Ravens undrafted rookie safety Brynden Trawick has been fined $21,000 by the league office, punishment stemming from a blindside hit against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the preseason opener, Trawick is appealing the fine, which follows an unpenalized collision on a third quarter special-teams play. The NFL fined Trawick for an "illegal blindside block," regarded as unnecessary roughness by vice president of football operations Merton Hanks. Trawick is signed to a three-year contract worth $1.487 million, including a $405,000 base salary this year and a $2,000 signing bonus. Under Article 46 of the NFL collective bargaining agreement, "a player has the right to appeal that a fine is excessive when compared to the player's expected earnings. A fine can be reduced if it exceeds 25 percent of one week of a player's salary for a first offense and 50 percent of one of week of a player's salary for a seocnd offense, a player can argue on appeal that the circumstances don't warrant receiving a fine above the amount stated in the schedule of fines." If Trawick makes the Ravens' 53-man roster, he would be due $23,823 per week, which means the $21,000 fine exceeds 25 percent of his weekly pay. Source: Baltimore Sun
