Washington cornerback Bashaud Breeland will serve a one-game suspension to open the 2015 season, stemming from a citation for marijuana possession from last summer, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). The penalty will sideline Breeland for the club’s Week 1 contest at home against the Dolphins.
Breeland, 23, was cited for marijuana possession on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University last August, before he had played in a regular-season NFL game. However, the incident didn’t stop him from earning a starting job for Washington and playing nearly 900 defensive snaps for the team in 2014.
The fourth-round pick was a below-average defender in his rookie year, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), with his 13 penalties negatively impacting his grade. However, even after Washington went out and added Chris Culliver in free agency, Breeland still projects as a starter in the team’s secondary in 2015. In Week 1, either DeAngelo Hall or David Amerson figures to get the opportunity to start across from Culliver.