With Name Cleared, Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar Thrilled to Return to Field

RENTON, WA - Since being acquired from the Washington Football Team back in March, Quinton Dunbar has experienced a whirlwind of emotions over the past several months stemming from armed robbery allegations.

Along with Giants cornerback Deandre Baker, Dunbar was originally charged with four counts of armed robbery for his alleged involvement stealing $7,000 in cash, several watches, and other valuables while carrying a semiautomatic rifle at a party in Miramar, Florida back on May 13. Those counts were dropped on August 7, as Broward County prosecutors announced they wouldn't file criminal charges against him due to insufficient evidence.

It's been a roller coaster ride to get his name cleared, as witnesses recanted their original statements only a few days after the incident in sworn affidavits. But a later report from the New York Daily News implicated Dunbar's attorney, Michael Grieco, of orchestrating a cover-up scheme and paying off witnesses at his office. Dunbar quickly hired new representation, as Grieco and attorney Michael Weinstein removed themselves from the case two days later.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since a warrant was issued for his arrest shortly after the incident three long months ago, Dunbar couldn't dive into specifics of the ongoing case, as Baker still faces four counts of armed robbery for his alleged involvement in the crime. But he's appreciative of the Seahawks sticking by his side the entire time.

"I can't really comment on that situation with the case still going on, so I can't really speak on what happened," Dunbar said in a Zoom conference call. "But the truth will eventually come out."

After posting bail in May, Dunbar wasn't allowed to leave the state of Florida. From a football standpoint, that didn't matter this offseason, as COVID-19 prevented teams from conducting on-field OTAs and minicamps and resorted to virtual meetings. Aside from a brief hiatus to take care of his legal issues, the 28-year old cornerback attended most of those meetings with his new team.

But as he faced the prospects of serving extensive jail time for a crime that yields severe punishments in Florida, Dunbar struggled to cope with his situation. Stuck at home and unable to do anything as he awaited future court proceedings, he admitted to reporters that he battled depression and couldn't eat or work out.

"When you face an armed robbery [charge], that carries life in Florida," Dunbar said. "So that's self-explanatory. It's just a hard pill to swallow. I learned from the situation. Growing up where I come from, it wasn't nice, and I just gotta learn to protect my energy and protect my space. You can't save or be around everybody or try to make everybody happy. You've got to understand who you are and what you work hard for, and you've got to protect that because everybody don't have great intentions."

Removed from the commissioner's exempt list on August 9, Dunbar was able to travel to Seattle to join his new team. After passing three COVID-19 tests in a four-day period and passing his physical, he made his Seahawks debut last Sunday, participating in individual and 1-on-1 drills before watching the rest of the practice from the sideline.

Understandably, Dunbar knows he's behind after not being able to train as he normally would while dealing with legal circumstances in recent months. As a result, the Seahawks have eased him back into action slowly to allow him to work back into football shape and acclimate to his new surroundings.

On Thursday, Dunbar finally transitioned to playing some snaps in Seattle's team drills. In his first 11-on-11 action as a Seahawk, Dunbar allowed a completion to receiver DK Metcalf on a curl, but otherwise played well in limited snaps rotating with incumbent starter Tre Flowers.

He followed up with his first significant play on the practice field on Friday, denying receiver David Moore on a deep fade route down the sidelines. Recovering after initially getting beat, he managed to slip a hand in front of Moore for the pass deflection, firing up the rest of Seattle's defense on the sidelines.

Since he has been on a strict pitch count since he returned to the practice field a week ago, Dunbar hasn't gotten many opportunities to line up against Metcalf or Tyler Lockett. But soon, the Seahawks will set him loose to partake in an intense competition against Flowers for the right cornerback role and he's eager for the opportunity to be challenged by the two star receivers.

"I haven't been practicing too much, so I haven't really gotten to go up against those guys," Dunbar said. "But watching from the sideline, Metcalf looks amazing, man - looks like Julio [Jones] out there. I'm looking forward to getting better with him and matching up with him when I do get those intensive reps."

Though he's aware of the possibility he could still face a suspension - Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed received a six-game ban from the NFL last year despite having no charges filed against him for an alleged crime - Dunbar is relieved to have the armed robbery allegations behind him. Already meshing with a new-look secondary featuring Griffin, Quandre Diggs, and Jamal Adams, he's been "welcomed with open arms" since his arrival and simply wants to do whatever he can to help his new team win games this season.

"I'm not here to step on nobody's toes. I done played some good ball the last few years, and I just want to come in and help how I can help. I don't have an ego. I'm not coming in to try to flex or nothing like that. I just want to win. That's all that matters to me. Everything else will take care of itself."