The latest on New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and his legal case:
It was only one week ago the New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker was headed toward a big improvement in his second year as an NFL player. Baker was the talk of the town, after struggling in his rookie season but finishing off 2019 on a high note and preparing to lock down a significant position on defense.
However, Baker was accused of armed robbery, stealing watches and money after reportedly losing $70,000 gambling just a week ago.
Since then, new evidence has shown itself, and the case against Baker has quickly lost its holding. The witnesses that initially claimed he had pulled out a semi-automatic firearm reversed their statements and declared that Baker was clear of any wrongdoings.
This past weekend, Baker reached out to his team for their condolences and essentially asked for a second chance. Before the second-year corner mends relationship an image with the team, he must be exonerated of all charges, which seems likely, according to his lawyer. Then again, his lawyer is paid to prove his innocence, and nothing has been set in stone just yet. Patrick Patel, Baker’s lawyer, believes the case has little merit and will be dismissed as he pleads ‘non-guilty’ to all eight charges.
The New York Post spoke to Patel, who said:
“Honest to God, I’m doing this almost 40 years, dealing with a lot of people, a lot of athletes, his state of mind is a 180 from what I’ve seen,’’ Patel said. “When I first met him and interviewed him, he was very upset, taken aback, but now he’s got fire back in him and he realizes he has the opportunity to become Ray Lewis and not Ray Rice.’’
The New York Giants have since told Baker to stay away from the team and figure out his legal issues before returning. This must have been a major wake up call for the young defender who had plenty of red flags coming out of college, most of which came to light after the accusations against him bubbled to the surface.
Considering general manager Dave Gettleman moved up in the draft to select the best cornerback available and the first one off the board, Baker needs to do more to justify that risk. While he does admit that his rookie season was tough, he’s already made it a lot more difficult for himself and the team. If he somehow manages to return to normalcy and joins the Giants once more, he better be prepared to work and raise above the legal issues that will hopefully be a thing of the past.
“He doesn’t want to lose his job and he wants to prove to the general manager that he deserves the draft choices they gave up and he wants to be a first-rounder again,’’ Patel said. “He admits he had a tough season last year, this is gonna make it tougher. At this point, it’s gonna be up to him to do it.’’
Even if Baker gets away scot-free, the Giants could look to make an example of him, considering the situations they’ve dealt with over the past five years. Being attached to a crime this serious might further hurt the illustrious franchise’s image, but then again, if Baker is exonerated, there isn’t anything to worry about, right?