Earlier this week, a report surfaced that the NFL would investigate the Ravens for using full pads during a portion of a practice during their recent rookie minicamp.
The Ravens responded to the report by saying that players were in the pads for five minutes because the team was unaware that CBA rules barred their use during rookie minicamps and that players were pulled from the field to remove them when they were made aware.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the NFL isn’t convinced by the team’s explanation. Per Schefter, the league believes the team was aware of the rules and moved forward anyway.
As anyone who followed Deflategate is surely aware, the phrase “generally aware” played a big role in the eventual punishment handed down to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Schefter reports that the NFL’s belief that the Ravens were more than generally aware “will factor into potential discipline.”
The potential punishments include fines, lost practice time, and forfeited draft picks, although the loss of draft picks is called for only after multiple violations in the same year.