The mystery has been solved as to why the Baltimore Ravens elected to announce their intention to release nose tackle Terrence Cody last week instead of simply allowing him to walk as an unrestricted free agent in March.
Cody has been indicted by a Grand Jury for animal cruelty charges, according to the Baltimore County Police & Fire Department Twitter page.
The former Raven has been processed and was released on $10,000 bail.
Cody is also facing charges of animal abuse and neglect involving an alligator and drug possession charges, according to a report from Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
The various felony charges he is facing, per Hensley, "carry a maximum of three years in person."
Cody's agent, Peter Schaffer, told The Baltmore Sun last week that the investigation involved one of Cody's dogs - a Bullmastiff from Spain - which Cody had taken to the vet for treatment.
The dog died shortly thereafter.
"The fact that the NFL has created such an atmosphere of hysteria that tramples on due process rights, the right of law and common decency is a tremendous problem in our league and our society," Schaffer said. "This young man's dog has died, and the Ravens were so worried about possible ramifications from the league that they took a pre-emptive strike. If I find out that anyone holds anything against my client because of this, I will take every and all legal action to make sure my client's rights are vindicated and that he's made whole.
"He loves this dog. Why would he have the dog treated otherwise? This guy is the salt of the earth. You would hope the state attorney in Maryland would be investigating the real crime and real issues. I would hope for the citizens of Baltimore County and Baltimore City that they would expect their public tax dollars to be used on real criminal issues."
The 26 year old Cody, a former second-round draft pick, was mostly a disappointment on the field for the Ravens - he was active for only one game this season - and likely wouldn't have returned to the team after this year.
In light of these developments, he may never play in the NFL again.
