Ray Rice Links: Tuesday
Footage of Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious in an Atlantic City casino was revealed by TMZ on Monday, prompting the Ravens and the NFL to finally institute a harsher punishment on the running back, who was released by Baltimore and indefinitely suspended by the league. In the aftermath of the new video and the increased penalties for Rice, the NFL and the Ravens are facing increased scrutiny about just how much they knew about the case, and whether or not they’d actually seen that elevator footage before the public did on Monday.
Here are the latest links and developments related to Rice, the NFL’s role in the incident, and the running back’s future (or lack thereof) in the NFL:
- A report from TMZ this morning revealed that the NFL never approached the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City about acquiring the elevator security footage, with sources from the casino suggesting that the Revel would have “gladly complied” if such a request had been made.
- In a statement today, the NFL didn’t deny that allegation, indicating that the request for the video of the incident was only submitted to the police. “As we said yesterday: We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” the NFL’s statement reads, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “That video was not made available to us.”
- Sources tell Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Rice’s description to the Ravens of what happened in the elevator was consistent with what the footage showed, but that the brutality of it still “stunned” the team’s ownership. While that may be true of Rice’s account of the events to Ravens management, any notion that Rice was entirely honest to his teammates about what happened in that elevator is “totally inaccurate,” tweets Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
- Appearing on CBS This Morning, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he’d be “shocked” if another team signed Rice, adding that he doesn’t believe the running back will play another game in the NFL. Kraft also praised commissioner Roger Goodell for his handling of the situation, noting that Goodell hadn’t seen the elevator footage before yesterday.
- Janay Rice, Ray’s now-wife, released a statement via Instagram in which she blamed the media for causing her family pain and taking away her husband’s job. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the full details.
- In the view of Mike Florio, the NFL needs to hire an independent third-party investigator to look into the Ravens’ and the league’s investigations of the Rice incident to find out exactly who knew what, and when. “At this point,” Florio writes, “the only way to [get the truth] is to retain someone with no stake in the outcome to find out precisely how the team and the league got to this point.”
Minor Moves: Monday
With the season’s first Sunday in the books, a handful of teams are shuffling their rosters in preparation for next week’s games. Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Bears have added receiver Greg Herd to the practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Herd spent time with the team during training camp before he was cut on August 23.
- The Seahawks have signed cornerback Josh Thomas to take the place of the injured Jeremy Lane, reports ESPN’s Terry Blount (via Twitter). They’ve also made some changes to their practice squad, adding guard Nate Isles and safety Terrance Parks in place of guard David Arkin and safety Josh Aubrey, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- With Dave Zastudil being bothered by a groin injury, the Cardinals have signed punter Drew Butler, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
- Defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi has been claimed off waivers by the Ravens, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bilukidi was cut over the weekend by the Bengals.
- When the Bengals cut Bilukidi, they signed Onterio McCalebb to their active roster, but he lasted just two days — he has been waived, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who adds (via Twitter) that the club has also terminated wide receiver Cobi Hamilton from the exempt list of the practice squad.
- To make room for Bilukidi, the Ravens waived running back Fitz Toussaint, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Broncos have cut long snapper Kevin McDermott from their practice squad, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. His spot will be taken by tight end Dominique Davis, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi has been replaced on the Browns‘ practice squad by defensive lineman Calvin Barnett, says Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Bears have signed safety Ahmad Dixon from the Vikings‘ practice squad, cutting cornerback Demontre Hurst to open up a spot on their roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dixon was drafted by the Cowboys but was waived by Dallas during preseason roster cutdowns.
- Offensive tackle Andrew McDonald is also making the move from one team’s practice squad to another club’s 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler, who tweets that his client has a deal with the Seahawks. McDonald had previously been one of the 10 players on the Panthers‘ practice squad.
- The Bills have cut defensive end Jacquies Smith to make room for Nigel Bradham, who is returning this week from his one-game suspension, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
- The Seahawks have placed cornerback Jeremy Lane, who is suffering from a groin injury, on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Defensive back Jamarca Sanford, who had been on the Vikings‘ injured reserve list, has been released with a settlement, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- The Chiefs have signed wideout Armon Binns to their practice squad and removed cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke from their IR with an injury settlement, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).
