Tag: suspension

Reinstatement Delayed: Cowboys won’t know Gregory, Smith fate pre-draft

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t make a big splash when it came to filling the void left after the departure of defensive end Robert Quinn in free agency. In 2019, the club traded a sixth-round pick for the former Rams and Dolphins star, and in turn got a …

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t make a big splash when it came to filling the void left after the departure of defensive end Robert Quinn in free agency. In 2019, the club traded a sixth-round pick for the former Rams and Dolphins star, and in turn got a team-leading 11.5 sacks as he crushed through some of the most double-teams of any edge rusher in the league. It earned the elder statesman a five-year, $70 million deal with the Chicago Bears and left a hole in Dallas’ defensive line.

Instead of going big at end, the Cowboys shored up the interior, inking Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe. On the edge, the team will rely on the return of Tyrone Crawford after an injury-plagued year and hope that the new CBA which removed failed marijuana testing from the suspension track will mean the reinstatement of Randy Gregory. The team also signed Aldon Smith, who is also indefinitely suspended. The team expects both to be reinstated by the beginning of the league year, but if there’s any trepidation in their availability, the team will have to make a draft move. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, the team will not hear from the NFL league offices about either of the petitioned reinstatements.

There’s no way the Cowboys can proceed with a plan to have either as an integral cog in their rotation; there’s simply too much history with both regardless of relaxed league rules. Smith’s suspensions have had to do with arrests, and although he’s come through a serious rehab stint, he’s a single violation away from another indefinite suspension, if not lifetime ban. Even with their long-term uncertainty though, having both in the fold would still have an impact on the team’s draft plans even it neither would preclude a high-pedigree expenditure along the line.

[vertical-gallery id=642979][vertical-gallery id=642587][lawrence-newsletter]

Broncos OLB Von Miller has come a long way since 2013 season

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was suspended and then injured in 2013. He turned his career around in 2014.

Two years after being selected by the Broncos with the second overall pick in the draft, outside linebacker Von Miller was suspended six games in 2013 after turning in a diluted drug test.

After returning from the suspension, Miller played in nine games before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. Denver went on to reach the Super Bowl but Miller was unable to participate and the Broncos were blown out by the Seahawks, 43-8.

Just three years into his career, Miller would have to try to recover from a serious injury while being frequently drug tested by the NFL after his violation in 2013. The edge defender was at an important point in his life.

“You know how some people say take it one day at a time? I took it six hours at a time,” Miller said during a conference call with reporters on April 6. “I went to work and did what I had to do. Then I went home and did what I had to do. I made it small and achievable. Every day that passes you can gain trust or you can lose it. I just tried to put together a lot of good years, just try to learn from that.”

The following offseason, Denver signed DeMarcus Ware, who became a mentor for Miller. After recovering from his ACL injury, Miller totaled 14 sacks in 2014. He was cleared from the NFL’s drug program in 2015 and he hasn’t faced any trouble with the league office since then.

“I was young in my career,” Miller said. “If I would have made the same mistake later in my career, it would have been different. I was young in my career and I was able to be around a lot of great players. They helped me develop. Here we are today. It’s a huge blessing. I’m very appreciative and grateful to be here and still be a Bronco here.”

Miller and Ware helped the Broncos defeat the Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50, combing to total 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Miller took home Super Bowl MVP honors and five years later, he was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team. Miller’s come a long way since the 2013 season.

[vertical-gallery id=636596]

Billy Joe Saunders’ boxing license suspended by BBBofC

Billy Joe Saunders has done it again. The super middleweight has been suspended by the BBBofC after posting a disturbing video…

Billy Joe Saunders is doing his best to be headline fodder these days.

Two days after the super middleweight titleholder apologized for posting a disturbing video joking about inflicting physical harm to women, the British Boxing Board of Control, the regulatory body that oversees professional boxing in the U.K., suspended the boxer’s license. 

In the video, Saunders explains how men can deal with their frustrations with women during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has forced citizens around the globe to stay indoors.

