The Baltimore Ravens are looking at fines and missed practice time after violations surfaced this week.
The Baltimore Ravens are in trouble as they will lose two of their practices this week. These are OTA practices. There is also another report from Around the NFL that John Harbaugh has been fined $50,000 and the owner Steve Biscotti has been fined $100,000. The source for this news in Ian Rappoport of NFL Network.
The Ravens seemed to have violated the offseason rules protecting players from contact during OTAs. While team can participate in practice, contact between players is prohibited during summer workouts. Teams must video tape all of their summer practices and keep them on file for up to 30 days after the workouts.
Most times, these investigations take place after a player complains of contact during OTAs. However, the NFL has dug into teams who have violated these terms in the past. This incident appears to be a spot check that landed Balimore in trouble, yet again.
This is the second time the Ravens have dealt with these violations in the last two years. The first time was back in 2016 when Baltimore faced similar violations. This could mean the NFL is more strict on their summer workout programs moving forward.
The punishment should not hurt the Ravens team too much as OTA practices are not that important. NFL stars Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have not been present for the entirety of these voluntary practices for their respective teams.
Baltimore is looking to have a bounce-back year after struggling in 2017. With some high quality draft picks and major offseason signings, this team has made headlines more than once this offseason. This time, it wasn’t for the reasons they hope for.
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Either way, it’s a hit against Harbaugh’s reputation. It’ll also leave the NFL with more reasons to check on the team during the season and next summer. Not something the Ravens organization needs or wants as they look to rebuild.