I should know better than to think there is really any real slow time in the NFL. Scout.com is reporting that tight end [Ben Patrick has been suspended four games to start the regular season. Patrick's agent confirmed the suspension and told the website Patrick had Adderall in his system because he "honestly took it to stay awake on a drive back to Phoenix from Flagstaff one evening during the 2008 NFL season." It's a painful way to learn a lesson, but if there is anything NFL players should know by now, they simply cannot ingest much of anything without checking it out first.
It's the latest hit for Patrick, the 2007 seventh-round pick who had been hoping to use his touchdown catch in the Super Bowl as a jumping-off point to win the starting job for the Cards' nebulous tight end situation. Patrick's 2008 season was tumultuous because of various nagging injuries. Patrick can take part in training camp and the preseason, he just has to sit out the first four regular-season games. The Cards are hoping to have Stephen Spach back from knee surgery, and the team also has veterans Anthony Becht, Leonard Pope and Dominique Byrd fighting for roster spots at tight end (Alex Shor is a major long shot).
The office is closed today, so if the team is going to say anything, it might be a little bit. The entire coaching staff is on vacation for a few weeks too, so Ken Whisenhunt won't even be around. (UPDATE: No word coming from the Cards today for sure).