Ray Rice Released, Suspended Indefinitely
2:22pm: The Ravens were told a “softer” version of events than those shown on the video, tweets Judy Battista of NFL.com. That sounds to me like an attempt to save face, since it’s hard to imagine a “soft” version of an incident that led to Rice dragging his unconscious fiancée out of an elevator.
1:43pm: The NFL, which claimed not to have seen the most recent video before today, has announced Rice has been indefinitely suspended, according to league spokesman Greg Aiello (Twitter link).
1:34pm: In the wake of TMZ’s publication of a new video that shows Ray Rice knocking his then-fiancée unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator, the running back has been released by the Ravens, the team announced today (Twitter link). Rice had been on track to return from his two-game suspension following the team’s game on Thursday against the Steelers, but now he’ll be looking for work. And as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, it will likely be a long time – if ever – before another team signs him.
By releasing Rice, who had three years remaining on his contract, the Ravens will clear about $3.53MM in cap room for 2014, and will carry $9.5MM in dead money on their cap for the 2015 season. Of course, cap figures were hardly a consideration in the move, with the Ravens facing increased scrutiny for their support of Rice following the release of the new elevator footage.
As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier today, the team claimed not to have seen the video before this morning, but a source said Rice described the incident in detail and that it was in line with how it played out on the security footage. In that case, it’s fair to question why the Ravens would back Rice for the last several months before deciding to cut him now under an avalanche of bad PR.
With Rice no longer on the roster, the Ravens figure to rely on Bernard Pierce and Justin Forsett for the majority of their carries, with Lorenzo Taliaferro potentially in the mix as well.
Latest On Ray Rice
With the Ravens scheduled to play Week 2’s Thursday night game against the Steelers, running back Ray Rice is on track to return from his two-game suspension later this week, potentially rejoining his team on Friday. However, a new video from TMZ which shows Rice’s assault of his then-fiancée in an Atlantic City elevator, could potentially delay Rice’s return to action.
As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk wrote earlier today, if the NFL had yet to see the newly-public footage, the league could ultimately decide to re-open the case and reassess Rice’s punishment. Sure enough, as Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets, the NFL released a statement today indicating that no one in the league office had seen the elevator video until now, despite having requested it from law enforcement earlier.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) reports that the Ravens also hadn’t seen the video until today, though a source said that Rice described what happened and didn’t “sugarcoat” details, meaning the description the team heard was in line with what the elevator footage showed.
While it may be true that the NFL and the Ravens hadn’t seen the video until this morning, the fact that TMZ was able to get its hands on the footage shows that it was obtainable, which raises some questions about how aggressive the league and the team were in attempting to view it.
It’s not clear yet whether the NFL will revisit Rice’s two-game suspension — the aforementioned statement about the video is the only comment the league has made so far. However, the NFL recently introduced a more punitive policy on domestic violence, which calls for a six-game ban for a first offense. With talk of a new drug policy retroactively wiping out current suspensions, it’s fair to wonder if the league will decide to retroactively add a few games to Rice’s ban, based on that new domestic violence policy.
Minor Moves: Saturday
As most of the team’s prepare for their season-debut tomorrow, some minor moves are likely to be made. We’ll keep track of the day’s transactions right here, with the most recent moves being added to the top:
- Defensive lineman Garrison Smith has been dropped from the Dolphins‘ practice squad in order to make room for the previously-reported addition of Brandian Ross, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Wilson also clarifies (via Twitter) that Quinton Pointer‘s release from the Buccaneers, which is noted below, was an injury waiver.
Earlier updates:
- The Buccaneers are expected to add receiver Solomon Patton to the 53-man roster, reports Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). The team released cornerback Quinton Pointer and former University of Florida receiver Louis Murphy to make room for Patton and Dixon.
- The Seahawks have waived wide receiver Phil Bates, reports Terry Blount of ESPN (via Twitter). Blount believes this will open room on the roster for a cornerback.
