With the latest off-field incident for the Ravens happening this weekend, one of the team’s various 2014 arrests should result in a specific impact on the upcoming football season soon.
Running back Ray Rice has visited the league office in the wake of the resolution of assault charges involving the woman who would become his wife. Eventually, discipline will be imposed, most likely in the form of a suspension.
Rice will have appeal rights. To the Commissioner, who’ll make the decision in the first place.
The absence of a history of off-field incidents will help Rice. The fact that he struck a woman will hurt him, especially if the Commissioner has seen the surveillance video of the punch that knocked out Rice’s wife.
In the end, a multi-game ban should be the assumption. Anything less than that would be a surprise, especially since the NFL has been making a conscious effort in recent years to increase its concentration of female fans.
The sooner the Ravens know, the sooner they can make plans for however many weeks they’ll not have Rice on the roster once the regular season begins.