Caldwell Says Lions Not Considering Ray Rice; Raiola, Ihedigbo Say Players Would Welcome Him
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Recently reinstated after winning an appeal of his indefinite suspension, running back Ray Rice has reportedly drawn interest from several teams.
Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said the Lions are not one of them.
"We haven't considered that at this point," Caldwell said Monday at his weekly press conference.
The coach said he expects some team will pick Rice up eventually, but he did not offer any guess on whether it will be this season or next.
"I'm not real sure what will happen to him in the league," Caldwell said. "Certainly I do believe in second chances, as I've mentioned on several occasions. At some point in time I think he will get one. When that's going to happen, I don't know."
With Reggie Bush suffering from an ankle injury, the Lions have relied mainly on Joique Bell and Theo Riddick this season, and the team ranks 30th in the NFL with an average of 81.7 rushing yards.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Rice had turned in four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons before 2013, when he rushed 660 yards on 214 carries. Rice has not played this season.
The NFL initially gave Rice a two-game suspension after police arrested him for punching the woman who is now his wife, but the NFL upped the punishment to an indefinite suspension after video came out of the punch. Rice filed an appeal and won, so now he can play again as soon as he signs with a team.
Lions safety James Ihedigbo, a former teammate of Rice, said he expected players would welcome Rice if the Lions did sign him.
"People do make mistakes," Ihedigbo said. "Ray is a good friend of mine. People deserve second chances. They're hard to come by, but when you get a second opportunity - he was reinstated to the league, so that's his second chance - people should give him the benefit of the doubt and let him kind of re-prove himself and show his true character and the kind of guy that he really is.
"If they made that decision, the front office, I'm sure we'd welcome him with open arms," Ihedigbo added. "I don't know if we're one of the teams that's interested in him - that's out of my pay grade - but if that were to happen, we'd love to have him. We'd welcome him with open arms."
Center Dominic Raiola sounded similarly open to to the idea of Rice joining the Lions.
"I believe in second chances for sure," Raiola said. "I think he deserves it. I think he's served his punishment. Anybody who gets in trouble, I believe in second chances ... There's been a lot of examples. He's not the first one."
