According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the NFL initially proposed a suspension of 10 games or more, stemming from Rashee Rice’s dual-felony guilty plea. They were met by severe pushback from Rice’s representatives because there is “no precedent for suspending someone for over half the season.” However, this drapes a cloud over the assumption that the embattled wide receiver would only get four to six games.
In addition to the threat of a longer suspension than what was already expected, comes more news: Should the NFL and Rice’s lawyers agree on a suitable suspension, they could settle before the season. This means Rice could end up serving out the suspension at the start of the season, rather than in the middle or even closer to the playoffs.
Should the two sides reach an agreement on how many games and when they will be served, Rice can avoid a trip to the courthouse. The argument would then be heard by a former United States District Court judge who still practices law. However, if the two sides cannot come to an agreement before forcing that issue, they are at the mercy of scheduling. A delay in meeting with the former judge could last into the end of the year. Needless to say, the NFL and Rashee Rice would both like to agree on a suspension so that he can serve it sooner rather than later.
Fantasy football managers were already tussling with when drafting Rice was appropriate for their drafts. Now, it’s a wait-and-see situation that no one knows the answer to. It appears the suspension on the table might be six to eight games, leaving redraft managers to question whether it is worth it to roster him at all. The best-case scenario now seems to be Rice agreeing to six games (with no appeal) and to arrange that agreement prior to the season. In that case, he could sit out the beginning of the schedule and still be there for the meat and potatoes of it.
Rice is officially a gamble at this point. His current average draft position (ADP) is the final pick in the fourth round (4.12), and with this news, it’s fair to expect that number to tank further into the sixth or even seventh. For one redraft season, it hardly seems worth the gamble.
Author: Sam Schneider (@BuyAndSellYou)