Many of us praised Ozzie Newsome for acquiring a player with a high ceiling, a former first round pick who is just 23 years old. Rolando McClain could potentially fill a need at inside linebacker and deliver extreme value on a near league minimum investment.
The Ravens gave McClain a second chance. They gave him an opportunity to play on a high profile team and resurrect a once promising career.
Last week when asked about the former defensive leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide Ozzie said, “Rolando is being given an opportunity to come in and make our 53-man squad. That’s it.”
Many thought that Ozzie’s guarded response was simply a motivational tactic intended to inspire McClain to prove himself. Maybe Ozzie just doesn’t trust the troubled player and outcast from the Oakland Raiders, a franchise that almost seems to embrace thug-like behavior.
Last night McClain may have blown that second chance after being arrested again in Decatur, Alabama, his hometown, for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Strike three.
Any hopes of building trust blown to smithereens.
Inside linebacker now an even bigger need in Thursday’s NFL Draft.
The Ravens PR staff is calculating, cunning and almost always one-step ahead. There’s a reason that they didn’t prop McClain up before the Baltimore media in an introductory presser.
Now McClain will probably never get that chance.
After the season Steve Bisciotti when commenting on the resilience and ability of his team to overcome adversity credited his staff with bringing on men of character.
“You can’t teach character”, according to the Ravens owner.
And apparently in the case of Rolando McClain, you can’t teach common sense either.
Ozzie & Company should at least be thankful that McClain’s stupidity and lack of trustworthiness reared its ugly head before the draft and before he ever took the field.
This is no more than a false start and now the Ravens need to huddle up and call a new play.
One that doesn’t include Rolando McClain.
