For all the flack the New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman endures, he’s had quite an impressive run manning Big Blue’s draft room since being hired in 2018. Three drafts down and five first-rounders in the fold, Gettleman has landed four perceived franchise cornerstones in running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Daniel Jones, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and offensive tackle Andrew Thomas.
However, there’s one lone selection that has placed a glaring asterisk next to Gettleman’s draft haul. That, of course, being 2019 first-rounder DeAndre Baker.
On Wednesday, Gettleman addressed the troubled Giants cornerback, as well as recently released Pro Bowl kicker Aldrick Rosas, with the media.
“Obviously it’s disappointing. And there was nothing in Aldrick’s background and nothing in DeAndre’s background that suggest these things would happen,” Gettleman claimed to reporters. “It’s disappointing on a variety of levels. And it hurts us because they are two talented players as well.”
“I guess what it teaches us all is that nothing is 100 percent except death and taxes. . . I’d be a liar if I said anything less. It’s disappointing, but it’s life.” Gettleman added, “Did we thoroughly investigate DeAndre’s background? Absolutely. There’s nothing there we didn’t know.”
Baker Reportedly Expected to be Released By Week’s End
As we approach the start of the 2020 season, Baker currently sits on the Commissioner’s Exempt List after being charged with four counts of armed robbery stemming from an incident in Florida back in May. If convicted, the 22-year-old Baker will face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in state prison.
Gettleman noted to media on Wednesday that the organization is “still in conversations” in regards to Baker’s placement on the roster while the legal process plays out. When asked why the franchise doesn’t simply adopt a zero-tolerance policy, the GM admitted “that’s a fair question,” yet noting that “In life, there’s timing that’s involved…in life, there’s timing. That’s how I’ll respond to that.”
It appears that time may be closer than Gettleman let on, as SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano reports that representatives of Baker are expecting the cornerback to be released within the next few days.
It appears that DeAndre Baker’s time with the Giants, and maybe even his NFL career, is about to come to an end.
Baker, who is awaiting trial in Florida on four felony counts of armed robbery, is expecting to be released by the Giants this week, according to someone close to the 22-year-old cornerback.
As Vacchiano notes, the timing of Baker’s somewhat inevitable release has plenty to do with his current contract.
Baker doesn’t count against the Giants’ roster while he’s on the Commissioner’s exempt list, the team will still have to pay his $973,442 salary. But NFL players don’t start receiving pay checks until the regular season, so Baker’s weekly checks of $57,261 don’t start coming until next week.
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Giants GM ‘Disappointed’ in Ex-1st Rounder; Expected to Be Cut: Report