The Detroit Lions Should Sign Ray Rice

In a surprise ruling a third party arbitrator has ruled in favor to Ray Rice’s effort to appeal his indefinite suspension from the NFL. That means Ray Rice has been reinstated immediately and able to sign with any team.

Now the question is who will sign him.

The answer should be the Detroit Lions.

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Make no mistake Ray Rice will sign before the end of the season and odds are it will be with a team in the playoff hunt. The Detroit Lions are limping into the playoffs in large part because of an inconsistent running game. With the health of Reggie Bush in question, Ray Rice could help bolster the Lions running game and provide some fresh legs for the stretch run.

Of course there is more to signing Ray Rice than the positive effect he could have on the running game. There is the negativity surrounding his recent suspension will bring.

Ray Rice committed a horrible act when he assaulted his wife in a casino elevator. Spousal abuse should not be condoned or tolerated in any way.

By signing Ray Rice the Detroit Lions would not be condoning his past behavior but instead fostering an attitude of forgiveness. Something that Ray Rice deserves from the NFL considering that his wife Janey has already done so.

"“It feels unbelievable,” Janay Rice said. “It’s a relief. We’ve been telling the same story for months and we always had faith that we’d done the right thing. Everyone deserves a second chance. We’re excited about what the future will bring.”"

Ray Rice has also shown remorse for his actions.

Ray Rice in a statement thanks everyone who worked with him. “I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 28, 2014

Ray Rice has also paid a hefty price for his inexcusable mistake. He has missed 12 weeks of the NFL season. That represent roughly 75% of his annual salary.

If Ray Rice’s wife is willing to put the incident in the past then it is time for the Detroit Lions to consider the business of football.

And for a playoff contender struggling with the running game, signing Ray Rice make a lot of sense.

The former Baltimore Raven had a sub par season in 2013 but is just two years removed from a season where he averaged 4.4 yards per carry while gaining 1621 total yards. Despite his sub par 2013, Rice has a better track record of success than both Joique Bell and Theo Riddick who have never average more than 3.5 yards per carry in their short careers.

Joique Bell may very well be the Detroit Lions running back of the future but Ray Rice can help the Detroit Lions now and take some of the pressure off of the ailing Reggie Bush.

The window for the Detroit Lions to qualify for and advance in the playoffs is right now. If there is a player available that can help them accomplish that, they should sign him. Ray Rice is that player.

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