“DeAndre Baker and Mecole Hardman are good Buddies”, Andy Reid Justifies Questionable DeAndre Baker Signing

DeAndre Baker is heading to Kansas City per sources. The Chiefs are looking to add Baker to their practice squad after his charges were dropped.

The Chiefs are prepared to take this risk despite Baker’s troubled past. Further, Andy Reid had some words on the signing too:

“He was a good player in college, did a nice job at Georgia. He and Mecole Hardman are good buddies. Really, (general manager) Brett’s (Veach) been doing everything to this point and will continue to do it. So, full trust in him in whatever he wants to do with it, we go. … Other than that, I don’t know much about him other than he was a good player in college.”

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Why Was Signing DeAndre Baker Questionable?

Well, to the say the least, Baker has had share of the spotlight recently, and not in a good way. Baker, along with Quinton Dunbar, were given arrest warrants on accounts of armed robbery.

However, the story had more to it than met the eye. The lawyer of the witnesses of the case was arrested for attempted extortion which led to all the charges being dropped.

Moreover, DeAndre Baker has seen quite a journey in the past year. He was added to the commissioner’s exempt list earlier in July and was taken off of it in July. However, it appears that things have finally settled down for the former 30th overall pick.

Additionally, with Andy Reid being on board with the decision, it looks like Baker has a prime opportunity to revive his career in Kansas City.

What Does Baker’s Signing Mean For the Chiefs?

Assuming Baker passes the COVID-19 protocols and his physical, his presence may be a welcome one for the Chiefs roster.

Right now, rookie cornerback BoPete Keys is out of practice as he battles a stomach virus. Additionally, Baker didn’t have the greatest season last year for the Giants, the depth is what is key here.

The Chiefs haven’t had their top three cornerbacks available for any of their 9 games this season. In fact, this deal is a very low-risk-high-reward situation for the Chiefs. If Baker is found guilty after more investigation, then the Chiefs can easily let him go.

If not, then he’ll provide the depth the Chiefs are looking for as they currently field the sixth best defense in points allowed per game (20.3) despite having such volatility at the cornerback position.

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