Ray Rice's former teammate Derrick Mason, who amassed over 10,000 receiving yards in his career, thinks Rice deserves another chance in the NFL. The former Tennessee Oilers/Titans, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Houston Texans wide receiver says that a
"He had one bad year," said Mason on his ESPN Nashville radio show. "And you know who else had a bad year? Joe Flacco. You know who else had a bad year? His backup running back. And the offensive line was horrible. But before that, this guy was a 1,200 yard rusher, a guy that was going to give you 55-60 catches and about 6-700 yards."
With the 2015 NFL Draft done and the preseason approaching, the conversation surrounding whether an NFL team should take a chance on Rice has resurfaced with vigor. ESPNW.com columnist Jane McManus wrote a detailed article describing why Rice deserves a second chance in the league. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and former Rice teammate supports Rice being given another shot. Now, Mason has vocalized his belief that Rice deserves to be back on the field, demonstrating his continued ability to perform and help an NFL team compete for a Super Bowl championship.
"I would say that this man made a horrible judgment," said Mason. "He made a horrific mistake and he paid for it. But this is a guy prior to that, that gave the Baltimore Ravens nor the City of Baltimore any indication, any indication that he would ever be a guy that would put himself in a position like that or would jeopardize his career."
Throughout the conversation, Mason acknowledges that talent aside, teams must consider the PR element to bringing Rice into the fold. However, he does not believe that the attention paid to Rice's prior transgressions will last long. Instead, he holds that the dialogue will quickly change to how important of a role Rice can play with his teammates.
"This is a good guy," added Mason. "This is a guy that you would want to have on your team. This is a guy you would want to be 1 of the 52 that represent your NFL team . . . I would bet just about everything that I have that this young man would never put himself in a position where he would jeopardize his career again."
Darren Heitner is a lawyer and the Founder of South Florida-based HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C., which has a focus on Sports Law and Entertainment Law.
