NEW YORK: Miami Dolphins’ starting safety Reshad Jones was suspended without pay for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances, the league announced yesterday.
In another four-game ban, New York Giants offensive lineman Eric Herman was suspended for a violation of the performance-enhancing drug policy.
Jones and Herman are eligible to participate in all preseason practices and games.
Jones will be eligible to return on Monday, September 29 following the team’s game against the Oakland Raiders.
Jones was a 16-game starter last season, finishing with 107 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception that was ran back for a touchdown. He signed a four-year, $30m contract last August. The Dolphins are now down two important defenders due to suspension.
Defensive end Dion Jordan received a four-game suspension on July 3 for a similar violation.
Herman will be eligible to return to the Giants’ active roster on Friday, September 26 following the team’s game against the Washington Redskins.
Meanwhile, Troy Vincent, the NFL’s new executive vice president of football operations, has identified 21 players as being “at-risk” for making illegal hits on the field and he has met with 16 of them so far.
According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, Vincent said there were six players who have been suspended for hits over the last two years - Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson, Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin, Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather, Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Antonio Smith, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Joe Mays and Indianapolis Colts linebacker Erik Walden - and 15 others who were close to escalated discipline.
Fans wanted the Houston Texans to draft Johnny Manziel with the No. 1 pick, but owner Bob McNair said the team knew “it would be a frenzy.”
“Probably even if he didn’t succeed at being an outstanding NFL quarterback for a couple years, the fans would have been frenzied,” McNair told ESPN.com.
The Texans took Jadeveon Clowney out of South Carolina with the first overall draft pick. Johnny Football was taken by the Cleveland Browns at No. 22.
AGENCIES
