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PHOENIX -- The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals standout inside linebacker Daryl Washington for one year for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. The punishment, announced Friday, was for substance abuse and did not mention his recent guilty plea to assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He still could face a later suspension for the criminal conviction. Washington, in a statement released by his agent, said the penalty was for marijuana, and that he takes responsibility for the violation. He said he "is committed to making changes" in his life that will allow him to return to the NFL. Considered among the best in the NFL at his position, Washington was suspended the first four games of last season for violating the substance abuse policy. "It is completely unacceptable that Daryl has once again put us in this position," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said in a statement released by the team. "We all know what the consequences are and will deal with them." Washington, the team leader in tackles in 2011 and 2012, will lose $2.9 million in salary, plus any prorated signing bonus money, due to the suspension. In March, Arizona exercised a $10 million option to keep him on the roster. Washington received $5 million then and the deals calls for him to get the other $5 million next March. However, the leagues collective bargaining agreement with players has a mechanism that allows the Cardinals to recoup a portion of that option money because of the substance abuse violation. Washington said the NFL "policy is very strict, and I have chosen to take responsibility." "I will work extremely hard to stay in top football shape," he said, "and will work equally hard to ensure that my life off the field meets the high level of maturity and responsibility to which I am committed." With the loss of inside linebacker Karlos Dansby to free agency, the Cardinals find themselves without the dynamic combination that was a big part of their strong defence last season. Second-year player Kevin Minter is slotted to take Dansbys place. Just what the team will do to try to replace Washington is unclear. "Our approach is the same as its always been: next man up," Keim said. "We talk a lot about how critical depth is to a team because situations always arise whether by injury or other circumstances such as this one." After leading the team with 111 tackles in his second NFL season, Washington signed a six-year contract, adding four years and $32 million to his existing deal. In 2012, he led the team with career highs of 140 tackles and nine sacks and made the Pro Bowl. But in April of last year, the NFL suspended him four games for violating the substance abuse policy. A month later, he was arrested on accusations of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, the mother of the couples child. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault earlier this year. A suspension for the criminal conviction had been expected. The penalty for substance abuse came as a surprise to some, but apparently not to Washingtons teammates. "Old news to us, new news to yall," defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said in a tweet. Keim said "our hope is that this suspension will give Daryl the opportunity to accept the necessary help and guidance to get his life back on track," Keim said, "and we will certainly support him however we can." When OTAs resumed this week, coach Bruce Arians said he hoped the team could pick up another outside linebacker. The Cardinals signed veteran Larry Foote in the off-season, and outside linebacker Lorenzo Washington also can play inside. Minter, a second-round draft pick, played almost entirely on special teams as a rookie. Another player Arizona has at inside linebacker is Kenny Demens, an undrafted rookie free agent a year ago who spent last season on the Cardinals practice squad. "I sincerely apologize for the effect of my actions on my teammates, coaches and other colleagues at the Cardinals," Washington said. "I also apologize to Cardinals fans for the time I will miss. I will work diligently during this suspension to return as a better man and football player." Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping .C. -- The RBC Cups semifinal participants were decided by a pair of overtime games. Cheap Stitched Jerseys . -- A 25-year-old freelance journalist from British Columbia was formally charged on Thursday with a felony, five days after she was arrested in the United States over allegations she threatened to kill her hockey player boyfriend. http://www.jerseysclearance.com/ .C. Now hes squarely in the U.S. capital and helping the Washington Wizards playoff drive. John Wall scored 33 points, Gooden got 11 of his 21 in the final quarter and the Wizards overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 101-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night. Cheap Jerseys Outlet . Neither player was available Saturday for the Knicks 107-98 loss in Atlanta. "Were going in a different direction and weve got to figure out another spot or two for our ballclub," coach Mike Woodson said before the game. China Jerseys . Now, Sarah Burkes legacy will live on in Canadas Sports Hall of Fame. Burke, who tragically died at age 29 from a training accident in 2012, headlined the 2014 class named for induction Wednesday.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The addition of the Simple Ratings System to the NCAAs selection of the FCS playoffs was welcomed across the division because of the prospect of improved black and white results. Instead, theres plenty of gray area after the first two years of the SRSs inclusion as a selection tool. The SRS is similar to the popular RPI rating of teams used in college basketball, a ranking system used to gauge team quality, including strength- of-schedule measure and a win-loss differential. While never expected to be the definitive answer for the committee in selecting the 13 at-large teams which join the 11 automatic bids in the 24- team field, the SRS wasnt expected to be such a work-in-progress, either. The committee is still producing selections like it did prior to the addition of the SRS, going with subjective analysis over the numbers. Top-ranked New Hampshire is the prime example of how the SRS isnt gaining a stronghold in the decision process. A year ago, UNH had the lowest SRS among the at-large selections at 29. Five possible at-large teams above the Wildcats in the ratings didnt earn bids. Now the Wildcats went on and validated the committees nod. They won three playoff games and reached the national semifinals before losing to North Dakota State. This season, UNH was ranked sixth in the SRS releaased on Sunday yet gained the No.dddddddddddd 1 seed for the playoffs. The Wildcats appear poised to validate the committee again, but the top seeding doesnt bode well for the SRS when the numbers had No. 2 seed North Dakota State with the top rating, third-seeded Jacksonville State second, seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina third and fifth- seeded Illinois State fourth, as well as Harvard, from an Ivy League that doesnt participate in the playoffs, fifth. In addition, Richmond (25), Montana State (29) and Stephen F. Austin (32) earned at-large bids, while Idaho State (19), Bethune-Cookman (24), Bryant (26), Charleston Southern (27) and Bucknell (30) did not. The two-year results of the SRS indicate the selection committee continues to penalize teams that dont have at least seven wins against Division I competition - often a big factor among the final at-large selections. Also, finishing the regular season strong remains favorable to the committee, although the SRS is not designed for such an evaluation. The final at-large selections of the playoff field are always going to exclude unhappy teams whose bubble gets burst on Selection Sunday. But the NCAA unveiled the SRS as if the decision process would be made cleaner and better. After the first two years of use, its not the case. Its time to improve the SRS or punt it away. ' ' '