In the lead-up to last weekend’s NFL draft, the chatter among those who care about such things was about Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado quarterback, and where he would be taken.
Sanders, who played for his father, Deion, the Hall of Fame cornerback, was thought to be one of the brightest prospects available, someone sure to be taken in Thursday’s first round, among the first 32 picks.
When Sanders was still to be had past Thursday and into the later rounds Friday and Saturday, there were some among the draft experts and sports talk radio crowd who handled the matter as if it were a tragedy.
Meanwhile, another talented player, pass rusher Mike Green, also slipped into Friday, well below the first round spot where many draft prognosticators thought he would land.
When Green was still on the table in the second round, and after 58 players had already been taken, the Ravens grabbed him.
There were the heartwarming shots of a tearful Green, surrounded by family at his home in Virginia.
One ESPN draft analyst raved of Green’s improvement from season to season at Marshall, while another intoned that Green has all the tools to get more than 10 sacks a season.
A third said Green had landed in the perfect place, with Baltimore, where he would fit in with the culture and declared him to be quote nasty unquote.
The nasty designation is interesting as it pertains to Mike Green considering the likely reason he was still available to be taken late into the second round, despite having a first round grade.
Green has been accused twice of sexual assault, first in high school and then at the University of Virginia, where he was dismissed from the team in 2022, after being placed under a zero tolerance plan. He landed at Marshall, where he has been dominant in his two seasons with the Thundering Herd.
It wasn’t until February, during press availabilities before the combine workouts, when the August 2022 alleged incident in Charlottesville came to light.
Even so, the investigation was discontinued and no injuries were reported in the police report. There are, at present, no details about the alleged high school incident.
It should be stressed that Green has vigorously denied the allegations in Charlottesville and in high school. He was not arrested in either case and he was never charged in either incident. He has said quote I’ve done nothing wrong unquote.
Asked Friday night about Green’s status, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team had investigated the allegations quote very thoroughly unquote.
DeCosta added quote We understand the severity of what these allegations were, of course. But doing our due diligence, we are comfortable with Mike. I think the best is yet to come with him, and I'm glad we got him unquote.
We live in a country that famously offers folks a second chance, and it’s possible that Mike Green has earned just that.
But, for a franchise where one of its most popular players, kicker Justin Tucker, is facing allegations of improper conduct around 16 massage therapists, one wonders just where the comfort level should be.
And that’s how I see it for this week. You can reach us via email with your questions and comments at Sports at Large at gmail.com. And follow me on BlueSky, Threads and X at Sports at Large.
Until next week, for all of us here and for producer Lisa Morgan, I’m Milton Kent. Thanks for listening and enjoy the games.
