National Football League roundup

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[April 08, 2015]  April 7 (The Sports Xchange) - The NFL suspended New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount one game for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Blount was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers last year when he and Steelers teammate Le'Veon Bell were stopped by police. Blount was arrested for marijuana possession, but prosecutors dropped the charge after Blount performed 50 hours of community service.

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Former NFL cornerback Will Allen had civil fraud charges filed against him after the Security and Exchange Commission accused him of being part of a $31 million Ponzi scheme involving loans made to pro athletes, multiple media outlets reported.

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Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus appeared in a Hamburg, N.Y., court and plead guilty to two traffic violations as part of a plea deal after a street racing incident last year.

As part of the plea agreement, all other charges in the 2012 incident were dropped. Dareus had been facing charges of reckless endangerment, reckless driving, unlawful speed and leaving the scene of an accident.
 


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Former kicker Lawrence Tynes is suing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for $20 million after contracting an MRSA infection in a toe on his kicking foot that ended his career early.

Tynes accused the Buccaneers of negligence in properly cleaning the team's training facility, where he was exposed to the highly contagious infection in 2013.

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Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson played with a medical condition during the 2014 season that he revealed this week.

"I am a diabetic," Peterson told The Arizona Republic. "Let's just keep it that way."

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Former Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy believes the reason he was traded to the Buffalo Bills last month has nothing to do with money, race or that his style of running did not fit the Eagles' offense.

"I don't think he likes or respects the stars. I'm being honest," McCoy told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday. "I think he likes the fact that it's 'Chip Kelly and the Eagles.'"

Since Kelly was named coach in January 2013, the Eagles have cut top receiver DeSean Jackson and traded quarterback Nick Foles. Also, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was allowed to leave the team as a free agent.

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The Eagles signed wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu and defensive back E.J. Biggers to one-year contracts.

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Ajirotutu has played in 57 games during his five-year NFL career with San Diego and Carolina. Biggers was with Washington for the past two seasons. He has 31 starts in 76 career games and 235 tackles, four interceptions and one sack.

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The Minnesota Vikings signed center John Sullivan to a one-year contract extension.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed by the Vikings, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Sullivan will make $5.9 million this season and $5.4 million in both 2016 and 2017.

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The San Francisco 49ers signed defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie to a one-year exclusive rights tender.

After signing as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M in 2012, Jerod-Eddie has played in 32 games and started four for the 49ers, registering 100 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.

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The Oakland Raiders signed Green Bay Packers safety Sean Richardson to a restricted-free-agent offer sheet.

The Packers tendered Richardson at $1.542 million for next season, and they have five days to match the Raiders' offer to retain him.

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Unrestricted free agent wide receiver Greg Jennings, who spent the past two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, is visiting the Miami Dolphins Tuesday.

Jennings, 32, played in Green Bay in his first seven seasons. While with the Packers, Miami coach Joe Philbin was offensive coordinator. During that time, Jennings was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2010 and 2011. (Editing by Frank Pingue)

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