Ray Rice and NFL Players' Association to Cite 'Edited' Video in Appeals

Ray Rice and the NFL Players Association have filed appeals in an attempt to overturn the former Baltimore Ravens running back's indefinite suspension from the league. Now, according to the Baltimore Sun and ABC News, sources have revealed that both Rice the NFLPA plan to base parts of their appeals on the claim that the suspension decision was derived from edited video.

According ESPN, legal sources have claimed that the video in question, which TMZ released on Monday, Sept. 8, is a "cleaned-up, whittled down and condensed version of the events that took place in the Atlantic City casino elevator" back in March.

TMZ has not yet commented on what they may or may not have edited out of the video.

Before the video was released, Rice was suspended for just two games for violating the terms of the league's personal conduct policy. Once TMZ made the video public, however, the NFL backtracked and stripped Rice of his $35 million contract.

The NFLPA's appeal is also expected to cite the idea of double jeopardy, pointing out that Rice was disciplined twice - first with the two game suspension, then with the contract termination - for committing the same crime.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, however, has maintained that Rice was handed the harsher penalty in the end because the video evidence presented by TMZ had contradicted what Rice had originally recounted of the incident.

The NFL has appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller to review the case, and according to ESPN, he will have the opportunity to see the united video in full.