Punishments were brought down upon the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, who, after it was found that the team violated offseason rules, were subsequently fined and stripped of a week of organized team activities.
In the wake of the punishment, the Ravens released a statement acknowledging their offseason violations:
“We made a mistake and we are sorry for that. We accept the NFL discipline.”
The violations occurred when, during their rookie minicamp, the Ravens placed rookies and their fellow first-year players in pads for a five-minute session. That’s a no-no under the new collective bargaining agreement, the league believes that Baltimore continued with the five-minute padded period despite being aware of these rules. League sources have stated that this punishment could also factor into future potential disciplines as well.
The Ravens appear to be gaining a reputation for violating offseason rules. Baltimore was punished in a similar fashion in 2010, canceling its last week of OTAs after players reportedly told the players’ union about being held too long in meetings and on the practice field.
The Seattle Seahawks also faced similar punishments, as head coach Pete Carroll and the team were fined $300,000 in total. Instead of OTAs, the team lost two days of mandatory minicamp.
The league continues to crack down on offseason rules under the new CBA, and the fact that teams continue to break them could certainly mean harsher punishments moving forward. With players looking to earn roster spots with limited reps available and new coaches to break in, every day is key to a team’s development.
[ESPN]
