The 2016 NFL Suspension Thread

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Ravens TE Nick Boyle suspended 10 games for PED violation
Posted by Josh Alper on February 19, 2016

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Dennis Pitta would like to return to the Ravens after missing all of last season recovering from a second hip dislocation and his chances might be helped by the fact that the team is going to be without one of the other tight ends on the roster for the first 10 games of the 2016 season.

The NFL announced Friday that Nick Boyle has been suspended for the first 10 games of the season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. Boyle, a 2015 fifth-round pick, served a four-game suspension during his rookie season for another violation of the policy.

Boyle played 11 games for the Ravens last season and caught 18 passes for 153 yards while playing with fellow University of Delaware product Joe Flacco. His primary role was as a blocker while playing alongside Maxx Williams and Crockett Gilmore at tight end last season.

Both of those players will return in 2016 and the Ravens will likely be looking for at least one more player at the position. Pitta doesn’t fit the blocking role that Boyle seemed destined to play, but any decisions about whether he’ll be part of the team won’t be on the table until there’s more clarity about his health.

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Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory suspended four games
Posted by Darin Gantt on February 19, 2016

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The Cowboys knew they were taking a risk when they drafted Randy Gregory, at a time when many teams backed off.

That risk has now been realized.

Gregory has been suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on substance abuse. He can still participate in offseason programs and the preseason, but won’t play in the first four regular season games.

Gregory tested positive for marijuana at last year’s combine, causing the Nebraska pass-rusher to fall to the second round. The Cowboys insisted they had the right kind of support in place for him, though he apparently slipped through the cracks.

He was part of an offseason splurge on pass-rushers that included free agent Greg Hardy, now it seems unlikely that either of them will suit up for the Cowboys, at least for the first month of the season.

Gregory didn’t have a sack last year, derailed in part by an early ankle injury. But now, there’s another obstacle in the way of his comeback.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/19/packers-mike-pennel-suspended-four-games/

Packers’ Mike Pennel suspended four games
Posted by Michael David Smith on February 19, 2016

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Packers defensive tackle Mike Pennel will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season.

The NFL announced today that Pennel is suspended for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. Pennel can participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games, but he’ll be banished from the team for the first four weeks of the regular season.

The 24-year-old Pennel has shown promise in his young career, but he’s also had his share of problems, including multiple suspensions at Arizona State. He signed with the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2014.

Last year Pennel played in all 16 games, starting five.

 

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...uspended-for-first-three-games-of-2016-season

Bengals' Vontaze Burfict suspended for first three games of 2016 season
By Jared Dubin | Staff Writer

The NFL announced on Monday that Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the first three games of the 2016 season. The league's release on the suspension read as follows:

VONTAZE BURFICT of the Cincinnati Bengals has been suspended without pay for the first three games of the 2016 regular-season for repeated violations of safety-related playing rules.

Burfict's most recent violation came with 22 seconds remaining in last Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when he was penalized for unnecessary roughness for using his shoulder to make forcible contact to the head and neck area of a defenseless receiver.

The suspension was imposed by NFL Vice President of Football Operations MERTON HANKS, who ruled that Burfict's action placed his opponent at unnecessary risk of injury and should have been avoided. The suspension will take effect at the time of the final roster reduction prior to Week 1 of the 2016 regular-season.

Burfict has previously been fined for safety-related violations four times in 2015, including a $50,000 fine for unnecessarily contacting an opponent who was out of the play in Cincinnati's Week 17 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the suspension may be appealed within three business days. Appeals are heard and decided by either DERRICK BROOKS or JAMES THRASH, the appeals officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.

The conduct of other players and coaches in the Steelers-Bengals game is being reviewed for potential discipline.

Burfict is certain to appeal the suspension, as CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported.

It is important to note, as the last line of the release does, that additional discipline could be forthcoming for other players and/or coaches in the Steelers-Bengals game. It was chippy all night long. Steelers coach Mike Munchak yanked on Bengals safety Reggie Nelson's arm and hair when Nelson ran into him on the sideline, for example. Bengals corner Adam Jones received a personal foul penalty for shoving Steelers coach Joey Porter, who came onto the field and was reportedly jawing with Bengals players after the Brown injury.

And that's just the stuff we saw on TV. The NFL will surely look into the tape even more closely to see if there was anything that was missed.

 

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Browns OLB Armonty Bryant suspended four games
Posted by Zac Jackson on March 4, 2016

Browns outside linebacker Armonty Bryant has been suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season for violating the NFL’s policy on perfomance enhancing substances.

Bryant, who had a career-best 5.5 sacks last season, was indicted last month on felony drug charges stemming from his Christmas morning arrest after a traffic stop near Cleveland. This suspension is not related to those charges, and Bryant could face different discipline from the league pending the outcome. The Browns made him inactive for the final two games of last season following his arrest.

With those charges looming and now this suspension, Bryant will have to prove to the newest new Browns regime that he’s worth keeping around. Pending his court case, he will be eligible to play in the preseason.