Larry Grant suspended for first four games for violating league's PED policy

[ChrisPozz]

Matt Barrows:

49ers free agent LB Larry Grant has been suspended for the first four games if the 2013 season for violating the league's PED policy...

Grant can take part in all offseason practices, preseason games. This, obviously, explains the tepid interest he's received in FA.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Well that's going to hurt the chances of him factoring into the comp pick formula. Damn.

 

[maniax]

Well that's going to hurt the chances of him factoring into the comp pick formula. Damn.

Shiesh, is that all you worry about is our comp picks?
What about poor Larry's paycheck and his inability not to support his family?
He'll probably have to sign with a team mid-year if he's lucky.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

Shiesh, is that all you worry about is our comp picks?
What about poor Larry's paycheck and his inability not to support his family?
He'll probably have to sign with a team mid-year if he's lucky.

Haha. Fair enough. But yes, all I care about is our comp pick.

 

[threelittleturds]

Guess that explains why he hasn't been signed yet. I forgot, is it set up where he only is suspended the first 4 weeks of the season... or is it set up where if he gets signed in October he has to sit out 4 games?

 

[MHSL82]

Guess that explains why he hasn't been signed yet. I forgot, is it set up where he only is suspended the first 4 weeks of the season... or is it set up where if he gets signed in October he has to sit out 4 games?

Even though it would help us with the 53 man roster if it's the former, in general, I would support the latter because the former just seems a way around punishment (retaining team's perspective, the player loses playing money and time, either way). Are they ok with suspended players being injured while serving because suspended players count towards the 53, where certain injured players don't? Or do they have to clear before serving the suspension. Teams will of course want to clear early if that's the case. Otherwise, they might err on the side of caution. This would give them a buffer.

I know injury doesn't apply here, just drawing an analogy to the latter possibility you mentioned, where a team and possibly player would benefit from not signing until late due to that roster number. If suspended players can only serve after signing and they count to the 53, that seems like a real suspension. Grant was ours, but in general sucks for the new team signing him, but they are aware of the penalty before signing.

 

[DoobieKeebler]

I didn't know anything about Grant when we drafted him, but I was impressed with how he stepped in for Willis during his 2011 injury. I've hoped that Grant would resign on the cheap, or find a new team where he can get some playing time, but non superstars getting PED suspensions is a bad look.

 

[DoobieKeebler]

Guess that explains why he hasn't been signed yet. I forgot, is it set up where he only is suspended the first 4 weeks of the season... or is it set up where if he gets signed in October he has to sit out 4 games?

I searched around, and all I could find was an old article from 2003 by Len Pasquarelli that states

"[Suspended player] will serve the suspension during the first four games of the 2003 season, even if he is not signed with a new team at the time."

ESPN.com: NFL - Free agent Cloud must serve four-game suspension

No idea if they have changed the rules because the article is a decade old, but it was the only reference I could find.

 

[MHSL82]

I searched around, and all I could find was an old article from 2003 by Len Pasquarelli that states

"[Suspended player] will serve the suspension during the first four games of the 2003 season, even if he is not signed with a new team at the time."

ESPN.com: NFL - Free agent Cloud must serve four-game suspension

No idea if they have changed the rules because the article is a decade old, but it was the only reference I could find.

I know it was Three's question, not mine, but thanks for the search and info.

 

[maniax]

I like that idea.

Sign him now to a 1 year vet minimum deal, and let him sit out the 1st 4 games with no pay. I doubt he'll get any other action.

There's a decent chance then that Willis and Bowman will stay healthy the 1st 4 games.

Draft a MLB as well.