Joe Judge's First Real Test as Head Coach

What is to become of Giants’ CB Deandre Baker? It may not be up to the Giants to decide.

Right now, it’s up to the Sheriff in Broward County, FL.

On May 14, 2020, the Miramar Police Department in Broward County Florida issued arrest warrants for Deandre Baker, second-year CB of the NY Giants, and Quinton Dunbar, CB of the Seattle Seahawks. Baker is wanted of four counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm. Dunbar is wanted on four counts of armed robbery with a firearm. The aggravated assault charges Baker faces are due to the eyewitness accounts of Baker pointing a gun at select people, and supposedly instructing one of his armed cohorts to shoot someone that was entering the room at the time of the robbery.

As of 5/15 7:15pm EDT, neither Baker nor Dunbar have turned themselves in to the authorities. However, lawyers for both are in communication with the Miramar police.

The Giants issued a brief statement last night stating they are aware of the incident, the charges, and are in contact with Baker.

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The full 14-page affidavit and application for arrest warrant can be found here. If convicted of the armed robbery and assault charges, Baker faces what may be a minimum of ten years in prison to a maximum of a life sentence. Giants fans should not count on Baker to be available this season at least. There were five witnesses, four of which claim to be victims of the armed robbery.

So, just when things were looking up and the fan base was feeling good about the 2020 Giants secondary, this happens. Baker had a rough start to his rookie season on the field. But, he appeared to turn a corner and played much better in the last five games of 2019. With the signing of veteran CB James Bradberry to lock down the opponent’s top receivers in 2020, Baker was going to have the second CB slot and more time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. The Slot CB position was due to be a preseason training camp battle between Corey Ballentine, Sam Beal, and rookie draft pick Darnay Holmes.

Now, Joe Judge, Patrick Graham, and the coaching staff will need to look deeper for candidates at CB. The Giants can also look to second-year versatile DB Julian Love who played both CB and Safety as a rookie. The staff brought in plenty of depth during the draft and with the signed undrafted free agents. The potential is there to stay inside the current 90-man roster. But there are veterans also available.

Dave Gettleman has to be nervous about this. With all the much-publicized “character cleanup” that Dave Gettleman has been doing with this roster, this incident negates nearly all of that. Dave traded three picks to move back up into the first round to grab Deandre Baker in 2019. Baker had a high first-round grade, and the Giants had no CB depth after Janoris Jenkins. But, there were concerns pre-draft about Baker’s work ethic and the example he set for his teammates.

Here is an article which highlights the Georgia coaching staff concerns with Baker. It was rumored that Baker fell asleep in meetings during his rookie season.

This incident now makes Joe Judge (an appropriate name at the moment) the final stop on the Deandre Baker employment train.

There are several steps that need to happen before the Giants need to make any decisions.

Baker needs to turn himself in and face the charges. The more time that goes by, the worse it will be for him.
The NFL discipline gurus will weigh in on Personal Conduct Policy. With the new CBA in place, this is no longer the Commissioner’s sole decision.
Once discipline by the court and the NFL is known, the Giants’ decision will be made for them.
Then, there is the court of public opinion which is already underway via social media.