Baltimore Ravens GM Says Ray Rice Arrest Is ‘Concerning’

Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome called the events surrounding Ray Rice’s arrest at an Atlantic City, N.J., casino “concerning,” but said the team will let the legal process play out even as the running back faces potential discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

 

“In any of those situations, it’s very concerning,” Newsome said Saturday. “Up until we get all of the facts, we will let the process run its course. 

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome sounded like a decision-maker willing to give Ray Rice a second chance, Jamison Hensley writes. Analysis
“I think John [Harbaugh] said it best [Friday] — we will let facts determine what the consequences will be.”

Rice and his fiancée were both arrested for simple assault a week ago. Police have video evidence that shows Rice knocking her unconscious, according to a report by SI.com.
A video posted online by TMZ earlier this week shows Rice lifting the woman by her arms out of an elevator at the Revel Casino and laying her on the floor. The shows Rice pulling the woman’s legs away from the elevator door, and he props her up as well.
Newsome said he had seen the video that had been posted online.

“I did, online, just like everybody else did and it doesn’t look good,” Newsome said. “But I’m going to reserve all of my comments up until I have a chance to talk to Ray. But what I’ve gotten … the whole video needs to be reviewed.”

Newsome has been in Indianapolis since Monday for meetings with the NFL’s competition committee, and the scouting combine opened Wednesday. So, Newsome said, he had not yet spoken to Rice.

Newsome said Harbaugh has had multiple conversations with Rice since the arrest and that the Ravens’ director of player development had spoken to Rice “every day.”
Newsome added that Rice will fall under the league’s personal conduct policy and face a possible suspension and that the Ravens would let the league determine its discipline first before the team decided if any further action would be warranted.

Players do not have to be convicted of a crime to still be fined and/or suspended under the league’s personal conduct policy.

“I don’t know if anybody here has had the opportunity to talk to Ray,” Newsome said. “I don’t know whether a different story is going to come out, the video is what it is. But like I said, until the process runs its course, we as an organization, we will stand down.
“As a league we have a conduct policy and being a member of the league, we will follow that from A to Z. Up until we get to that point, I mean, right now he falls under the personal conduct policy with the league and we will allow the league to take its position before we would have to take any.”

Harbaugh said Friday at the combine that he expected Rice to participate in the team’s offseason program.
 

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