Oakland Raiders: Ray Rice Rumors Are Asinine And A Non-Starter
By Kevin Saito
The Oakland Raiders have been the subject of some ridiculous rumors over the years. In fact, they’ve been the subject of some really ridiculous rumors over the past year. Most of those rumors turn out to have no basis in fact – or reality – but that doesn’t stop bored talking heads and bloggers from perpetuating something that is blatantly false and something that has already been categorically disproven.
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Once that genie is out of the lamp, there is no putting it back in and these rumors seem to take on a life all their own. And once those rumors are “out there,” they spread faster than a measles outbreak at Disneyland.
Take for instance, a recent column by John Clayton, senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. That fact that Clayton is affiliated with ESPN, in the minds of many, gives him an air of authority, of credibility, and a sense of gravitas he might not otherwise deserve. In fact, after reading his article, it seems abundantly clear that he doesn’t deserve a lick of any of those things.
In his article, Clayton discusses his belief that currently unemployed running back Ray Rice – once notable for his exploits on the field, but now notorious for the fact that he knocked his fiancee out cold in an Atlantic City casino elevator – will get another shot in the NFL once training camps start.
Said Clayton:
"“Even with all of those factors working against him, however, there is still a good chance a team will bring him in at the start of training camp and give him a chance to make a roster.”"
Why Clayton has the belief that there is a good chance Rice lands with another NFL club now or at the start of training camp remains a mystery. Most clubs recognize that he’s toxic, that the backlash against them will be fierce, and that there really is no way of “sneaking” him past the media and onto their roster whether they do it now or at the start of training camp.
Of course, some might bring up Greg Hardy as a counterpoint to the idea that Rice won’t get another shot. Fair enough. Hardy, also caught up in a domestic violence situation somewhat similar to Rice’s – one he was initially convicted of during a bench trial – found gainful employment in Dallas. Of course he did.
The difference though, is that Hardy, as despicable of a human being as he is, still adds value to the Cowboys’ defense. The last full season he played, 2013 if you’re scoring at home, Hardy racked up 15 sacks and was a defensive menace. He’s become one of the league’s premier sack kings, and defenses can always use a player like that.
Rice on the other hand, seemed to be trending downward. In his last full season in the league, also 2013, was Rice’s worst statistical season as a pro. He ran for just 660 yards and had an average of 3.1 yards per carry. After posting four consecutive seasons of 1,100 yards or more, Rice’s sudden drop off in production was somewhat shocking.
The point is, players with talent, and players who are still playing at a high level, will always find work. Regardless, it seems, of how heinous their crimes were. Hardy, as a player, still has tremendous value. Rice, as a player, does not. That’s precisely why Hardy is currently on an NFL roster and Rice is not.
But we digress. Getting back to Clayton’s article, he lays out the five teams that would “make the most sense” as a landing spot for Rice. Not surprisingly, as is the case with ignorant and lazy journalism, Clayton lists the Raiders as a logical spot for Rice to wind up in – and we use the word “logic” very loosely.
Clayton wrote:
"“Raiders ownership might not want to deal with the public relations implications of signing Rice — the same can be said for the other four teams on this list — but this is something of a need position for Oakland. Latavius Murray showed promise last season but isn’t yet a sure thing as an NFL lead back, and former No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson has struggled to a 3.3 yards-per-carry average in his young career.”"
Where exactly does one start with the staggering amount of stupid packed into such a short paragraph?
First of all, for being the “senior NFL writer” for ESPN.com, Clayton doesn’t seem to be very well plugged in to the – you know – NFL.
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Raiders’ owner Mark Davis has made his feelings about domestic violence very well known. Needless to say, he’s not a fan. And if anybody had any doubt about how Davis felt about domestic abusers, they should have been dispelled by the fact that not only did the Raiders not pursue Hardy when he was available, but Davis himself issued a very forceful, very strongly worded denial when rumors – those pesky, pesky things – suggested that Oakland was in fact, pursuing Hardy.
So if Davis and the Raiders opted to forgo pursuing a talent like Hardy – at arguably, their biggest position of need this offseason – why in the bloody hell would they pursue a declining talent like Rice when they don’t have a pressing need at the position?
The simple answer is, they wouldn’t. Unless you’re Clayton and believe that, as he wrote, running back is a “need position” for the Raiders, of course.
It may not be the flashiest group ever assembled, but the Raiders are pretty well set at running back this season. Latavius Murray, after having some tremendous success in limited action last season, is positioned to have a strong breakout campaign this season. On just 82 carries lat season, Murray racked up 424 yards for a stellar 5.2 yards per carry average.
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While it’s true that Oakland has a small sample size in regards to Murray, and there are a few lingering questions about his ability to be the featured back, he most certainly seems to be doing his best to dispel them with a strong performance in OTA’s.
And what can we write about Trent Richardson that hasn’t already been written? Yes, to this point in his career, he’s been a bust. And we’ll all see, sooner rather than later, whether or not it truly was a “bad marriage” for him in both Cleveland and Indianapolis, and whether or not a return to a familiar system and scheme in Oakland – similar to the system and scheme he had tremendous success in at Alabama – can resuscitate a career that is on the verge of flatlining.
What we do know for fact though, is that even as bad as Richardson was last season, and has been over the course of his young NFL career, Rice was worse in his last season in the league. Last season, Richardson had a 3.3 yards per carry average, while – as noted above – in his last season in the league, Rice averaged 3.1 ypc.
So if you’re following Clayton’s “logic” here, Oakland’s running back situation is unstable and is a position of need for the Raiders, and his answer is to plug in a guy who, statistically speaking, was worse than the players they currently have on the roster.
Yeah, because that makes a whole lot of sense. But then, given some of their employees, having common sense and smarts doesn’t exactly seem to be a “must have” to work for ESPN.
If the Richardson deal doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. It’s a low risk, high reward scenario. But for most of us, we’ll take a young back like Richardson – 24 years old – who has tremendous potential and the time to turn his career around, rather than a running back who seems to be nearing the end of his peak production years, and one whose performance is trending downward.
And oh yeah, we’ll also take the player who did not brutally assault his soon to be wife in a casino elevator.
This is the time of year when stupid rumors gather a lot of steam and take on new life. And “journalists” like Clayton seem to have made them their stock in trade by pushing idiotic rumors that defy common sense and logic. In that category, they truly are the worldwide leader.
Rice to Oakland is a non-starter. His crime was disgusting and heinous, and Davis would never welcome him into that locker room. There never was a chance he would wind up in Silver and Black before, and despite Clayton’s asinine assertion, there still isn’t any chance of that happening.
The Raiders are set at the running back spot and don’t need a terrible human being like Rice in their backfield.