This has turned into one of the more eventful weeks in Steelers' history - at least for a preseason week.
First, the Steelers lost center Maurkice Pouncey to a broken leg and backup QB Bruce Gradkowski to a finger and shoulder injuries last Sunday in a preseason win over Green Bay.
Then, Mike Vick was signed on Tuesday to replace Gradkowski, who was placed on injured reserve.
Finally, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Thursday that wide receiver Martavis Bryant will be suspended the first four games of the season for violation of the league drug policy.
Coupled with Le'Veon Bell's two-game suspension to open the season, the Steelers could definitely be behind the 8 ball a little when the season opens.
Bryant is being roundly ripped for his possible suspension - which he is appealing.
It's automatically assumed that Bryant's violation was for an illegal drug, such as marijuana. But we don't know that - though ESPN is now reporting that is is a marijuana violation.
If that is the case, that means he's a second-time offender. And if this is his second offense, he's been randomly tested a lot.
It appears the Steelers will be without his services for the first month of the season.
That means Darrius Heyward-Bey will step into a more prominent role, at least to start the season.
With Bryant suspended, the Steelers almost certainly have to account for that on their roster, whether it be keeping a sixth wide receiver or using Dri Archer as the fifth or sixth guy.
That trickles down to the rest of the roster, which is why I have avoided doing a 53-man projection to this point.
29 comments:
%#^*~£€¥!
Schefter said substance abuse policy, which is separate and distinct from the leagues performance enhancing drug policy. Possible Schefter misspoke or was misinformed, but I think he's reported these kinds of things enough to know and understand the difference. But the 4 games is puzzling.
Oh, and suspended players don't count toward the 53.
These guys never cease to amaze me.
LaCanfora confirmed it was weed. Dunno if he's a good souce or not but I hope he is. Would hate to see those 20 pounds being fake
and yeah changes little in the 53, more than anything gives a young receiver a chance. Guys like Chikillo are the same as they were yesterday
Still sucks
Damn. I've been known to indulge a bit in my day, but you can bet if I had a six-figure paycheck riding on it, I wouldn't get within 10 miles of a joint. Idiot.
Put Landry Jones on the practice squad, guarantee no team will steal him away.....
Well then, now I understand why we went with Coates in the third round. Management is hedging their bets on Bryant. They've known about this for a while if it's at the point where he's being suspended
Was there a report of Bryant's first offense? (Or is that something that's even disclosed to the public/press?)
Seems like Holmes all over again.
Sammie Coates... class act!! War Eagle!! tomlin, not so much.... Call them how I see them, nowadays the media/establishment tells you WHAT to think, when your parents should have taught HOW to think..... Case and point, all the HOAX shootings happening every other day now, the latest Virginia news reporter HOAX, LOL
Hoax shootings?....put the bottle down you racist tool. ^^^^^^
Under the new substance policy, a player has to have failed a test for mj 3 times before being suspended. Did Bryant fail 3 tests in a year? Surely the Steelers were informed and would have taken steps to correct him after the first offense. Or is he like Bell and being punished under both the old and new policies?
He should have used one of those water bottles with a false bottom to hide his weed. Vick can show him how. I dont know why im upset with the vick signing. He is a proven coach killer. Maybe we can finally get rid of Tomlin.
Failing three (four?) tests in a year or so? Looking forward to his 10-game suspension next year.
Hopefully the Steelers are getting all the bad luck / stupidity out of their system during preseason.
when the nfl hands out pain pills like m&m's on halloween, i'm not sure why they test for weed. that said, rules are in place and one year in, bryant has already tested positive 4 times ? maybe he stops, but probably looking at the ten game ban soon.
to the poster above, not sure if you can physically get ten miles from a joint in the states, but i know what you mean ! lol
How's Timmons's toe? Kind of thing that makes me paranoid. Is he playing on Sat.?
The revised marijuana policy:
Marijuana discipline: The punishment for a positive test is also changing. As is the case now, a first-time offense lands the player in the substance abuse program without a suspension. The primary difference is the punishment for a second positive test: simply a two-game fine. Each additional violation receives the following progressive discipline: four-game fine, four-game suspension, 10-game suspension. A player can therefore test positive for marijuana three times without getting suspended.
Kind of surprising the Steelers wouldn't know Bryant was in the substance abuse program.
if he had a two game fine, wouldn't they have to know? I'm under the assumption they knew about, one reason they drafted coates, and probably tried to handle it internally. obviously, Bryant has a problem with drugs and/or authority or he would have stopped by now. to be caught four times is entering josh Gordon territory for idiocy. I don't expect Bryant to be with the team at the beginning of next season.
New Steeler legacy. Number 10 on the roster, 420 in their hearts
No, the first positive test is not made public
Did he test positive 2 other times?
Dale, give me 5 players you are most interested to watch over the next 2 preseason games.
Bryant reallly screwed the pooch on this one. Could have gotten a nice second contract with the Steelers but now that is all out the window. Steelers should get their money's worth the next three seasons and then bid him farewell off to another team who will be desperate and take a chance on him. Sammie Coates pick makes SO much more sense now, doesn't it?
It only makes sense if Coates works out..
When I was in kindergarten, I remember going to the gymnasium to watch a film with Nancy Reagan as part of the "Say no to Drugs" campaign. She told me it was bad to do drugs...so I didn't. We need Nancy back in our schools.
^this guy
No, this would be his second positive test. And to be honest, nobody knows when the first positive came in. It could have been a combine thing, etc.
Everybody went nuts when the Steelers passed on him in the third round, this could have been the reason why. There were some character issues with him - so I heard.
So you don't take that guy in the third round. But when he's still staring you in the face in the fourth round, why not? Now, it's on him to be a professional.
We'll see how this all works out. The league has still not officially announced it, which is why the Steelers are a little ticked that it was leaked to Schefter - by what had to be a league source. The Steelers won't officially comment on it until the league officially announces it.
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