By Aaron Wilson The Baltimore Sun

1:14 p.m. EST, November 9, 2012

Ravens inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe was fined $10,000 for his unnecessary roughness penalty stemming from striking a defenseless player in the head and neck area, according to the NFL.

Ellerbe indicated he has already appealed the fine.

During the third quarter of the Ravens' 25-15 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Ellerbe crashed into rookie running back Trent Richardson on a passing play and incurred a 15-yard penalty.

The NFL punished a player for violating Rule 12, Section II, Article 7-B1 of the official rulebook.

"Yeah, they fined me," said Ellerbe, who led the Ravens with nine tackles and a sack against the Browns. "I appealed it already. I jumped the pass and when he missed it, I hit him. They need to get rid of this fine. It's B.S."

awilson@baltsun.com

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