During OTAs and mini camps, teams get a good look at what exactly they have on the current roster. During the break between these practices and the official start of training camp, teams will consider bringing in more bodies to help with depth and competition. It is during this time that Ray Rice hopes to sign a contract and return to the NFL. After having his suspension overturned, the running back is ready to play again and NFL sources believe a team will give him that chance.
According to ESPN's John Clayton, a team will sign Rice, it just will not be until training camp begins. The former Baltimore Ravens running back obviously comes with a lot of baggage that will be exploited to the fullest by the media, so any team interested in a running back must take all of that on. However, Rice is the best available as the free agent market features more aging veterans than anything else.
Clayton reports that the Cleveland Browns could be a landing spot for Rice in the coming months. As of right now, the Browns are actually loaded at the position, but the running back group is extremely young. The rotation features two second-year players in Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West along with rookie Duke Johnson. NFL.com predicted Crowell gets the nod as the starter while Johnson is expected to play a bigger role in the passing game. Adding a veteran is not the worst option.
The pressure is on Cleveland this season. They do not have a No.1 wide receiver nor do they have a home-run hit in a quarterback. The idea of adding as many playmakers as possible is ideal. Rice would obviously only earn a short-term contract that could potentially be just a veteran's minimum deal, but he could bring a lot of help to the offense that still has question marks around it.
The Browns have been linked as a landing spot for a number of free agents. After losing Josh Gordon and not drafting a top receiver, the Browns are relying on Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe to be their one-two punch. That might not be good enough. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, both James Jones and Wes Welker are on the market and could be quality additions to the offense. The Browns are not getting a star receiver this year, so adding as much depth as possible could help make up for it. The question remains as to how much faith they have in players like Travis Benjamin and Taylor Gabriel moving forward.