Buffalo's running back corps has just received another blow, courtesy of another offseason screw-up. Second string running back Karlos Williams, who made headlines for an inopportune weight gain ahead of Organized Team Activities, has been suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
RB Karlos Williams has been suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season: https://t.co/i7uwnuHlhA pic.twitter.com/qTODpsxQvF
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) July 15, 2016
The team put out a statement, following the publication of the news:
"As an organization, we are disappointed that Karlos has put himself in this situation. Poor decisions such as this affect not only the individual, but the entire Bills organization. We will continue to work with Karlos through the various player programs we provide to assist him in making better decisions moving forward."
The substance abuse policy, which covers either recreational drugs or performance-enhancing drugs, allows for a suspension after the player has entered Stage Two of the program, which is reached by failing drug tests or refusing the steps of a drug treatment program. If Williams completes the intervention program without additional incidents, which lasts two full seasons, he will return to a clean slate.
Suffice it to say, Mike Gillislee's roster spot is suddenly looking awfully golden compared to its status two months ago. While Williams had one of the better rookie seasons in recent memory, he was only a fifth round draft choice last year, and the team has no shortage of talented running backs interested in earning playing time.