“If your old woman is giving you mouth and you try to be patient, you try to be calm, but after the seventh day or sixth you’re about to explode,” Saunders says, before ripping a hard one-two on the heavy bag. “So, as she comes in, she’s just about to say something and you explode and hit her on the chin.”

That didn’t go over well with the BBBofC.

“The British Boxing Board of Control having considered comments made by Billy Joe Saunders on social media have suspended his boxer’s licen[s]e  pending a hearing under the Board’s misconduct regulation, at a time and venue to be confirmed as soon as possible,” the organization said in a statement on their website. 

In a now-deleted tweet, Saunders, 30, offered an apology, saying that he would “never condone domestic violence. He Tweeted: “If I saw a man touch a woman I would smash him to pieces myself. Apologies if I offended any women.”

Saunders was projected to face Canelo Alvarez on May 2 in Las Vegas, but the fight, along with scores of other cards worldwide, has been tabled as a result of the pandemic.

This isn’t the first time Saunders’ clownish behavior has run afoul of regulatory protocol. He was fined £100,000 ($132,000) by the governing body in 2018 for posting a video online in which he offered a female passerby drugs to perform a sex act on another person.

Why Josh Gordon could end up playing for Seahawks next season

Former Seattle Seahawks receiver Josh Gordon is pondering a return to the Emerald City if he is able to get reinstated.

Wide receiver Josh Gordon might not be the Seattle Seahawks’ signing priority this offseason, but he could end up playing in the Emerald City in 2020.

A few days ago, Gordon expressed his interest in returning to play for the Seahawks, though he is under indefinite suspension by the league.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler attempted to clarify Gordon’s options Tuesday night.

“Commissioner Roger Goodell will oversee Gordon’s reinstatement attempt, during which the player must prove he’s making steady progress away from the field,” Fowler wrote. “Gordon, 28, is beholden to the old rules for reinstatement despite the more lenient drug policy under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, which the players’ union ratified Sunday.”

After playing in five games with the Seahawks last season, Gordon, 28, was suspended in December for violating both the league’s drug and performance-enhancing substance policies. Gordon, a onetime All-Pro, has been suspended five times by the league in his career. He remains governed by the collective bargaining agreement that was in place at the time of his suspension, his sixth since the 2013 season.

Whether or not Gordon can return to the Seahawks — or the NFL at all — remains a huge question mark but something worth considering for Seattle.

[lawrence-related id=57925]

Seahawks to re-sign defensive tackle Jarran Reed to 2-year deal

The Seahawks will be re-signing Jarran Reed to a two-year deal to keep the defensive tackle in Seattle for the near future.

The legal tampering period ahead of the official start of free agency kicked off on Monday and the Seahawks have made a few moves to keep some players in Seattle uniforms for the near future, including keeping one of their own key free agents on the defensive line.

Seattle will be re-signing defensive tackle Jarran Reed to a two-year contract worth $23 million, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

As Pelissero notes, this is a relatively short-term deal that would allow Reed to re-enter the market at a young age, should he later decide to test the waters elsewhere.

For Seattle last year, Reed appeared in 10 regular-season games and logged 27 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Reed sat out the first six games of the season as a result of his suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Although one piece of the Seahawks’ defensive line is locked up for the next two years, fans will have to continue to wait to see what’s in the cards for Seattle’s top unrestricted free agent, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

[lawrence-related id=57703]

Will DT Jarran Reed stay with Seahawks or walk in free agency?

Defensive tackle Jarran Reed is an impending free agent and the Seattle Seahawks must soon decide if they want to keep him or let him walk.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney may be the team’s top free agent, but defensive tackle Jarran Reed is not far behind.

Reed reportedly hopes to receive a contract in free agency that gives him at least $10 million per year. However, his 2019 production does not jump off the stat sheet. Only two sacks in 10 games and a six-game suspension will raise some concerns about any player on the defensive line. In addition, applying a $15 million franchise tag to a player with that kind of production in the previous season is all but out of the question, even when taking Reed’s importance as a run-stopper into account.

