The recent arrest of Cowboys defensive tackle Jay Ratliff on drunk driving charges have led to calls for his departure from the team for getting arrested so soon after Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown died as a result of defensive tackle Josh Brent driving drunk.
If Ratliff is going to be shown the door, it’s news to coach Jason Garrett. Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Indianapolis Friday, Garrett said he “absolutely” expects to have Ratliff on the roster for the 2013 season. The Cowboys met with MADD for a “very educational” meeting last week, but they have been mainly quiet about Ratliff’s arrest since a statement shortly after the incident.
Teams are technically barred from handing out punishments like fines or suspensions for players who have violated the personal conduct or substance abuce policies, but they are free to release the player. If the Cowboys did drop Ratliff, they’d realize about $1 million in salary cap savings for the 2013 season.
For now, though, that doesn’t seem to be on the team’s to-do list.