Quinton Dunbar's Plight Leaves Seahawks in Major Bind

Dunbar remains at large after arrest warrants were issued late on Thursday for armed robbery and aggravated assault charges, leaving the veteran cornerback's status in limbo and putting Seattle in a difficult position.

In a whirlwind of a 24-hour period, one of the Seahawks most notable offseason acquisitions committed armed robbery, spoke with reporters on a Zoom conference call, and then had warrants issued for his arrest.

Let that sink in for a moment. In one of the most bizarre situations imaginable, Quinton Dunbar went from receiving praise from the Seattle media for his seemingly insightful responses in a "get to know you" presser to being wanted by the Miramar Police Department in a matter of hours. You cannot make this stuff up.

As police wait for Dunbar and his accomplice, Giants cornerback Deandre Baker, to turn themselves in - as of this writing, both remain at large - all the Seahawks can do is monitor the situation with details continuing to emerge. As the saying goes, he's innocent until proven guilty, but the severity of these allegations cannot be taken lightly.

In the midst of a pandemic - and yes, the state of Florida rescinded its stay-at-home orders recently, so guidelines are far less strict than in other states currently - Dunbar, Baker, and a red-masked assailant being called "Shy" robbed $7,000 in cash, an $18,000 Rolex watch, and other expensive valuables from guests at a cookout. Baker allegedly pulled out a gun and pointed it at one of the attendees as Dunbar and the other assailant began seizing the property of others.

Moments later, witnesses indicated the three men left with the stolen possessions in separate vehicles - a Mercedes-Benz, a BMW and a Lamborghini. Again, you can't make this stuff up.

If these allegations prove to be true - nobody should jump to conclusions just yet until more information becomes available - all three face significant jail time, including Dunbar. Florida has strict punishment for armed robbery charges and the "10-20-Life" law requires a minimum 10 year sentence for certain felony convictions involving the attempted use of a firearm.

Witnesses provided differing accounts on whether or not Dunbar had a firearm on him during the incident. That fine detail could be the difference between him potentially playing in the NFL again and receiving a career-ending sentence.

There's still so much we don't know, so again, we can't (and shouldn't) jump to conclusions. There's always the chance that details that have been revealed aren't completely accurate and Dunbar will have the opportunity to defend himself. There are discrepancies to the witness accounts that make it plausible that's the case.

But there's no denying Dunbar's predicament puts the Seahawks in a precarious spot. If he winds up being innocent, the organization will welcome him back with open arms. But if he truly committed these crimes he's been accused of, there's no way they will keep him. Releasing him will be the only option.

On the field, that's a huge problem for Seattle. General manager John Schneider thought he had made a heist (yes, the headlines now write themselves) acquiring Dunbar from Washington for a fifth-round pick in March, adding a potential game-changer to the team's secondary.

Even Dunbar himself called playing for the Seahawks "a perfect fit" multiple times while speaking with reporters on Thursday morning. He genuinely seemed excited for a fresh start and the opportunity to help his new team any way he can with the potential to earn a lucrative contract after the 2020 season.

Now, the 27-year old must face the prospects of that pay day never coming to fruition and never playing a game in a Seahawks uniform, as he'll be dealing with a lengthy process in court most likely trying to clear his name. As for the team, they'll be back to square one with Tre Flowers returning to the starting lineup and far less depth at the cornerback position.

By releasing Dunbar, the Seahawks would create $3.4 million in cap space and if there's a silver lining, they wouldn't absorb a dead cap hit. But they won't be able to get back the fifth-round pick traded to acquire him, as the Redskins already used that selection a couple of weeks ago.

Until a verdict is reached or revealing evidence is provided, Seattle won't rush into a decision and will support the player. Again, Dunbar is innocent until proven guilty. For the sake of this young man and his two-year old daughter, here's hoping there's much more to this story and it's not near as bad as it looks right now.