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Rams stung by drug suspensions of Bailey, Watts
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_358ddc11-1429-5c57-8c52-63acaf900447.html
Stung by two player drug suspensions in the past week, Rams coach Jeff Fisher promised an aggressive approach in trying to prevent future issues.
"We've been educating our players for years," Fisher said earlier in the week. "There's a procedure, and there's a protocol, and they have to adhere to it.
"Once you go in the testing program, if you have another violation, then you're going to be subject to whatever the circumstances are. You can't take it lightly."
With wide receiver Stedman Bailey suspended for a month, and running back Trey Watts suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, Fisher was asked if there was a league-wise drug use problem. Or if it was no more than what might be found in society as a whole.
"You know, I can't go there," Fisher said. "It's been a problem here for us the last couple of weeks. We lost two pretty good players. So we've got to do whatever we can to get that message across to them.
"Again, it happens. It's a club-to-club thing. We deal with them, and we deal with all kinds of things with the younger players. I'm just disappointed in 'Sted.' He's a good teammate. He's a good player. But you have to carry over your workplace attitude into your off-the-field life. And he failed us on that."
A study by DrugAbuse.com showed that NFL fines (in terms of docked salaries) was in excess of $20 million in 2014 for players found in violation of either the league's substance abuse policy or its policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
According to the study, which covered the period from 2002 to the present, the number of games lost to suspension league-wide has increased sharply since '02. There were 188 games lost due to suspension in 2014; midway through this season suspensions are on a similar pace with 89 games lost.
As recently as 2009, there were only 29 games lost to drug suspensions.
In terms of number of players subject to drug suspensions, the Rams are in the middle of the pack since 2002. According to the DrugAbuse.com study, 26 Rams were suspended from 2002 through 2014, ranking 15th in the league. (That total now jumps to 28 with Watts and Bailey.)
Carolina has had a league-high 74 players suspended since '02; Pittsburgh and Buffalo have a league-low six players suspended apiece.
From the Rams' perspective, the loss of Watts will have minimal impact. He had played very little this season, and only on special teams. But Bailey was a valued member of the offense, basically the team's No. 3 wide receiver.
"He's a guy that works hard to get where he is and to maintain his success," tight end Jared Cook said. "You hate to see somebody like that, that's part of your team and part of your family, go down like that.
"At the same time, it's hard to beat the league on their rules. It's something that they created. So all you can do is just be there for him and talk to him. I told him if he ever needed anything just to give me a shout. He's gonna get through it. I think we'll get through it. We'll always be here for him."
Bailey is allowed to be in the building during his suspension but only to lift weights and do conditioning work. He can't practice or participate in team meetings.
And according to Spotrac.com, he will be docked $172,489 in pay.
Bailey issued an apology earlier this week on his Instagram account.
"For me it's about the individual," linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "All the football stuff apart, you just really hope he can get it figured out. I don't know the details of anything but obviously if there's been multiple tests and stuff like that, you just want him to figure it out and get his life right.
"I mean, Sted has been a great teammate ever since he's been here. He knows he made a mistake. I saw his apology on Instagram. He knows he has to get some things cleaned up, and whatever those are he can deal with. But we have his back."
Added tight end Lance Kendricks: "I think it's just a maturity thing. He'll learn. He'll learn as he gets older. But the rules are the rules at the end of the day. Once he messed up once, the rules get a little (tougher). So you've gotta really be careful. You've gotta really surround yourself with certain people who can tell you right from wrong. You know, who can help you."
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_358ddc11-1429-5c57-8c52-63acaf900447.html
Stung by two player drug suspensions in the past week, Rams coach Jeff Fisher promised an aggressive approach in trying to prevent future issues.
"We've been educating our players for years," Fisher said earlier in the week. "There's a procedure, and there's a protocol, and they have to adhere to it.
"Once you go in the testing program, if you have another violation, then you're going to be subject to whatever the circumstances are. You can't take it lightly."
With wide receiver Stedman Bailey suspended for a month, and running back Trey Watts suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, Fisher was asked if there was a league-wise drug use problem. Or if it was no more than what might be found in society as a whole.
"You know, I can't go there," Fisher said. "It's been a problem here for us the last couple of weeks. We lost two pretty good players. So we've got to do whatever we can to get that message across to them.
"Again, it happens. It's a club-to-club thing. We deal with them, and we deal with all kinds of things with the younger players. I'm just disappointed in 'Sted.' He's a good teammate. He's a good player. But you have to carry over your workplace attitude into your off-the-field life. And he failed us on that."
A study by DrugAbuse.com showed that NFL fines (in terms of docked salaries) was in excess of $20 million in 2014 for players found in violation of either the league's substance abuse policy or its policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
According to the study, which covered the period from 2002 to the present, the number of games lost to suspension league-wide has increased sharply since '02. There were 188 games lost due to suspension in 2014; midway through this season suspensions are on a similar pace with 89 games lost.
As recently as 2009, there were only 29 games lost to drug suspensions.
In terms of number of players subject to drug suspensions, the Rams are in the middle of the pack since 2002. According to the DrugAbuse.com study, 26 Rams were suspended from 2002 through 2014, ranking 15th in the league. (That total now jumps to 28 with Watts and Bailey.)
Carolina has had a league-high 74 players suspended since '02; Pittsburgh and Buffalo have a league-low six players suspended apiece.
From the Rams' perspective, the loss of Watts will have minimal impact. He had played very little this season, and only on special teams. But Bailey was a valued member of the offense, basically the team's No. 3 wide receiver.
"He's a guy that works hard to get where he is and to maintain his success," tight end Jared Cook said. "You hate to see somebody like that, that's part of your team and part of your family, go down like that.
"At the same time, it's hard to beat the league on their rules. It's something that they created. So all you can do is just be there for him and talk to him. I told him if he ever needed anything just to give me a shout. He's gonna get through it. I think we'll get through it. We'll always be here for him."
Bailey is allowed to be in the building during his suspension but only to lift weights and do conditioning work. He can't practice or participate in team meetings.
And according to Spotrac.com, he will be docked $172,489 in pay.
Bailey issued an apology earlier this week on his Instagram account.
"For me it's about the individual," linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "All the football stuff apart, you just really hope he can get it figured out. I don't know the details of anything but obviously if there's been multiple tests and stuff like that, you just want him to figure it out and get his life right.
"I mean, Sted has been a great teammate ever since he's been here. He knows he made a mistake. I saw his apology on Instagram. He knows he has to get some things cleaned up, and whatever those are he can deal with. But we have his back."
Added tight end Lance Kendricks: "I think it's just a maturity thing. He'll learn. He'll learn as he gets older. But the rules are the rules at the end of the day. Once he messed up once, the rules get a little (tougher). So you've gotta really be careful. You've gotta really surround yourself with certain people who can tell you right from wrong. You know, who can help you."
