You know that the league is in a state of confusion. When Chancellor Goodell released his plan to crack down on character in the league, we immediately wondered how that would help. The problem will never be solved by punishing the players more. The problem is allowing teams to acquire these players that come with significant baggage and flags. It's telling when five-time arrested wide receiver, Chris Henry, was allowed out of house arrest to, get this, find employment with a new team (interested in Saints and Cowboys... New Orleans is his home and Dallas trades -- TRADES! -- for Pacman Jones -- how would Henry not be welcome there?).
Perhaps he was being targeted?
"It's been kind of rough for me," he said. "You know, just the fact that these little incidents in Cincinnati have been kind of negative things for me, dealing with cops and things like that.
I'll just leave that excuse for your own commentary. As long as teams have "winning" as their bottom line, most will pick up the players that help them win no matter the PR cost. The Bengals used that philosophy and it worked for them going from 2-12 to 11-5 in three seasons. Punishing teams for picking up character risks or for something that a player did, is foolish. When billions change hands, and the bottom line is making money, making the teams responsible for a player's own actions opens a can of beans. Perhaps we should have benchmarks. If three players are arrested in a year, you're ineligible for the post-season and the first day of draft picks the following season. Then again, what if three players are arrested that had no priors? Should the team be responsible then?
You want a solution? Ban players that commit felonies, suspend those that commit misdemeanors for a full season (you choose the punishment based on degree) and, for the love of god, quit making added generalizations of character risks -- like player missed History 201 three days in a row, might have focusing problems. Be tough. Don't do it half-ass or at all.