Deandre Baker & Quinton Dunbar Placed On Commissioner’s Exempt List

According to Ian Rapoport, Giants CB Deandre Baker was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list by the NFL. 

This move was expected, as Baker is still awaiting a resolution to his case for charges including armed robbery against him and Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar. Pat Leonard reports Dunbar has also been placed on the exempt list. 

Both will still be paid, but neither player will be able to practice with the team while on the exempt list. Neither will count against the roster as well. 

Baker and Dunbar turned themselves in to the police back on May 16 and were later released on $200,000 and $100,000 bond, respectively.

Baker pled not guilty to four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm while Dunbar pled not guilty to four counts of armed robbery with a firearm.

The NFL is investigating the incident and could announce discipline for the two players involved at some point.

Dunbar recently hired a second attorney. The case has had numerous twists and turns, with allegations that Dunbar’s lawyer was involved in paying off witnesses to change their statements to the police. 

Team sources told Leonard earlier this month that they would not expect Baker to remain on the Giants’ roster much longer. 

The two players were partying in Miramar, FL. on May 13th and were allegedly hanging at a cookout when an argument broke out Baker pulled out a semi-automatic firearm.

Police said Dunbar assisted in taking watches and other valuables at the direction of Baker. In total, Baker allegedly stole $12,400 in cash from four people and four watches ranging in price from $600 to $25,000 worth $61,100 in total.

A witness mentioned that Baker and Dunbar were at another party a few days earlier where they “lost about $70,000” gambling. 

Baker was allegedly wearing a red mask and directed another man to shoot someone who had just walked into the party.

Baker, 22, is a former first-round pick of the Giants back in 2019. He’s in the second year of his four-year, $10,525,716 contract that included a $5,675,064 signing bonus.

The contract includes a fifth-year option for the Giants to pick up for the 2023 season.

In 2019, Baker appeared in all 16 games for the Giants and recorded 61 tackles, no interceptions and eight passes defended.

Dunbar, 27, originally signed on with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent out of Florida back in 2015. He was waived at the start of the 2015 season and was later added to the Redskins’ practice squad before being promoted a few weeks later.

Washingon re-signed Dunbar to a three-year, $10.5 million extension through the 2020 season in January of last year. The Redskins later traded him to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick this past March. 

Dunbar is set to make a base salary of $3.25 million for the 2020 season. 

In 2019, Dunbar appeared in 11 games and recorded 37 total tackles, one tackle for loss, four interceptions and eight pass defenses. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the No. 2 overall cornerback out of 113 qualifying players. 

We’ll have more regarding Dunbar and Baker as the news is available.