Tag: deandre baker

Giants downgraded to ‘C’ in 2019 NFL draft re-grade

In a re-grade of the 2019 NFL draft, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports downgrades the New York Giants to a “C.”

It’s been four years since the New York Giants made quarterback Daniel Jones the No. 6 overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft.

So, how does that pick and the nine others they made that weekend fare here in the spring of 2022? CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco takes a look back.

New York Giants
2019 Grade: B+

The Skinny: The Giants had 10 picks in the draft, with only three as projected starters in 2022. They are first-round quarterback Daniel Jones, first-round defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and fourth-round safety Julian Love. They got little else from this draft with a major miss on first-round corner Deandre Baker. Fifth-round receiver Darius Slayton has worked out.

How I did: I liked the pick of Jones, although I did say he went a little higher than I would have taken him. I also liked the pick of Lawrence, saying he could be a force. He has been good, but not a force. I questioned the pick of third-round rusher Oshane Ximines, which played true since he’s been mostly a backup.

New Grade: C

The class isn’t as bad as one could make it out to be. If Jones pans out it will be deemed a success especially now since the team exercised Lawrence’s fifth-year option and Love developed into a starter.

Let’s not forget that they got Slayton and linebacker Ryan Connelly in the fifth round in this draft. Slayton had been very productive up until last year and Connelly was on his way to become a starter before blowing out his knee.

One stain that won’t go away, however, is the miscalculation surrounding Baker. The Giants traded three picks to Seattle to move up for Baker only to have him wash out. Experts at the time thought hey could have waited until Round 2 to select Baker and kept the fourth and fifth rounders they give up in the deal.

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Giants running low on time as fifth-year option decisions loom

Time is ticking and the New York Giants will soon need to make fifth-year option decisions on QB Daniel Jones and DL Dexter Lawrence.

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In 2019, the New York Giants made three picks in the first round of the NFL draft. They took Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6, Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence 17th and Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker at No. 30.

The time has come to make decisions on those first round picks’ fifth-year options. Baker is no longer with the team having blown up his Giants’ career early on with legal issues, but Jones and Lawrence appear to be in the team’s plans, at least for the short-term.

The fifth-year options on the 2019 draft class are due next Monday, May 2, but the Giants have yet to act on either of their eligible players.

Jones has been declared the team’s starter and the new coaching staff is giving him a chance to prove his pedigree but appear to be unwilling to put that in writing.

Jones’ 2022 salary cap hit is $8.3 million but his 2023 fifth-year salary would balloon to $22.3 million. The Giants likely want to see if Jones is the real deal first, so it’s good business sense for them to decline the option and takes their chances with Jones in free agency next year.

Lawrence has been a solid presence in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line but, again, he was not drafted by the new regime and they will likely want to see that he can do in Wink Martindale’s new defense before committing.

Lawrence’s firth-year price tag would be $10.7 million.

Exercising fifth-year options is not a given. Of the 32 players selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, only six have either been exercised or believe will be exercised.

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Three former Georgia football players to attend 2022 NFL draft

Three Bulldogs are headed to Las Vegas.

Today, it was announced that the 2022 NFL draft, which will begin on April 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will host 21 players. Included on that list are three of UGA’s former defensive stars: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Devonte Wyatt.

According to multiple outlets, Davis, Dean, and Wyatt are all projected to be selected in the first or second round of the draft, and while they are not attending the event, Travon Walker, George Pickens and Lewis Cine also have a good opportunity to be chosen early.

Deandre Baker, a defensive back who played for the Bulldogs from 2015 to 2018, was the last Georgia player to attend the draft. Baker was selected by the New York Giants in the first round as the 30th overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft.

This year, UGA has the opportunity to achieve a record number of first round draft picks, and considering the talent and skill of the available players, it would be not surprising if all five of them were taken off of the board during round one.

Check out the full list of attendees below:

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Chiefs could be landing spot for former Vikings CB Jeff Gladney

Acquitted from assault charges, former #Vikings CB Jeff Gladney makes plenty of sense for the #Chiefs.

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Could the Kansas City Chiefs pursue former Minnesota Vikings CB Jeff Gladney now that he has been cleared of felony charges?

Last August, Gladney was indicted on a felony assault charge. He was released by the Vikings just hours afterward. On Thursday, Gladney was acquitted of the charges by a jury in Dallas, Texas.

