Jim Caldwell On Ray Rice: 'He's Not A Fit For Us'
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
PHOENIX - The Detroit Lions have no interest in taking on former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, head coach Jim Caldwell said Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings.
"I don't foresee that, to make it plain and simple," said Caldwell, who coached in Baltimore before he came to Detroit. "We certainly do know him and got to know him when we were there, and I think at some point in time, like I've mentioned before, somebody will probably give him a second chance."
Unless something changes, the Lions will not be the team to do so.
"I just don't see it," Caldwell said. "There has to be a need and a fit in all areas, and at this point in time he's not a fit for us."
Rice's production dropped dramatically in 2013 after four straights seasons of rushing for 1,000-plus yards. More notably, in February of 2014, Rice punched the woman who is now his wife, knocking her unconscious, and the NFL suspended him. The assault by Rice was captured on video.
Some NFL team might hire Rice despite his iffy status as an aging running back, but many teams will be wary of him because of the connotation of domestic violence that he carries.
Caldwell would not say which one of those factors - if either - motivated the Lions to steer clear of Rice.
"It's just a number of different things, no one thing in particular," Caldwell said. "There are a number of things."