Ravens' Kindle's Health May Not Be Only Thing To Keep Him Off Field

The Baltimore Ravens jumped all over the chance to grab OLB Sergio Kindle (Texas) when he was still available as the Ravens traded back into the early second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The Ravens thought they had an incredible steal in the draft, as they had Kindle rated as a first round talent. They envisioned him as a disruptive speed rusher on the outside, something they have not had since LB Peter Boulware retired years ago.

However, as everyone knows, Kindle fell down two flights of stairs and cracked his skull, ending his 2010 season even before it began. Now he is working as hard as he can to get cleared for football related contact drills so he can prove to the team, fans and pessimists that he was worth it then and is still worth the investment. Unfortunately, he has not managed to endear himself to those critics who say his legal troubles have followed him from Texas to Baltimore.

Kindle was arrested on a DUI and his trial is scheduled for mid-May and the NFL has said that they will be waiting for the outcome to determine if he will be disciplined under the "Player Personal Conduct Policy." Even with no Collective Bargaining Agreement in place, the league has repeatedly said they plan to enforce the policy whether or not they have a working CBA. Any player behavior issues that go against the terms of the league's policy will continue to be reviewed and appropriate discipline with be doled out as the league considers necessary.

Therefore, even if Sergio Kindle is healthy and ready to knock helmets with teammates and the opposition once this little legal mess is decided, he might still have to face a possible suspension if his DUI case is not settled in his favor. Check out Aaron Wilson's story in the National Football Post.