Free agent safety T.J. McDonald has been suspended for the first eight games of the 2017 season, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links). McDonald, he adds, just had his first free agent visit with the Dolphins. The suspension stems his May 2016 DUI arrest, which included drug charges (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). 
McDonald is ranked as our No. 1 available safety in free agency and is one of the highest-ranked players remaining on my Top 50 Free Agents list, which ranked players based on projected earning power. Apparently, McDonald won’t be making anywhere near what we expected, thanks in part to the pending ban.
McDonald, a hard hitting defensive back, has been a starter for the Rams in each of the last four seasons. This year, he hit free agency and the Rams did not show any interest in re-signing him.
In 2016, McDonald had 62 total tackles, two interceptions, one sack, and six passes defensed. He graded out as as Pro Football Focus’ 58th best safety in the NFL last season.
Wow! 8 games?!?! This guy must have slightly deflated a football or something!
I get making an example, but it’s a little late for that. Should have raised the games for drugs on Josh Gordon’s first offense. This is saying that drugs is worse than cheating in the NFL. Being realistic, yes. Outside the NFL drugs is worse. But it’s not costing he NFL money like cheating would be. Some guy overdoses and dies, another one takes his place. Cheating tarnishes a good game and makes people question why they are watching. Giving less games for steroids and cheating is ridiculous. With all that said, I’m sure he gets knocked down to four games. But still, bad precedent.
Why on Josh Gordon’s first offense?
To set an example from the beginning. Maybe that would have straightened him out from the start.
But why just him as an example and not any or all of the other 100s of players who have been suspended for similar offenses?
Everywhere I look online regarding his visit with Miami, I can not find anything. I do not think he had an official visit with them yet or will. Miami never announced a visit with him
Maybe they had one scheduled or were working out the details and then they heard about this coming, so they backed out of it. I had been wondering why the Browns had Bradley McDougald in for a visit before talking to T.J. McDonald and this explains why.
I’m using him as an example. I have a hunch that you are a browns fan so if you could excuse the bias a bit and follow me here you would understand why I am using him as an example. He has been given all these suspensions and they keep getting larger. Well if his first suspension was eight games then maybe he would of lost more money and it would of had more of an affect on him. When baseball made their suspensions huge for steroids you saw less get handed out. Not dragging your player threw the mud, just saying that he could of been made an example out of and maybe he would be in a better situation than he is now.