Rookies Shaq Lawson (shoulder) and Reggie Ragland (knee) are expected to miss the bulk of, if not the entire, season, and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was handed a four-game suspension earlier Tuesday.
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“It was a missed test”, Dareus said.
Dareus says he was notified of his suspension on Saturday after the Bills preseason game against the Colts. The sixth-year defensive tackle was previously suspended for the first game of the 2015 season for a violation of the substance abuse policy following a May 2014 arrest in Alabama for criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Buffalo Bills General Manager Doug Whaley said he has yet to hear anything from the league about Lawson.
“We’re going to hold him accountable from here on out”.
It’d be hard to blame Bills head coach Rex Ryan. The team did not reveal any details or name the substance Dareus used that led to the suspension.
Dareus’ suspension represents another blow to a defense that has already been thinned by injury. Fresh off an impressive 2015 season with Buffalo – his first as an National Football League starter – Tyrod Taylor and the organization have agreed to a six-year extension, fully entrenching him in their eyes as the franchise pivot.
This marks the second time Dareus has violated the policy. Dareus, who will be eligible to rejoin the team October 3 after Buffalo plays at New England, becomes Buffalo’s second player to earn a four-game suspension to open this season after backup running back Karlos Williams was banned last month for the first four games of 2016 for violating the substance abuse policy.
If Lawson’s suspension goes through, the Bills would have to pay a $250,000 fine for having three players suspended in the same year as per the NFL’s remittance policy.
The veteran linebacker says he hasn’t heard back from the league after attempting to contact them on Tuesday night. “He’s got a complement of moves which is rare for an inside rusher, so that’s the type of guy … with his quickness, is going to get those interior offensive linemen some trouble”.
Dalton said Arians was evaluated by medical personnel at the stadium and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. I’m pretty sure he addressed it and released a statement of how selfish the act was.
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“I honestly do not know what is happening or where that came from, but we’re looking to get into the bottom of it”, Lawson said. It’s all action. That’s all I’m going to do.
