Bills’ Dareus says 4-game suspension for missed drug test

The Bills top-paid player revealed the reason for the discipline after practice Wednesday, a day after he was suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a second consecutive year.

Dareus says he was notified of his suspension on Saturday after the Bills preseason game against the Colts.

General manager Doug Whaley said he’s frustrated and disappointed, but added Dareus has the team’s support because “he’s family and we’re going to stick by family”. So we’re gonna stand by him, but again, I stress that he’s gotta start holding up his end of the bargain. “It’s all action and that’s all I’m going to do”.

Whaley said that the “easy thing is to discard” Dareus, although that’s not really true in this case. “He understands what he’s done, and I’m pretty sure he’s working to whenever he gets back on the field that he can go out there and prove himself”.

Dareus was the third overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Alabama, and is considered a critical cog in the heart of Ryan’s 3-4 defense. Last year, the Bills signed him to the most expensive contract in team history, a seven-year deal potentially worth $104 million. The NFL considers those positive tests and the league’s punishment is automatic. Lawson on Wednesday told reporters that he was “shocked” to learn of the probe.

The first time was in 2014 after he was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance. “But he’s gotta make better choices and decisions, and understand that it affects the whole football team and not just himself”.

“We will support him as an organization in any way we possibly can”, Ryan said. “I saw it in the [newspaper] today”, Ryan said. There are some people that will never give him the benefit of the doubt anymore, but for the majority of people it’s more of a show me thing.

Backup Corbin Bryant is expected to start in place of Dareus.

Dareus’ suspension represents another blow to a defense that has already been thinned by injury.

Once the Bills reach Week 1 of the regular season Dareus will have to leave the club for a month. It’s a familiar role for Bryant, who past year started nine of Buffalo’s final 10 games after starter Kyle Williams sustained a season-ending knee injury. And second-round pick, inside linebacker Reggie Ragland, will miss the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee 10 days ago.

Dareus becomes Buffalo’s second player to earn a four-game suspension to open this season.

With running back Karlos Williams also facing a suspension to begin the season, the Bills could be subject to a fine based on the NFL’s remittance policy.