The Dallas Cowboys have gone through a tough situation with Josh Brent's manslaughter accident and now they must deal with another player that has broken the law.
According to ESPN.com, starting nose tackle Jay Ratliff was arrested and charged with DWI in the early morning hours on Tuesday after getting into an accident. Ratliff was allegedly driving while impaired and crashed his 2011 Ford pickup truck into a 18-wheeler, according to Grapevine, Texas, police senior officer Sam Shemwell.
Police arrived on the scene past 12:30 a.m. to investigate the crash at the 2800 block of East State Highway 114. Police, according to Shemwell, upon an investigation of the crash, arrested Ratliff on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
Ratliff was bonded out of a Grapevine jail on Tuesday morning and according to Shemwell, Ratliff and the driver of the tractor trailer were not injured. According to ESPN.com, Cowboys officials were currently at the Senior Bowl watching practices and declined to comment, as did Ratliff's agent Mark Slough.
HERE is a picture of Ratliff's mugshot.
Ratliff was one of the best players on the Cowboys defense over the past few years, but he was injured throughout the 2012 season and played in only six games. In Decmeber he had season-ending sports hernia surgery, but was kept on the active roster until the team was eliminated from the playoffs.
The arrest of Ratliff comes at a rough time for the Cowboys, as they are still dealing with the Brent situation. In early December, backup nose tackle Josh Brent was charged with involuntary manslaughter resulting in the death of friend and Cowboys practice squad player Jerry Brown.
According to ESPN.com, the Cowboys, like many other NFL teams, have a service that players can use to get rides home safely. Owner Jerry Jones has said in the past that the service has been used and should be utilized by players. The report also says that Ratliff and Brent had a close relationship.
Following the accident with Brent, he was tested and it was found that he a blood-alcohol content more than twice the legal limit at the time of the crash. Last month he was indicted on one count of intoxication manslaughter and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. He could also receive probation. Brent is free on $100,000 bond and required to wear an alcohol monitor, according to ESPN.com.
Brent had 22 tackles this season before the accident. In his career he has registered 44 tackles, one forced fumble and 1.5 sacks while playing in 39 games, including 12 this season.
The incident for Ratliff likely marks the end of his tenure with the Cowboys. This past season he and Jones had an argument in the locker room and he was quoted as being frustrated during the season.
"As far as I'm concerned, he is outstanding, he has given everything he's ever had to the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said Tuesday. "With me, any of that emotion that was involved between us is only reflected back on many times that we've had in our own way some emotional time with each other. And it in no way before was ever contentious."
"So when you've got the kind of background we've got together, then if you have a moment that you might not have been on the same page, that's like father-son, that's like family, that's like all that. That's forgotten when you know each other has your best interests at heart. We both know that."
According to ESPN.com, any NFL player that is arrested is subject to the NFL conduct policy which could result in a fine or suspension.
Ratliff recorded just 16 tackles this season and zero sacks. Back in September 2011 Ratliff signed a five-year, $40 million contract and looked as if he would be a stalwart on the Cowboys' defense. That has not worked out this year and there is a chance Jones will cut him once the season is over.
Dallas has undergone a number of changes this offseason after missing the playoffs again in 2012. The team fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and brought in Montee Kiffin to replace him.
"I want to express my appreciation to Rob for all of his efforts and contributions to the Cowboys over the past two years," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement at the time of the move. "At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense. I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach and I wish him and his family the very best."
Dallas finished 19th in total defense and was ranked 17th against the run and 21st against the pass while allowing 25 points per game, ranked 24th in the NFL.
The Cowboys finished 8-8 this year and dealt with numerous injuries throughout the season, including to Ratliff and linebacker Sean Lee. The team signed eight new players over the second half of the season to account for injuries, including Michael Coe and Sterling Moore.
Linebacker DeMarcus Ware only had one healthy arm over the final two games of the season and recorded only two tackles with zero sacks. Ware played in all 16 games this season but decreased his totals in tackles and sacks from 2011. He has 11.5 sacks this season after putting up 19.5 the previous season.
The Cowboys lost a number of close games this season, including a 34-31 overtime loss against the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 23. Dallas also lost by six points to the Atlanta Falcons and two points to the Baltimore Ravens. The team opened the season with a 24-17 win against the New York Giants, but lost three of the next four games.
During the second half of the season the Cowboys got hot and won three games in a row, including a 27-24 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas has a path to the playoffs as the NFC East division winner, but the team lost its final two games, including the regular-season finale against the Redskins.
The Cowboys have lost the final game of the season in each of the past two years, losing out on the NFC East division title in the process. In 2011, the Giants defeated the Cowboys in Week 17 en route to their Super Bowl championship.
