Lions DE Bryant suspended 3 games; team cites 2015 incident

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) Armonty Bryant has made a solid impression in his brief stint with the Detroit Lions.

That's now on hold after the defensive end was suspended again.

The team announced Tuesday that Bryant was suspended three games for violating the NFL's policy on substances of abuse. Detroit signed Bryant last month. He was cut by Cleveland at the end of a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The Lions indicated that this suspension was not related to anything that happened since Bryant joined the team - and it didn't come out of nowhere.

''When we signed Armonty, we knew additional discipline from the NFL was a possibility due to an incident that occurred in 2015,'' the team said in a statement. ''Since joining our team, Armonty has met our expectations on and off the field.''

Bryant has not been a starter for the Lions, but he did have a sack in each of the last two games. He'll be eligible to return after Detroit's game against Minnesota on Thanksgiving.

Detroit also announced Tuesday that it has signed tight end Matthew Mulligan and acquired cornerback Johnthan Banks in a trade with Tampa Bay. The Lions sent a 2018 conditional seventh-round draft pick to the Buccaneers.

Detroit also placed tight end Cole Wick (knee) on injured reserve.

Banks, drafted in 2013, has played all 50 of his NFL games with Tampa Bay. He has seven interceptions in his career but does not have a tackle so far this season.

---

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL