t interested in the drama that comes with the controversial wide receiver.
Brown, 32, remains under NFL investigation for multiple incidents, including two alleged acts of sexual misconduct. His own safety concerns aside, there was little guarantee that a team would take on the risk of signing him. Brown’s availability for the coming year was also highly questionable.
If this is truly a wrap for Brown, he leaves the game with a complicated legacy. Over the course of his ten-year career, Brown tallied 841 receptions for 11,253 yards and seven Pro Bowl appearances. Before things turned ugly, Brown was a surefire Hall of Famer and regarded as one of the game’s most dangerous offensive talents. Now, (we think), he’ll focus on other endeavors, while untangling some of his off-the-field matters.
Latest On Quinton Dunbar-Deandre Baker Case
Amidst allegations that he facilitated a payoff of victims in an effort to convince them to change their stories, Michael Grieco, defense attorney for Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar, has withdrawn his appearance, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Dunbar will move forward with the counsel he hired last week, Michael D. Weinstein.
Grieco offered the following statement: “We agreed that new counsel would allow for continued advocacy of Mr. Dunbar’s innocence without any collateral distractions.” Indeed, Grieco was under criminal investigation for his role in the alleged payoff as of June, though it’s unclear whether that investigation is still ongoing.
Given these new developments, it does not sound as if the cases against Dunbar and Giants CB Deandre Baker are going away anytime soon. And John Clayton of 710 ESPN Seattle hears from one of the Miami Herald reporters who is covering the story, David Ovalle, that courts in the region are so backed up due to coronavirus closures that it could take until 2021 or 2022 for the matter to proceed to court.
Clayton’s story does not reference how courts are handling criminal defendants’ speedy trial rights in the wake of COVID-19, but assuming that the cases for Baker and Dunbar do indeed get pushed back that far, their immediate NFL futures become even more difficult to predict (not to mention their long-term futures as free member of society). In ordinary circumstances, the league might put them on the commissioner’s exempt list until there is a resolution — which Clayton suggests could still happen — but our COVID-19 reality is anything but ordinary. And while the league could suspend the players, it would have to be an indefinite suspension that could last several years.
So, for now, it seems as if Dunbar and Baker are free to play, assuming their respective teams allow them to do so. Clayton confirms earlier rumors that the Giants are considering cutting Baker, but we have not yet heard that Seattle plans to move on from Dunbar.
Mychal Kendricks Medically Cleared
Mychal Kendricks has been medically cleared to resume playing, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That’s good news for the free agent linebacker, though he still has other hurdles to clear. 
[RELATED: Looking Back At Mychal Kendricks’ Short-Lived Browns Deal]
Kendricks tore his ACL late last season in the Seahawks’ thriller against the 49ers. It was a tough blow – up until that fateful game, Kendricks had started in all 14 of his games while racking up 71 tackles, three sacks, four passes defensed, and an interception.
Now, he’s healthy, but he’s also in legal limbo. Kendricks pleaded guilty to insider trading in September 2018, and his sentencing date has been postponed numerous times. His timeline will likely hinge on the pandemic, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when Kendricks will appear before the judge.
Technically speaking, Kendricks has the green light to join up with any team, and it stands to reason that he’ll draw some interest. His market value, however, figures to be depressed. Kendricks is coming off of a serious injury, nearing his 30th birthday in September, and hunting for work as owners and GMs fret over decreased revenue and cap room. And, of course, teams won’t be able to actually count on Kendricks’ availability for the 2020 season.
Quinton Dunbar’s Attorney Criminally Investigated
The alleged cover-up attempt surrounding a incident in May that resulted in felony charges for Giants CB Deandre Baker and Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar created a major plot twist in the evolving saga. The latest reports suggest that a witness to the incident, Dominic “Coach” Johnson, worked with Baker and Dunbar’s attorney, Michael Grieco, to pay other witnesses to recant their earlier testimony implicating the NFL players.
And according to Nicholas Nehamas, David Ovalle, and David Smiley of the Miami Herald, Grieco was under criminal investigation for his involvement at least as of last month. A spokeswoman for Miramar (Fla.) police said she could not comment on whether Grieco was still being investigated.
Grieco issued a statement saying that the witnesses are “seasoned career criminals” who have been attempting to extort Baker and Dunbar from the jump. Video footage, however, suggests that the alleged payoff took place at Grieco’s office, and Grieco presented to police affidavits from those very same witnesses immediately after the meeting. All five affidavits, according to police, are identical.
It’s not a good look for Grieco, Dunbar — who has retained additional counsel — or Baker. But Baker’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, says his client paid no one, has passed a lie detector test, and is the victim of a smear tactic (Twitter link).