However, coach Pete Carroll has expressed interest in re-signing Reed and stated that his production in 2019 could have been better if the defensive ends provided more pressure on the outside.

“He missed six games, he could have had five or six sacks anyway, easily,” Carroll said. “I do think that he’ll benefit as we pick up our pressure on the outside. I thought our outside guys could have done more, so he’ll benefit from that. We’d love to have him back with us, and all that, with the expectation that that year is within his reach.”

Reed would certainly be useful for the Seahawks on the defensive line, but they cannot pay everyone. Fans will see whether Reed will stay or depart in free agency in a few weeks.

[lawrence-related id=57049]

Report: Kennedy Lewis Temporarily Suspended

Texas Longhorns redshirt freshman wide receiver Kennedy Lewis has been temporarily suspended for the spring but could rejoin in June.

According to a report from Anwar Richardson, Kennedy Lewis has been temporarily suspended. He is expected to rejoin the team in June but he will miss all of spring practice. Lewis had one reception this past season against Rice for 37 yards.

It is unclear at this time what Lewis did to earn the suspension from the team but this definitely doesn’t help matters at the position. The team is looking to find some clarity with who will play wide receiver for the upcoming season. The spring would have been a great opportunity for Lewis to impress the new offensive staff.

More details to come as they are presented.

Yankees pitcher Germán issued 81-game suspension for violation of MLB’s domestic abuse policy

MLB announced Thursday that Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán is suspended 81 games for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.

MLB announced Thursday that Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán is suspended 81 games for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.

Al Woods’ suspension leaves Seahawks defense increasingly depleted

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Al Woods’ four-game suspension due to PED violations has major ramifications for the team going forward.

The Seahawks have dealt with numerous absences of key players this season due to injuries and suspensions. They just received another in the form of Al Woods’ four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He will not play in the final two games in the regular season and two postseason games if Seattle makes it past the wild card round.

This comes four days after wide receiver Josh Gordon’s indefinite suspension, marking two suspensions to impact players in less than a week.

This is obviously a big blow to Seattle’s ambitions to claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC, as the Seahawks need all the defensive help they can get without losing more players on that side of the ball. Jadeveon Clowney and Quandre Diggs may be out for Week 16 against the Cardinals with their respective core and ankle injuries, and Shaquill Griffin and Mychal Kendricks are questionable as well, so losing Woods only exacerbates the Seahawks’ defensive issues.

Woods has been a solid player for Seattle this year, particularly in run defense. He recorded 32 tackles, two forced fumbles and a sack in the 2019 season. The defensive line has been one of the weakest position groups for the Seahawks this season, but Woods’ absence leaves them even more depleted. With injuries and suspensions mounting up, the Seahawks should feel even more urgency to win out over the remaining two games of the year.

[lawrence-related id=53254]

Bryan Mone recalled from practice squad to replace Al Woods

Undrafted free agent defensive tackle Bryan Mone was recalled from the Seattle Seahawks practice squad to replace the suspended Al Woods.

The Seattle Seahawks recalled defensive tackle Bryan Mone from the practice squad to take the place of veteran Al Woods, who was suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs.

Mone, an undrafted free agent out of Michigan, began the season on Seattle’s roster and played in three games. He recorded three combined tackles, all in Week 1 against the Bengals.

Now, he’ll look to fill the role of nose tackle and run-stuffer vacated by Woods, who is not eligible to return from suspension until the third game of the playoffs, should Seattle still be playing.

“He’ll just step right in,” coach Pete Carroll said of Mone on Friday. “He’s tough. He’s physical. He’s got a great motor for chasing the ball for such a big man. We’re always showing his highlights. I think I had three highlights on yesterday from just his effort in practice. So, that’s kind of who he is. The players are fired up that he gets a chance to help us right now.”

Mone will get his first NFL action since late September when the Seahawks host the Cardinals on Sunday at 1:25 p.m. PT.

[lawrence-related id=53260]