Former Ravens running back Ray Rice is persistent. Hopeful to resume his NFL career, Rice periodically grants interviews aimed at creating sympathy for his circumstances and forgiveness for the actions that resulted in his de facto banishment from pro football.
Previously, Rice talked to the Baltimore Sun. Now, Rice has spoken with New York Magazine, which published the interview on Tuesday morning and has circulated a link to the interview along with selected quotes from it.
There’s really nothing new in the new interview, and nothing written in it will change the fact that Rice remains unemployed at a time when rosters can have up to 90 players, which equates to 2,880 total jobs in the NFL. He didn’t go to the Veteran Combine, which could have gotten someone’s attention. Instead, Rice waits -- possibly for the draft to come and go and for teams that need running backs to not get enough of them.
Even then, teams will be far more inclined to sign an undrafted rookie who is younger, cheaper, willing and able to play special teams, and less controversial. While everyone is entitled to a second chance, Rice simply is no longer good enough, and he doesn’t play a position sufficiently important enough to persuade a team to justify giving him that second chance.