Patrick Patel, an attorney who represents Baker in NFL-related matters — but who appears to be involved in strategizing his criminal defense just the same — tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that he and Cohen knew about the payoff attempt, and that they encouraged Baker to participate in the farce in order to expose it for what it really was. If that’s true, of course, then that means Grieco and Dunbar may indeed have paid for what they got.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, Dunbar and Baker may well have committed the crimes as alleged, but the victims may have seen an opportunity to cash in just the same. Both things can be true. But at this point, it looks as though Dunbar’s and Baker’s respective approaches must diverge, so this matter just became even more fascinating to follow.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks have not yet considered cutting Dunbar, though Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News — who broke the original payoff story — cites unnamed Giants sources who said they don’t expect Baker to be on the club much longer.
Latest On DeAndre Baker, Quinton Dunbar
A cover-up attempt has surfaced in the DeAndre Baker–Quinton Dunbar saga. A witness to the alleged armed robbery in May worked with Baker, along with Dunbar’s attorney, in an effort to pay off other witnesses and clear the cornerbacks of wrongdoing, according to a Broward County (Fla.) search warrant obtained by Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.
The witness named in the warrant, Dominic Johnson, allegedly said in an Instagram direct message he “made them (witnesses) that said they got robbed come in and say them Boys ain’t have nothing to Do with it (sic).”
Video evidence of Baker, Johnson and four other witnesses’ involvement in the payoff — held at the office of Dunbar’s attorney, Michael Grieco — also exists, Leonard adds. The four victims were allegedly paid $55K total to recant their sworn statements that Baker and Dunbar took part in an armed robbery.
Baker, 22, and Dunbar, 27, remain under investigation for the alleged robbery. This certainly complicates matters for the Giants and Seahawks defenders. Dunbar had resumed offseason work with the Seahawks before they wrapped up their virtual slate, while the Giants told Baker to stay away from the team for the time being.
In May, authorities said Baker and Dunbar teamed up to rob partiers at gunpoint. The police report out of Miramar, Fla., claims that Baker had the weapon while Dunbar did the looting. Some witnesses said that Baker also directed a third man to shoot someone (ultimately, no one at the scene was shot).
The warrant indicates Baker asked Johnson how much cash he should bring for the payoff, Leonard reports. The alleged payoff occurred May 15, two days after the alleged robbery and a day before Baker surrendered to police. Another message sent from Johnson’s Instagram account indicates he convinced the other four witnesses to sign papers recanting their statements that originally led to Baker and Dunbar’s arrests, according to the warrant.
Baker has pleaded not guilty to eight felony charges; Dunbar pleaded not guilty to four. Dunbar has hired a second attorney, though Grieco is still working on the case as well.
Quinton Dunbar Hires Second Attorney
It sounds like the charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar aren’t going away. Per Daniel Wallach of The Athletic (via Twitter), Dunbar has added the law firm of Michael D. Weinstein to his defense team.
Dunbar’s original defense attorney, Michael Grieco, remains on the case. Dunbar, of course, was charged alongside Giants CB Deandre Baker following an alleged armed robbery in Florida several months ago. Shortly thereafter, Dunbar surrendered to police, and at his bail review, Grieco presented five affidavits — four from alleged victims and one from a witness — recanting statements they had previously made to police. Both Grieco and Baker’s attorney have been very accommodating to media inquiries since entering their appearance and have adamantly maintained their clients’ innocence while expressing their optimism that the charges would soon be dropped.
Indeed, the fact that Dunbar was given a relatively light bond of $100K suggested to some that the state’s case was not particularly strong. But Dunbar’s decision to retain additional counsel could indicate otherwise.
Dunbar, whom the Seahawks acquired via trade with the Redskins back in March, ultimately rejoined the team for virtual offseason meetings. After a strong 2019 campaign in Washington, the soon-to-be 28-year-old was seeking a lucrative multi-year extension. It’s unclear if he would have gotten one from Seattle if not for this incident, but a solid 2020 season would have positioned him well for unrestricted free agency next year.
Now, however, his football career is in limbo, to say nothing of the impacts that four charges of armed robbery could have on his life.
Seahawks Set To Reduce Clowney Offer?
A notable development transpired in Jadeveon Clowney‘s near-fourth-month free agency odyssey Tuesday. The Browns’ Olivier Vernon restructure points to them giving the Vernon-Myles Garrett pairing another year and bowing out on Clowney. This would eliminate a high-paying suitor from the sweepstakes. The Seahawks remain in the running for Clowney, but Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes they are not going to offer a deal in the $15-$16MM-AAV ballpark like they did earlier this offseason. Seattle’s offer in this neighborhood occurred several weeks ago, but the team is still in need at edge rusher. Clowney now has an offer in hand from the Raiders, but they were viewed as a “distant third.” However, with the Browns perhaps out, the Raiders may have moved up to second. At just more than $13MM in cap space, the Seahawks hold more than the Raiders ($8MM).
