Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus said a missed drug test was behind his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
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PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) – Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus acknowledged talk is cheap.
The Bills top-paid player revealed the reason for the discipline after practice Wednesday, a day after he was suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a second consecutive year.
Dareus said he learned of the suspension following last Saturday’s preseason-opening loss to the Indianapolis Colts, while Ryan said he found out at “the same time [you reporters] learned”.
“From the Pegulas down, we preach a strong sense of family”, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said to Howard Simon and Jeremy White this morning on WGR. “All I’m going to say is we’re going to get to the bottom of it”. It’s all action. That’s all I’m going to do.
Dareus has already said that beating the New England Patriots without Tom Brady wouldn’t be the same. I’m going to come back and do the best I can.
Dareus was the third overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Alabama, and is considered a critical cog in the heart of Ryan’s 3-4 defense. He sat out the first game past year.
Under NFL rules, missing a test is the same as testing positive. Lawson on Wednesday said he was “shocked” by the report and isn’t aware of what he might have done wrong.
The first time was in 2014 after he was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance. “But, he’s got to make better choices, he’s got to make better decisions”. “This situation might be that much different than some other guys that I’ve had, but he has to make those decisions”, Ryan said. “We’re gonna stand by this guy and support him, and hopefully steer him in the right direction”.
“We will support him as an organization in any way we possibly can”, Ryan said. There are some people that will never give him the benefit of the doubt anymore, but for the majority of people it’s more of a show me thing. When he passed his physical August 8 and returned to practice, Ryan admitted, “Marcell Dareus is kind of hard to replace”.
Lawson, entering his 11th season, is expected to start at outside linebacker while rookie Shaq Lawson recovers from injury. Because he’ll have to forfeit four of his 17 regular-season checks, Dareus will lose $1,858,823.53 of that salary.
Both were projected to start.
There is a possibility that Lawson could face suspension from the National Football League, but it is not clear how long it would last.
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Dareus will be eligible to rejoin the team on October 3, a day after Buffalo plays at New England.
