Redskins TE Fred Davis: Drug issues 'not going to come up again'

Redskins tight end Fred Davis missed four games last year after being suspended for a positive marijuana test. He says the drug issues are "not going to come up again."

By Will Brinson

May 22, 2012 at 11:11 am ET • 2 min read

Davis understands he needs to stay on the field. (Getty Images)

This offseason, the Redskins made a calculated investment in Fred Davis, using their franchise tag on the tight end, guaranteeing him a one-year contract worth $5.4 million. Washington might've been inclined to give Davis a bigger contract, but the four-game suspension he received late in 2011 for failing an in-season drug test makes Davis a pretty big risk.

However, Davis speaking publicly Monday about the suspension for the first time, that his issues with marijuana are behind him and that they are "not going to come up again."

"It already happened now, and you can’t cry over spilled milk. The worst part of my day was losing those four games, and having to sit and not help my teammates," Davis said, per the Washington Post. "So, the worst is over, something I can learn from, and something that’s not going to come up again."

If it does happen again, Davis faces a year-long suspension. But the transition into the season should be easier for Davis in 2012, given that he doesn't have "all that free time" provided by the lockout, which Davis partially blamed for his failed test.

"The lockout made me a little bit more free, all that free time," Davis said. "But still, I’ve learned. I know football’s what’s important now."

It's good to see that Davis isn't totally pinning his problems on the lockout; if he did that, it would be the definition of a red flagged, um, red flag.

Or something like that. The important thing is staying on the field the entire year. Since Davis, I believe, is primed for a huge season. Before his suspension, Davis was on pace to play 16 games and catch 78 passes for 1,021 yards. Those numbers would've made Davis the third-most productive tight end in the NFL last year, behind only record-breakers Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

And that was with Rex Grossman and John Beck under center too; his three touchdowns should increase with RG3 throwing the ball in Washington. And a tight end is a young quarterbacks best friend, regardless of whether or not said quarterback utilized tight ends in his college offense.

All Davis has to do is stay on the field.

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