It was a busy Black Friday yesterday, as we learned that running back Ray Rice is again eligible to play in the league. Whether that happens this season remains to be seen. Let’s take a look at some assorted overnight notes pertaining to the former Pro-Bowler…
- Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com believes the appeal decision will ultimately make the Robert Mueller investigation moot. The former Director of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation has been exploring the extent of the NFL’s knowledge when they increased Rice’s suspension.
- Yesterday’s ruling may ultimately help Rice’s grievance against the Ravens, writes Florio. The former Pro-Bowler will be looking to recoup his paychecks from Week Three to the current day (or the games following his initial two-game suspension). As Florio points out, Rice will only be helped by previous comments by GM Ozzie Newsome, who said that Rice originally acknowledged hitting his then-fiance. These comments contradict the reasoning behind Rice’s indefinite suspension, which is the money Rice is hoping to recover.
- The general consensus among NFL executives is that Rice will inevitably sign with a club… but not this season. “I’m sure he’ll garner some attention, but he didn’t play well last season, and backs tend to go downhill quickly once they start,” an AFC personnel official said (via Lindsay H. Jones and Jim Corbett of USA TODAY Sports).