OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti reiterated his team's stance on staying away from players with a history of domestic violence.
The Ravens first announced this policy in February 2015, following the Ray Rice scandal.
"Domestic abuse? Not taking them," Bisciotti said at Tuesday's "State of the Ravens" news conference. "Kansas City is in the playoffs partly because a guy [Tyreek Hill] they took a chance on. Will we take chances like that again? I don't think so."
Hill, a unanimous All-Pro selection at returner, pleaded guilty in 2015 to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in an incident involving his then-pregnant girlfriend.
The Ravens have not signed a free agent or drafted a college player with domestic violence in his past since the team abruptly cut Ray Rice after a video of him hitting his future wife was released publicly. Team officials previously acknowledged the Ravens and the NFL didn't treat domestic violence with the degree of seriousness that the issue deserved.
On Tuesday, Ravens officials said they are "not afraid" of adding a player who has other character concerns.
"When we do take someone, it's upon all of us to make sure that that guy is doing everything he needs to do to change his life," general manager Ozzie Newsome said.
Newsome pointed out that the Ravens drafted linebacker Ray Lewis and running back Jamal Lewis even though they had "issues" coming out of college, and they finished their careers in Baltimore "being stellar leaders within the organization."
"We were all 22 -- smoking pot and bar fights and cheating on tests and things like that," Bisciotti said. "If you're not willing to take chances and give people second chances, then yes, you'll be out in the cold. You'll miss a lot of good guys."