- The Chargers have waived Vincent Brown after reaching an injury settlement, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Brown will be eligible to be claimed on Monday at 4 P.M. ET.
- The Dolphins have re-signed safety Brandian Ross to their practice squad, reports Caplan (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have released receiver Arrelious Benn from IR with an injury settlement, reports Caplan (via Twitter).
- The Ravens have promoted running back Fitz Toussaint from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Toussaint will replace the recently released Derek Cox.
- The Patriots have added defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles to their practice squad, according to the team’s official website. They released tight end Allen Reisner to make room.
- Buccaneers cornerback Brandon Dixon, a sixth-round pick by the Jets this past year, will be activated from the practice squad, tweets CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora.
- The Bengals have waived defensive end Christo Bilukidi, reports ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). The team signed cornerback Onterio McCalebb off the practice squad.
- Brandon Barden, a tight end who previously spent time with the Titans, was removed from the Jaguars injured reserve with an injury settlement, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Damond Smith was removed from the Chiefs injured reserve with an injury settlement, tweets Wilson.
- Panthers tight end D.C. Jefferson was placed on the team’s reserve/suspended list, tweets Wilson. Jefferson was previously on the team’s injured reserve list.
Ravens Cut Derek Cox
The Ravens have parted ways with cornerback Derek Cox, the team announced in a press release. A corresponding roster move has not been announced. Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun notes (via Twitter) that Cox’s $730K salary would have guaranteed had he made the opening day roster. ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley suggests (on Twitter) that the team could re-sign him as soon as next week.
It’s been a busy offseason for Cox. He was released by the Chargers in early March, and he caught on with the Vikings soon after. Cox was among the team’s early cuts in camp, and he signed with the Ravens in late August. He was one of Baltimore’s final cuts, but he re-signed with the team days later.
The six-year veteran spent his first four seasons with the Jaguars before playing with the Chargers in 2013. He finished last season with 38 tackles and one interception in 16 games, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) rated Cox as one of the worst overall cornerbacks in the league. His best season was his rookie year in 2009, when he finished with 72 tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defended.
11 PS Players Earning More Than The Minimum
Players on NFL practice squads are eligible to receive a minimum salary of $6,300 per week, which works out to a 17-week salary of about $107K if a player remains on his team’s practice squad for the entire season. In most cases, teams don’t pay more than the minimum to fill those practice squad spots, since clubs have much more leverage than the players vying for those 320 total openings.
In some cases though, if a team really likes a player, or if he’s drawing interest from several teams for their practice squads, a club will increase that weekly rate. So far this year, with all 32 teams having filled up their 10-man squads, at least 11 players are known to be receiving salaries worth more than the minimum. NFL writer Brian McIntyre rounded up all those players and their salaries for us in a series of tweets, so let’s check out the full list, sorted by weekly salary:
- Brandon Magee, LB (Buccaneers): $29,117 (link)
- Josh Bynes, LB (Ravens): $15,000 (link)
- Rodney Austin, G (Lions): $11,765 (link)
- Zac Dysert, QB (Broncos): $10,000 (link)
- Charles Johnson, WR (Browns): $10,000 (link)
- John Simon, OLB (Ravens): $10,000 (link)
- Ahmad Dixon, S (Vikings): $9,300 (link)
- Brandon Dixon, CB (Buccaneers): $7,500 (link)
- Solomon Patton, WR (Buccaneers): $7,500 (link)
- Jamell Fleming, CB (Ravens): $6,500 (link)
- Ryan Jensen, C (Ravens): $6,500 (link)
Magee’s practice-squad salary is the most notable on this list — his weekly figure adds up to just below $495K for the full season, which is the minimum salary for a second-year player on an active roster. In other words, if he spends the entire season on the practice squad, Magee could still earn more money than some players on active rosters, which is a sign of how much the Bucs want to keep him around.
