Dunbar suspended four weeks

Yahoo Sports

The Ram defense took a hit for the first month of the season when the league announced linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar will be suspended for four weeks for a violation of the policy against performance-enhancing substances. The Rams will have to play Arizona, Atlanta, Dallas and San Francisco in September without one of their better defensive playmakers now. For his part, in making a public apology, Dunbar took full blame for his screw-up, saying he slipped up and took a non-PED that triggers a positive result in PED tests.

And hey, guess what - Jeff Fisher once again knew for some time that this suspension was coming. Just makes you wonder how many other shoes are going to drop at Rams Park we haven't heard about yet, doesn't it? Apparently the appeals process delayed Dunbar's punishment until now. Yet, compared to his unusual, vigorous defense earlier this summer of the since-cut-for-being-fat Rokevious Watkins, Fisher has pretty much ripped Dunbar, calling him "selfish" and going so far as not to guarantee he has a starting job when he returns. (32-year-old Will Witherspoon is expected to step into that role, and get Dunbar's starting reps in training camp, though few see Will as a starting LB at this point of his NFL career.) Here are some of Fisher's quotes:

We’ve known about it for some time and, obviously, we’ve been dealing with it... First and foremost, we’re very, very disappointed in his choices and his decisions. It’s selfish, it hurts the team, but we also see it as an opportunity to learn from a mistake. We discussed it with the entire squad last night and I think everybody understands the responsibility that each and every player has as far as taking care of himself and what you can do and what you can’t do. It’s behind us now.

It would make total sense for us right now to move Will Witherspoon up. We’re glad he’s here; he’s started a lot of games. Then, we’ll make a decision when Jo-Lonn comes back as to who’s going to take that position.

Fisher's attitude toward Dunbar here just doesn't compute. Isaiah Pead wasn't called selfish for getting arrested for weed. Neither Pead nor Watkins were demoted or given less chance of making first string because of their suspensions. He didn't accuse either one of them of hurting the team. But somehow Dunbar has become a pariah that compels Fisher to give public scoldings and hold special team meetings to do damage control.

By the way, why does it first make sense now to give Witherspoon starting reps, if Fisher has known of Dunbar's impending suspension all this time? Shouldn't Will have been starting the whole time he's been in camp? Again, just doesn't compute, Coach. Not so "obvious" you've been dealing with it to me.

Bottom line, though - combine this suspension, Fisher's disillusionment, Dunbar being a 29-year-old unrestricted free agent after this season and looking at an 8-game suspension if he gets another PED strike... keep a good eye on this year's college linebackers, Rams Nation. Les Snead will be using another high pick on one.

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