The Baltimore Ravens won without Ray Rice and now that he is suspended indefinitely, the team may look at other RB options and a CJ Spiller trade could be possible, while LaMichael James is a free agent and could sign after he was released by the San Francisco 49ers and this comes after Rice was released following the emergence of video of him knocking out wife Janay Palmer.
The Ravens played Week 1 and Thursday night without Rice and they completely were expecting to get him back despite what he did, but now all that has changed. According to ESPN.com, the Ravens have Justin Forsett and Bernard Pierce as their main running backs now and while that could last for the season, there is a good chance that they will add someone else at some point.
According to NFL.com, Spiller and the Bills are working on a contract, but with things taking so long and trade rumors coming up since the summer, the Ravens and other teams could look at making a deal. The Bills aren't necessarily shopping Spiller, but Adam Schefter from ESPN.com reports that the team made sure to give themselves backup options in case they had to trade the RB. The team signed Fred Jackson to an extension, added Anthony Dixon and also traded for Bryce Brown.
While Spiller is a better player than all of those names, the two sides have not been able to come to a contract agreement yet and if they can't, there is a chance he could get traded. Spiller is an explosive player, but he is coming off of a down season compared to what he did in 2012 and while that doesn't mean he is in decline, it puts the Bills in a better negotiating poison. Spiller may not get traded, but there is a chance that his name will come up again in rumors and he could be an option for the Ravens.
Spiller had over 1200 yards and added over 400 receiving yards two years ago, but last season he was under 1000 yards and was not nearly as explosive as he was the previous season. James has not had much of a chance to play since being drafted by the 49ers and they finally granted him a release. According to ESPN.com, the Raiders and Giants also could be options for him. James could not crack the rotation and now that Frank Gore has Carlos Hyde behind him, there was not much room for James in the mix.
Rice did not have a good season last year and the Ravens were expecting him to bounce back after serving his two game suspension for knocking out his wife. The Ravens supported him and continue to support him and this is the same team that held a press conference where Rice did not apologize to his wife, but he did to the team. Palmer also apologized for her "role" that night, as in her role in having her husband knock her out cold in an elevator. The Ravens also dedicated their win over the Steelers to Rice, with Torrey Smith saying, "he's a great guy."