AFC Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jags, Spiller
With Ryan Mallett no longer in the Patriots‘ plans, the Texans were able to acquire Tom Brady‘s former backup last weekend on the cheap, parting ways with just a sixth- or seventh-round pick, depending on how much playing time Mallett sees in Houston. According to Lance Zierlein of Sports Talk 790 in Houston though, Mallett wasn’t the only signal-caller the Texans explored trading for. Zierlein tweets that Houston also targeted Matt Barkley of the Eagles before landing Mallett.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Broncos‘ contract talks with receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas aren’t dead but they’re not active either, writes Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Demaryius Thomas‘ agent Todd France probably wants to see a resolution to Dez Bryant‘s contract talks before striking a deal. Meanwhile, the Broncos have exchanged proposals with Orange Julius’ agent Frank Bauer but those talks appear to have stalled.
- The Jaguars worked out kickers Derek Dimke and Alex Henery and even though they liked what they saw, they sent them home now that Josh Scobee is recovering from his groin injury, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- Bills running back C.J. Spiller, who could hit the open market this offseason, is signing on with agent Chad Speck, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- When Tom Brady and the Patriots part ways, former Pats center and CSNNE analyst Dan Koppen says it will be Bill Belichick‘s call, not Brady’s. “As long as Bill is here, he will make those decisions,” said Koppen. “If Tom is not carrying his weight or he’s in a decline Bill’s going to bring him in the office and have a little speech. “Maybe he gets a hug at the end, but I guarantee it’s going to be, ‘Tom, we’re going to release you. Thanks for coming. We appreciate everything You’ve done, but I’ve got to do what’s best for the football team.'”
- In his latest piece for NFL.com, Albert Breer examines the quarterback situations for the Jaguars, Chiefs, Raiders, and Bills, including a look at the rookies in Jacksonville and Oakland, as well as Kansas City’s investment in Alex Smith.
- People around the league believe that Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith has plenty of good football ahead of him, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “Steve’s getting up there in age, but he hasn’t changed his tenacity and physicality,” said former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, an NBC analyst. “He’s still able to impose his will. When you talk about his style of play, pairing up with the Baltimore Ravens, the two go hand in hand. He brings that toughness to the offense they haven’t had since Anquan Boldin was playing for them.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Practice Squad Updates: Thursday
Here are the latest practice squad additions and cuts from around the NFL, with the most recent moves added to the top of the list throughout the day. To check out the full practice squad rosters for all 32 teams in the league, be sure to check out our updated master list.
- After being cut by the Patriots earlier today in a bit of roster shuffling, defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles has decided to stay with New England by joining its practice squad, according to Jordan Raanan of the Newark Star-Ledger (Twitter link).
Earlier Updates:
- We heard yesterday that quarterback Ryan Griffin had cleared waivers and been added to the Saints‘ practice squad, but we didn’t hear until today which player he’d be replacing. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Griffin will be taking linebacker Todd Davis‘ spot.
- The Dolphins have cut linebacker David Hinds from their practice squad, replacing him with linebacker Terrell Manning, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
- The Ravens have re-signed linebacker Josh Bynes to their practice squad, removing defensive tackle A.J. Pataiali’i from the unit to make room, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Ravens Re-Sign Derek Cox, Cut Josh Bynes
10:56am: The Ravens have officially announced the transactions, cutting linebacker Josh Bynes to make room on the roster for Cox.
8:24am: Days after releasing him as part of their cut down to 53 players, the Ravens have agreed to re-sign cornerback Derek Cox, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cox’s new deal is another one-year, minimum-salary pact, according to Wilson.
Cox, who turns 28 later this month, spent his first four seasons with the Jaguars before signing a four-year, $20MM contract with the Chargers in 2013. However, he was released after just one season, despite receiving $10.25MM in guaranteed money. Cox played in all 16 contests for the Chargers in 2013, but started only 11 games, and signed a modest one-year, $1MM pact with Minnesota in March. A lack of guaranteed money in that deal made it easy for the Vikings to cut ties with him in August as roster cutdowns begin, opening the door for the Ravens to snatch him up last week.
In order to finalize the re-signing of Cox, the Ravens will have to clear a spot on their active roster. That could mean either cutting a player, or perhaps placing someone on injured reserve with a designation to return — as of 3:00pm central time today, teams are allowed to place one player on that list.