A former TCU standout, Gladney was drafted with pick No. 31 in the 2020 NFL draft, one pick prior to the Chiefs’ selection of RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The team showed interest in him ahead of the draft, hosting Gladney on one of their allotted virtual pre-draft visits.

The Chiefs are no stranger to giving players second chances, especially at the cornerback position. They did so with former first-round draft pick Deandre Baker, who was released by the New York Giants due to allegations of armed robbery. Baker was eventually cleared and eventually joined the Chiefs’ practice squad. He is going on his third season in Kansas City after being tendered as an exclusive rights free agent.

At the same time, the Chiefs tried to do the same thing with troubled CB Damon Arnette, formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders. That didn’t last after he was arrested on a litany of charges in late January and subsequently released by Kansas City. This also speaks to the low-risk nature of these types of signings, though. If it doesn’t work out, you simply move on.

Gladney, 25, fits GM Brett Veach’s modus operandi and a one-year deal could be beneficial for both parties. The Chiefs have needs in the secondary with CB Charvarius Ward slated to hit free agency. Gladney needs to prove that he’s capable of staying out of trouble and playing at a high level in the NFL. The 5-10 and 191-pound corner played only his rookie season, starting 15-of-16 games in 2020, with 81 total tackles and a forced fumble on the year.

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Chiefs plan to tender qualifying offer to ERFA CB Deandre Baker

The #Chiefs plan to tender a qualifying offer to ERFA CB Deandre Baker prior to the start of the new league year according to a new report.

The Kansas City Chiefs plan to tender at least one of their four exclusive rights free agents.

According to Kansas City Star beat writer Herbie Teope, the Chiefs will extend a qualifying offer to CB Deandre Baker before the start of the new league year. As an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), the team is required to extend a qualifying offer before free agency otherwise Baker would become an unrestricted free agent.

The Chiefs added Deandre Baker to the practice squad in 2020 and promoted him to the 53-man roster via standard elevation twice. Baker suffered a serious non-contact leg fracture in the final game of the regular season, but he returned to health in 2021, appearing in eight games including one start in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. In total, he played a combined 238 snaps on defense in the regular season and postseason.

With Charvarius Ward set to have a robust market in free agency, it makes plenty of sense to bring Baker back this season. He’ll likely compete for a starting role on the outside with a draft pick or another free agent signing. The team relied on him in a depth capacity this past offseason, so this will really be a chance for him to take a step forward in the system.

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Chiefs CB DeAndre Baker close to 100% healthy, out to prove he belongs in Kansas City

#Chiefs CB DeAndre Baker says he’s “pretty close” to 100% healthy. His goal for training camp: To show his teammates that he deserves to be here.

Kansas City Chiefs CB DeAndre Baker returned to the field on Saturday for the first time following a broken femur in Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season.

It was his first on-field action since suffering the season-ending injury, allowing him to gain some confidence prior to the arrival of veteran players on Monday. Speaking with reporters on Sunday, Baker revealed that he’s feeling near full-strength heading into training camp.

“Yeah, I’m pretty close to 100%,” Baker said. 

The injury wasn’t easy on Baker, who’d already faced other challenges in his NFL career. An off-field incident saw him released by the New York Giants — the team that drafted him. Facing an entirely new challenge with a significant injury, Baker credits the Chiefs’ training staff for getting him back to this point.

“It was definitely frustrating, but Rick (Burkholder) and his staff, man, they get in and work every day,” Baker said. “They got me to here and now I’m back on the field, ready to work.” 

It was tough on Baker, being sidelined during the Chiefs’ playoff run in 2020. His Week 17 start against the Chargers showed a lot of promise and while he didn’t know if he’d get an opportunity to play in the playoffs, he wanted to continue building that momentum with his new team.

“I mean there was a few things I could have done better, but overall I feel like I played well,” Baker said. “I could have did a lot of things better, though. Just a little bit of technique things that I have to clean up, that I’m working on today.”

This offseason, he’s done a lot of work to pick up where he left off. Even when he was still sidelined with his injury throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp, he put in work to ensure that he could be at his best when he returned to the field.

“Oh yeah, I gained a lot from that,” Baker said. “I was in the meeting rooms and got a lot of mental reps, so whenever I’d be able to get on the field, I’d be able to help the team and I could be fluid with everything that we do.”

