The NFL is temporarily placing New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar on the commissioner’s exempt list of pending criminal charges.
Baker was told to stay away from virtual meetings this spring after Miramar, Florida, police charged him with four counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. Dunbar faces four counts of armed robbery.
Both players are on bail and the court gave them permission to travel with their work out of state.
Baker and Dunbar are awaiting a decision from the state attorney’s office on whether they intend to prosecute the case.
In the meantime, this will keep Baker, the Giants’ first-round pick last year, and Dunbar, acquired in a trade for Seattle earlier this offseason, away from training camp. The commissioner’s exempt list allows them to receive payment until a decision is made.
Dunbar participated in the Seattle virtual offseason this spring. Players on the exemption list may request the use of team facilities “on a reasonable basis for meetings, individual training, therapy and rehabilitation, and other permitted activities other than soccer.”
Baker, 23, had come to town over the weekend to start the Giants’ camp. Veterans must report Tuesday.
His NFL attorney Patrick Patel said he saw “no reason” to put his client on the exemption list with the pending prosecution decision.
The league finally decided differently. This was the Giants’ preference for Baker at this point. It allows Baker to handle his legal problems without being a distraction for the team. The team will not allow you to participate in non-soccer meetings or activities.
Baker had been working in Miami recently in preparation for camp.
The Giants traded Baker in last year’s draft despite at least two teams telling ESPN last spring that there were red flags at the former Georgia All-American. Then he had a rocky rookie year on and off the field. Two players described Baker as a “handful” last year and he was sent to the bench at the end of the season after then coach Pat Shurmur called him in for his effort in front of the entire team.
The Seahawks acquired Dunbar for a fifth-round pick in a March trade with Washington, which was their biggest off-season acquisition until their recent trade for Jamal Adams. Dunbar is slated to earn $ 3.25 million in base salary with another $ 250,000 available in roster per game bonuses in the final year of his contract, none of which is guaranteed.
Although players on the commissioner’s exempt list are paid, they do not count against their team’s list limit. Therefore, the Seahawks will get a spot on the list but they won’t get any relief from the cover with Dunbar as long as he remains on the list. The Seahawks split with nine players on Sunday to reach 81. With Dunbar on the exempt list and not counting against the list anymore, Seattle will be at the league’s new mandatory limit of 80.
If Dunbar is unavailable, the Seahawks would return to Tre Flowers, who started the past two seasons at right cornerback against Shaquill Griffin. The 2019 top and bottom of Flowers was a major factor in Seattle’s acquisition of Dunbar.
Under the original arrest warrant, Baker and Dunbar were accused of stealing money and keeping a tight watch while armed with semi-automatic firearms. He stated that Baker intentionally threatened the victims with a firearm. According to the arrest warrant affidavit, several witnesses said at one point during the incident that Baker ordered another suspect to wear a red mask to shoot an individual who had just entered the party.
The case has taken twists and turns since then. Witnesses quickly signed affidavits changing their original story, and the New York Daily News reported that a search warrant indicated that a witness in the alleged theft supervised payment to victims at the office of former Dunbar attorney Michael Grieco.
The league has said in recent weeks that the matter remains under review.
Baker and Dunbar are not known to have a prior criminal record.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
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