(May 15, 2020)
Well, just when we thought 2020 couldn’t get any worse, the New York Giants now have a very big issue on their hands. Former 2019 first-round cornerback DeAndre Baker has a warrant for his arrest out of Florida for a robbery incident that occurred May 13th, just days ago. He is charged with four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault. It is unknown what the future holds, Baker could spend a minimum of 10 years in prison under Florida penal law.
For now, let’s take a look at some free agent corners the Giants could target to replace Baker.
Dre Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick has played 8 seasons in the NFL, spending all of them in Cincinnati. He is 30 years old, so he would not be the long term answer, but he is a player who has seen a great amount of action, starting 67 games in his career. He missed the rest of the 2019 season with a knee injury in November.
Career stats:
- 10 interceptions.
- 65 passes defended.
- 302 combined tackles.
- 2 defensive touchdowns.
Logan Ryan
Ryan was reported to have signed with the Jets days ago, but that turned out to be false as they did not agree to a contract, making Ryan still available. Ryan spent the beginning of his career in New England before going to Tennessee the last three seasons. Ryan started all 16 games last season for the Titans, his first time starting every game in his career. Logan Ryan wouldn’t come cheap, he would probably be the highest paid corner on the list.
Career stats:
- 17 interceptions.
- 78 passes defended.
- 494 combined tackles.
- 1 defensive touchdown.
Ross Cockrell
Cockrell spent one season with the Giants in 2017. Although he wasn’t flashy, he played well with the Giants. Since 2014, he played for five different teams. He sat out all of 2018 when he fractured his fibula in training camp, but played in 2019 with Carolina. He played 66% of defensive snaps and 22% special teams snaps.
Career stats:
- 7 interceptions.
- 44 passes defended.
- 219 combined tackles.
Brandon Carr
Many Giants fans will remember him from his days in Dallas. What stands out with him is that he has never missed a game due to injury in his career. Biggest knock, he turns 34 in a few days, so this would obviously not be the long-term answer for the Giants, but he can provide a veteran presence on the defense, as long as it doesn’t turn into a Antoine Bethea situation.
Career stats:
- 21 interceptions.
- 138 passes defended.
- 702 combined tackles.
- 2 defensive touchdowns.
Eli Apple
Ah yes, the tenth overall pick in the 2016 draft for the New York Giants. This move would make no sense, as he displays bad character like Baker had, and Apple just never reached the next level with the Giants. He played slightly better with the Saints. This offseason he was supposed to sign with the Raiders, but the deal never went through, making him available once again.
Career stats:
- 3 interceptions.
- 33 passes defended.
- 233 combined tackles.
Dominique Rogers-Cromartie
DRC, another former Giant that played well for them in his tenure. He played outside in his first season, but moved to nickel in 2016. He was part of the “NYPD” or “New York Pass Defense”, when the Giants last made the playoffs. DRC is also 34, and has only played 9 games in two years. He’s talked about retirement in the past, but he did say back in March he wants to play in 2020.
Career stats:
- 30 interceptions.
- 146 passes defended.
- 455 combined tackles.
- 6 defensive touchdowns.
Darqueze Dennard
Another Cincinnati corner on the list. Dennard would be a guy who would come cheap, and he is also young at 28 years old. His stats don’t blow you away, but he could be an option to compete for a starting job.
Career stats:
- 3 interceptions.
- 22 passes defended.
- 274 combined tackles.
- 1 defensive touchdown.
Giants Remaining Corners:
- James Bradberry
- Corey Ballentine
- Sam Beal
- Grant Haley
- Montre Hartage
- Julian Love
- Dravon Askew-Henry
- Darnay Holmes
- Chris Williamson
- Rashaan Gaulden
- Christian Angulo
- Malcolm Elmore