Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice is appealing his indefinite suspension from the NFL. An appeal hearing has been scheduled for November which raises an important question: should the NFL reinstate Ray Rice? And if so, which team is the best fit?
HNGN's sports staff weighs in.
Jordan: Ray Rice should be reinstated, given the league's new domestic violence policies. His crime was atrocious. Nobody disagrees. But you have to punish him based on the rules in place. He's currently in the appeals process, and if the arbitrator rules in his favor, he could reportedly be reinstated by the end of November.
Assuming he's cleared to return to the NFL, the next question is which teams - if any - will take him. It'll look bad for any team who signs him, but football at its core isn't about PR: It's about winning. Rice's past productivity will land him on a team this season. I'm thinking the New England Patriots for two reasons: 1) coach Bill Belichick doesn't care what people think of him and 2) Belichick is close with Greg Schiano, who coached Rice at Rutgers.
I could also see the New York Jets taking him. Rex Ryan is coaching for his life, so why not? Say Michael Vick is taking him under his wing to help him mature and grow from the incident. Again, it's disgusting what Rice did, but football is a business about winning.
Thomas: This is a great question. Originally, I thought Ray Rice should be banned for life after that video surfaced, but with all of the reports and accounts that have followed, I think Rice should be reinstated and at least get a shot. Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL initially botched the entire scenario when Rice was suspended for only two games back in July. That punishment was retracted and he was banned for the entire season after the graphic video was released by TMZ. Rice was tried twice for the same incident, which is illegal in the judicial system and a violation of the current collective bargaining agreement. Rice's deplorable actions are by no means justified - this is entirely the NFL's fault due to their poor handling of the situation. His appeal hearing is set for November 5-6, so he could be back in the league very soon depending on the ruling. But who will sign him?
The New England Patriots.
I think this is the top destination for Rice if his ban is lifted. They lost starter Stevan Ridley for the entire year and the team could use a power runner since Shane Vereen has proved to have a significant role in the passing game (23 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns). Bill Belichick is known to give second chances, too.
Cal: If - and to me, it's still a pretty big if - Ray Rice is reinstated by the NFL, there are a number of teams that could use his services. While he did manage only 660 yards and four touchdowns in an injury-plagued campaign last season, a running back who averaged 1,100 plus yards over the four seasons prior is hard to come by - and no small thing to scoff at.
The Vikings, who lost their own star running back Adrian Peterson to domestic violence charges and a subsequent suspension and have been forced to make do with the likes of Matt Asiata (sorry, Matt), would be an ideal (if just way too ironic) landing spot for Rice.
But that just wouldn't ever happen and so, to me, the Jaguars would be the perfect spot for Rice. Toby Gerhart is big, slow and beyond mediocre. Denard Robinson is talented, but not a feature guy. Rice would fit perfectly in Jacksonville as a replacement for Gerhart as the thunder to Robinson's lightning.
Brandon: What Ray Rice did was horrendous. There is no getting around that. He should be punished significantly for his actions. But he should also be given a second chance eventually. I don't know when the NFL should reinstate him, but I do think there comes a point where you have to give him the opportunity to redeem himself.
The Buffalo Bills probably have the greatest need for a back right now with the injuries to C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson. But I think the San Diego Chargers are the best fit right now. Ryan Matthews, Donald Brown and Danny Woodhead are all out with injuries right now. Rookie Branden Oliver has filled in nicely but was completely shut out last night against the Denver Broncos. I think a healthy Matthews, Oliver and Rice would form one of the best backfields in the league. A former Pro Bowl running back on a contender in a complimentary role just makes sense to me.