Now that he’s been back, he’s out to prove himself to the coaching staff and his teammates. He wants them to understand that he deserves the second chance he’s been given — that he can contribute to the team’s winning ways.

“I just want to help the team and just show the guys that I want to be here,” Baker said. “Come out there and work and show them that I deserve to be here.” 

That second chance is something that the former first-round draft pick doesn’t intend to take for granted.

“It means a lot to me,” Baker said. “The Chiefs gave me another chance at a phenomenal organization. I’m just here to work. I’m happy to be here.” 

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Chiefs CB DeAndre Baker practices for first time following broken femur

#Chiefs CB DeAndre Baker broke his femur last season against the #Chargers in Week 17. The former first-round draft pick returned to practice for the first time on Saturday.

Kansas City Chiefs rookies, quarterbacks and injured players reported to training camp on Friday, taking part in a closed practice on Saturday.

A total of 28 players were seen in action, with DE Malik Herring and DB Armani Watts still sidelined with their respective injuries. A total of three injured players returned to practice, with DE Taco Charlton and DB Juan Thornhill continuing to practice as they did at the end of mandatory minicamp. One injured player, however, made an anticipated return to action.

Cornerback DeAndre Baker took his first practice repetitions since the 2020 NFL season on Saturday. The former 2019 first-round draft pick was first signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad in November of last year. The New York Giants released the former Georgia Bulldog before he was cleared of allegations of an armed robbery.

Baker earned his first opportunity to play for Kansas City in Week 15, playing just a few snaps on special teams against the Saints. He’d see his biggest opportunity in Week 17, showing promise as a starter before suffering an improbable injury. Baker fractured his femur on a non-contact play, with a clean break that would end his year prematurely.

Baker was sidelined throughout OTAs and minicamp, continuing to rehab his injury. His return to action saw few limitations, even participating in 7-on-7 team drills according to KC Star beat reporter Sam McDowell. While this was a lighter padless practice, Baker’s return still signaled that he is trending toward full participation during training camp.

With questions at the cornerback position following the departure of Bashaud Breeland, the former first-round draft pick should have a big opportunity in front of him. Baker’s health and participation will be vital if he’s to seize that opportunity and make his mark on the Chiefs’ roster in 2021.

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PFF regrades 2019 NFL draft: Giants take another tumble

Pro Football Focus has regraded the 2019 NFL draft and for the New York Giants, things look worse now than they did then.

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In looking back on the New York Giants’ 2019 draft class, it has — like many other team’s drafts — changed in perspective as time has passed.

The main thing to remember is that they made three picks in the first round, which were all questionable at the time, and two of the three could end in disaster if quarterback Daniel Jones doesn’t pan out.

Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus revisits the Giants’ 2019 draft, which began as above average and has taken a slight dip over the past two years.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Round 1 (6): QB Daniel Jones, Duke
Round 1 (17): DI Dexter Lawrence, Clemson
Round 1 (30): CB Deandre Baker, Georgia
Round 3 (95): EDGE Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
Round 4 (108): CB Julian Love, Notre Dame
Round 5 (143): LB Ryan Connelly, Wisconsin
Round 5 (171): WR Darius Slayton, Auburn
Round 6 (180); CB Corey Ballentine, Washburn
Round 7 (232): OT George Asafo-Adjei, Kentucky
Round 7 (245): DI Chris Slayton, Syracuse

Then: Above Average
Now: Average

As bad as Deandre Baker looked as a rookie, it’s difficult to ding the Giants too much for the pick; off-field issues ended his time with the franchise. The relative merits of the Daniel Jones pick still looms large over the organization, but they got three other solid players in this draft in defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, defensive back Julian Love and wide receiver Darius Slayton.

To be clear, the Baker thing was more than a mess because they traded three picks to get back into the first round and have nothing to show for their efforts. This class naturally relies on the success of Jones. If he becomes a franchise quarterback, no one will care about Baker.

The positives to take away are exactly what Renner pointed out — Lawrence, Love and Slayton are all viable pieces. Ximines has a chance to still salvage his status but must stay healthy, something he has failed to do. Connelly looked like a gem but blew out his knee and the team gave up on him. Ballentine, Asafo-Adjei and Chris Slayton are no longer with the team.

Deandre Baker named Giants’ biggest draft mistake of past three years

Cornerback Deandre Baker has been named the New York Giants’ biggest draft mistake of the past three years.