- Seahawks second-round pick Marquise Blair will compete with Bradley McDougald for the team’s starting strong safety job, opposite Quandre Diggs, but Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes the second-year player is also a candidate to be Seattle’s nickel back. Blair played just 219 snaps as a rookie, though Pete Carroll said he is “very interested” in getting him on the field this season. Ugo Amadi, a 2019 fourth-rounder, will serve as Blair’s primary competition for Seattle’s nickel role. Amadi played just 76 defensive snaps as a rookie.
Antonio Brown Interested In Seahawks Deal
Russell Wilson has lobbied for the Seahawks to sign Antonio Brown, and the free agent wide receiver would not mind resuming his career in Seattle.
The duo worked out together this week, and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports Brown would love to play for the Seahawks (video link). Additionally, the Seahawks have engaged in internal discussions about signing Brown, per Garafolo. They are now the team most closely connected to the former perennial All-Pro.
Other teams are interested as well, per Garafolo, though it is not certain who those franchises are at this point. The team that signs Brown would need to prepare for a suspension. The NFL’s investigation into the wide receiver’s off-field issues is ongoing.
The Seahawks signed Phillip Dorsett this offseason, and he would seemingly enter camp with a good chance of winning the team’s No. 3 wideout job behind Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf. A Brown signing would shake up the Seahawks’ passing attack. The former Steelers superstar earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in four straight seasons and scored 15 touchdowns in 2018, the year his All-Pro streak ceased. Brown’s actions since Week 17 of the 2018 season have made him one of the most volatile players in modern NFL history, with the soon-to-be 32-year-old receiver burning bridges at will.
Other than the three teams that employed Brown last year, the Saints were the other known suitor. They worked Brown out late last season, but even that produced controversy. Tom Brady‘s interest in having Brown play with him in Tampa Bay is well known, but the Buccaneers are not believed to be interested. Brown has been quieter on social media in recent months, and it is starting to look like he will be given a chance to return to the league at some point this season.
Latest On Giants’ DeAndre Baker
Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker is facing serious jail time for his alleged role in an armed robbery, but his lawyer continues to insist that the charges against him will be dismissed. This week, attorney Patrick Patel told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that he has “at least two witnesses that will testify to Baker’s innocence.“
[RELATED: Baker, Dunbar Accused Of Armed Robbery]
Authorities say Baker and Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar teamed up to rob partiers at gunpoint in May. The police report out of Miramar, Florida claims that Baker had the weapon while Dunbar did the looting. Some witnesses said that Baker also directed a third man to shoot someone (ultimately, no one at the scene was shot). Together, cops say the cornerbacks made off with ~$7K in cash, a $25K Hublot watch, an $18K Rolex, and an Audemars Piguet.
Baker is facing a total of eight charges – four counts of armed robbery with a firearm, plus four counts of aggravated assault. Each of the four armed robbery charges carry a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Patel says the accusations against his client – a 2019 first-round pick – are without merit. Ditto for Dunbar’s lawyer. Both defense attorneys have been adamant in their pre-trial defense and very accommodating to media inquiries over the last six weeks.
The Giants have kept Baker out of their virtual offseason activities and they may ask him to stay at home once they resume on-field workouts. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have allowed Dunbar to log on for their Zoom chats.
Seahawks Eyeing WR Upgrade?
Russell Wilson has voiced support for his team taking a chance on Antonio Brown for several months, and the NFL’s new CBA would give Josh Gordon a chance at yet another reinstatement. The Seahawks may be in play for one of these high-profile targets.
A strong sense has emerged the Seahawks will take a chance to upgrade their receiving corps, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Wilson made a plea for his team to add star power this offseason, but little has transpired on that front months later.
The Seahawks have Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf positioned as their top two receivers, and the team added Phillip Dorsett and Greg Olsen as auxiliary troops for its aerial attack. Brown would certainly change the game for Seattle and has worked out with Geno Smith this offseason, though the former All-Pro has done considerable damage to his stock over the past year and change.
A suspension remains expected for the soon-to-be 32-year-old wideout, whenever the NFL concludes its investigation. Although, Brown has been quieter on social media this offseason and appears to believe — despite the bridges he burned in Pittsburgh, Oakland and New England — he will catch on somewhere else this year. The Ravens, who employ Antonio Brown’s cousin (Marquise Brown) as their top wideout, have also been connected to the mercurial superstar.
Despite entering the NFL in 2012 as a supplemental draftee, Gordon is a first-time free agent. However, his latest suspension has him again on unstable ground regarding a return. Gordon, now 29, caught 11 passes for 139 yards in five games as a Seahawk last season. He applied for reinstatement last week.
Were the Seahawks to opt for a less risky, lower-ceiling receiver, Taylor Gabriel and Demaryius Thomas join ex-Wilson targets Jermaine Kearse and Paul Richardson in free agency.