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. That did not prevent the NFL from suspending Blount for the first regular-season game of next season, though.

Bell, who was driving the car, was charged with DUI and received probation. He probably will be suspended for two games.

Blount was released by the Steelers and joined the Patriots for the final five games of the 2014 regular season.

–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.

According to the complaint, a company formed by Allen and Susan Daub told investors they could receive high returns through repayments of loans made to professional athletes.

The company raised $31 million from about 40 investors but used some of the funds to pay for personal expenses, including pawn shops, night clubs and casinos, according to the complaint.

The SEC said the company paid investors with funds from other investors, rather than from the company’s profits. That represents a Ponzi scheme.

–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.

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

Attorney Stephen F. Rosenthal said Tynes filed the lawsuit in Broward County (Fla.) Circuit Court on Monday and is seeking $20 million for damages and lost future earnings. Tynes was paid his $905,000 salary in full during the 2013 season while on the non-football injury list.

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.

–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.”

Peterson said doctors had the disease under control by the middle of last season through diet and management, but it still impacted his play.

–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.

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

The 27-year-old Ajirotutu has played in 57 games during his five-year NFL career with the San Diego Chargers and Carolina Panthers.

Biggers was with the Washington Redskins for the past two seasons. He has 31 starts in 76 career games and 235 tackles, four interceptions and one sack.

–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. His previous base salary was to be $4.65 million in 2015 and 2016.

–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.

— 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.

–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.

With the Vikings, Jennings recorded 127 receptions for 1,546 yards and 10 touchdowns.