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Every NFL team makes mistakes at the draft table and the New York Giants have had their share over the years. One of their biggest mistakes came just two years ago in 2019 when they traded back into the first round to select Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report lists the Baker selection as one of the league’s seven worst over the past three years. You don’t have to convince Giant fans about that.

In 2019, the New York Giants used the sixth pick to select the heir apparent to Eli Manning in Duke quarterback Daniel Jones. But Big Blue wasn’t done. The team shipped fourth- and fifth-round picks to Seattle for the right to move up seven spots and select Georgia cornerback DeAndre Baker at No. 30.

In retrospect, the Giants would have been much better off standing pat—and drafting someone else.

To be fair, Baker was a highly regarded prospect after a standout career in Athens. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports ranked the 5’11”, 180-pounder as the No. 2 cornerback prospect in the class.

True. Baker was the first corner taken in what was a weak one for cornerbacks. He likely would have gone undrafted in the first round and even fallen to the Giants at No. 37. There was no need to trade.

“Baker reminds me of Tre’Davious White,” Trapasso wrote. “Not someone who’ll wow you with his physical stature, twitch or length. But his vast experience (and productivity) in the SEC has led to him being a mirroring magician. He stays glued to receivers and has awesome awareness.”

That was the last time Baker’s talents and the word “awesome” would be used in proximity.

As a rookie, he was roasted in the Big Apple. Baker allowed 15.7 yards per completion and half a dozen touchdowns with a passer rating against of 116.2.

That was red flag No. 1 with Baker. He was uncharacteristically unprepared for the NFL for a Georgia player and looked completely lost out on the field. To compound issues, Baker seemed aloof at meetings and off the field, and didn’t appear to be taking his position as a pro seriously.

The Giants figured they righted the ship with him as the season went on. Then, in the offseason. the boom was lowered.

In May 2020, Baker was arrested in Florida and charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm, as well as four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm/intent to commit a felony. That July, Baker was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, and by September 2020 the Giants released him after just one season.

Yet last November, all charges against him were dropped. Per assistant state attorney Paul R. Valcore, “The alleged victims and the known witnesses have become uncooperative, and their credibility is inalterably tarnished.” In addition, an attorney for three of those victims was arrested and charged with extortion related to the case.

Baker would catch on with the Kansas City Chiefs on their practice squad in mid-November of last year. He eventually was elevated to the active roster for the final three games of the regular season and even sacked Los Angeles Chargers rookie sensation Justin Herbert before suffering a broken femur in Week 17.

Baker was re-signed by the Chiefs in February but his legacy will always be tied to the Giants’ miscalculation of him, even though they said they saw no red flags during the vetting process.

Baker’s combination of being overvalued and then being in the wrong place at the wrong time sunk him as a Giant but everyone seems to get a second act in this league. Perhaps he’ll become the player everyone thought he was in Kansas City.

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Watch: Mecole Hardman hype video ahead of Super Bowl

Former Georgia Bulldogs receiver Mecole Hardman will look to win a second Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in his second NFL season.

Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Mecole Hardman will have a chance to win a second Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in his second NFL season. The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to become the first NFL team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since Tom Brady and the 2003-2004 New England Patriots.

If Hardman can win another Super Bowl, then his Chiefs’ rookie class (2019) will be the first rookie class since the 2003 New England Patriots’ rookie class to open their careers with consecutive Super Bowl titles (with the team that drafted them).

Mecole Hardman and fellow teammates like practice squad defensive tackle Tyler Clark and injured defensive back DeAndre Baker are the three Georgia Bulldogs who could all earn Super Bowl rings this year.

Watch this hype video of Mecole Hardman ahead of Super Bowl LV:

Mecole Hardman played well for the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills after he muffed a punt. The speedster out of the University of Georgia could make a game-changing explosive play in the Super Bowl.

Hardman is expected play a key role in the Super Bowl as the Chiefs’ No. 3 receiver. Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill will draw attention from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense and as a result Mecole Hardman should receive a lot of one-on-one coverage. Kelce and Hill have been unstoppable in the NFL Playoffs, so slowing them down is easier said than done.

Tom Brady and the Bucs should provide elite competition for the Chiefs, who are 16-1 when their starters play this season. Tampa Bay has no former Georgia Bulldogs on their roster for the big game. Tampa Bay is the first team to host a Super Bowl in their home stadium.

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