Bills' Marcell Dareus returns to camp, says he has things to 'work on'
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus returned to practice Wednesday after being excused to attend a court hearing in Alabama on Monday, and released a statement in which he said there are things he needs to "work on personally and professionally" in order to move past his recent legal troubles.
Dareus agreed Monday to enter an NFL substance abuse program in order to have felony drug possession charges dismissed. He also faces charges in a separate case of reckless endangerment stemming from when he crashed his vehicle into a tree while allegedly racing teammate Jerry Hughes.
He was supposed to return to camp later Monday, but his flight back to New York was canceled due to bad weather.
More from Dareus's statement, via the Bills' website:
"Right now, my focus is on earning the trust of my teammates, coaches and the fans while continuing to improve as a football player. I have a passion for this game and I want to be here to help this organization achieve its goals."
Dareus did not participate in practice Wednesday and instead worked with trainers on the side, according to Jeff Russo of WKBW. The defensive tackle still has to pass a conditioning test after failing it on his first try last week, and isn't expected to re-take the test until at least Thursday.
A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2011, Dareus had 71 total tackles and 7.5 sacks last season despite being benched for parts of the final two games last season for breaking team rules.
More: Bills' offseason report card
- Ben Estes
