Ray Rice has been floated as a potential signing for NFL teams in need of a running back, but the former Baltimore Ravens stud hasn’t received an opportunity since being released following a video that showed him punching his wife in an elevator.
However, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti told SiriusSM NFL Radio that he believes Rice deserves a second chance.
Steve Bisciotti: We here at the Ravens believe that Ray Rice deserves a second chance and we hope he gets it.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 11, 2015
Bisciotti is particularly free to state that feeling because Baltimore isn’t in need of a running back, since Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro occupy the Ravens backfield alongside quarterback Joe Flacco. The team won’t be pressured to re-sign Rice.
On the other hand, a couple other teams could use a player of Rice’s caliber. Injuries may lead the Houston Texans or Dallas Cowboys to add depth at the position, though no reports have surfaced of either team officially contacting him.
However, the issue is the baggage that comes with the 28-year-old runner. Domestic violence is a serious issue—not only in the NFL—but in society today. Rice’s wife, Janay, has also said he deserves a second chance, but a team must be willing to engage in a public relations battle.
Rice last played in 2013, tallying 660 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while adding 58 receptions for 321 yards. He eclipsed 1,100 yards in each of the four prior seasons.
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