ASHBURN, Va. (AP)—It was apparently too much to ask. The Washington
Redskins just can’t seem to get through a season without a major off-the-field
distraction.

Players and coaches waited Monday for the NFL to formally announce that two
of Washington’s top offensive players—tight end Fred Davis(notes) and left tackle
Trent Williams(notes)—will be suspended for the rest of the season for violating the
league’s substance abuse policy, a blow to coach Mike Shanahan’s hopes to build
a team with a reputation for high-character players.

“It’s just something else that’s kind of added to the Redskins drama,”
linebacker Lorenzo Alexander(notes) said.

Shanahan said he expected to hear something from the league office “within
the next 24 hours” about Davis and Williams. He otherwise danced around many
questions about the topic, citing NFL confidentially rules.

Davis and Williams are expected to be suspended for the Redskins’ remaining
four games, two people with familiar with the decision told The Associated Press
on Sunday. The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because no official
announcement had been made.

One of the people told the AP that Davis and Williams were among 11 who
failed drug tests during a lockout-related grace period negotiated between the
NFL and the players’ union. The other nine players’ cases were dismissed because
they were first-time offenders; Davis and Williams each has tested positive more
than once, the person told the AP.

“It is disappointing,” Alexander said, “because everybody’s aware of the
rules and how the NFL carries out the drug policy.”

Shanahan said Davis and Williams reported as usual to the training facility
Monday and were watching film, presumably of Sunday’s 34-19 loss to the New York
Jets. Neither player appeared in the locker room during the period it was open
to reporters.

Near their corner lockers was a reminder of how hard it is for a player to
ignore the league’s drug policy. A notice written on bright green paper attached
to long snapper Nick Sundberg’s(notes) locker read: “You have been randomly selected
by the NFL drug testing program’s medical adviser to complete a urine doping
test today.” The word “today” was underlined.

“It’ll be tough. It’s two guys that we count on a lot in the offense,”
receiver Jabar Gaffney(notes) said. “It would be hard to replace those guys, but we
have to.”

The suspensions would have major ramifications for each player as well as
the team. Davis was becoming the offense’s most reliable playmaker with 59
catches for 796 yards—both team-highs. The 2008 second-round draft pick is due
to become a free agent at the end of the season. This mistake will undoubtedly
cost him millions because another positive test could cause him to be suspended
for one year, a chance many teams—including the Redskins—might not want to
take.

Tight end was Washington’s strongest position entering the season, but Chris
Cooley(notes) is done for the year with a left knee injury. Logan Paulsen(notes) has worked
his way up from third string by default and will likely start the upcoming game
against the New England Patriots.

Williams is an especially troubling case for Shanahan because the No. 4
overall pick in 2010 was the first player drafted by the coach in Washington.
Williams is very mobile for an offensive lineman, but he’s had growing pains
adjusting to the NFL game and has yet to come close to the multi-Pro Bowl level
one expects from a player chosen with such a lofty pick.

“They’re both great guys,” Alexander said. “Obviously this is going to
create a different perception of them off the field. But I know these guys
intimately, being in here every day with them. Both guys I love dearly, great
teammates, and they go out there bust their butt every time they’re on the
field.”

The Redskins (4-8) have lost seven of eight, but at least up to now they had
appeared relatively well-behaved. Players were happy to report early in the
season that they were becoming a boring team, a sharp contrast to the Donovan
McNabb(notes) and Albert Haynesworth(notes) distractions of 2010 and the many other sagas of
recent years. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall’s(notes) occasional outbursts and a highly
criticized defamation suit filed by owner Dan Snyder were among the few bits of
extra static in 2011.

While Shanahan wouldn’t discuss the details concerning Davis or Williams,
the coach reiterated his focus on finding and keeping high-character talent.

“We know to put your best football team together you need talented
players,” Shanahan said. “You also need players with high character. You can
get to the playoffs with a lot of talented players, but to get to the Super
Bowl, to be the top organization, you’ve got to have character.

“We’ll make mistakes along the way, and it doesn’t mean that we’re going to
just drop somebody because they make a mistake. But we’re going to make sure
they’re made of the right stuff.”

AP Pro Football Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this report.

Joseph White can be reached at http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Read More: Fred Davis (TE – WAS), Trent Williams (OT – WAS), Washington Redskins

Two Washington Redskins, Fred Davis and Trent Williams, will be suspended for four games for failing a drug test, according to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Jim Trotter. The players will play for Washington in NFL Week 13 vs. the Jets, and the suspensions will begin next week because the league had not provided written notification of the discipline.

Davis and Williams were aware of the punishment, according to Trotter.

More details from Trotter’s full report on SI.com:

Davis and Williams were informed earlier in the week that they would be suspended for the year because their positive test for marijuana occurred during the season and was at least their third offense under the policy. However, the discipline was reduced as part of a negotiated settlement involving the 11 players who failed drug tests in the two- to four-week grace period that followed the end of the lockout.

Per the settlement, there would be no discipline for those who tested positive during the grace period. Davis and Williams were in the group, but their suspensions stem from positive tests during the season, not the grace period.

The Washington Post‘s Rick Maese added some local perspective via Twitter:

We asked Davis and Williams about these tests two weeks ago. Neither had been contacted by league but both seemed to be aware of results. Redskins team spokesman said the team has no knowledge of pending suspensions for Davis or Williams.

On Sunday, Davis had a 42-yard catch in the first quarter that set up a Redskins touchdown.

For updates and info on these two teams, visit the Jets vs. Redskins 2011 StoryStream. Get more fan perspective at our Jets blog Gang Green Nation and Redskins blog Hogs Haven.

Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said that nine injured players all are probable for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, marking the first time in weeks that Washington won’t find itself without starters at multiple key positions.

Trent Williams (strained MCL) will start at left tackle despite being hobbled all week.

“I feel good. I’m going to give it a go. I can’t complain,” said Williams, who will wear a brace on his knee. ”I fully anticipate [starting]. It’s very important to me. I missed two weeks already and I couldn’t stand seeing my team going to battle without me.”

Meanwhile, wide receiver Santana Moss (hand) is expected to start after four weeks on the sideline.

Other banged up players listed as probable for the Redskins are right tackle Jammal Brown (groin), safeties LaRon Landry (Achilles’ tendon), DeJon Gomes (knee), left guard Maurice Hurt (knee), backup tackle Sean Locklear (ankle), cornerback Josh Wilson (hamstring) and backup linebacker Keyaron Fox (infection).

The only players who are questionable for Sunday’s game are receivers Niles Paul (turf toe) and Donte Stallworth (foot).

“It was encouraging,” Shanahan said. “It’s been a week of healing, but we looked pretty good today, so hopefully there are no setbacks.”

Washington Redskins left tackle Trent Williams said that tests conducted on his left knee indicate there are no torn ligaments, but the second-year pro doesn’t yet know if he will miss playing time.

Williams went down in a heap while blocking on the field goal unit during Graham Gano’s missed 52-yarder in overtime. Williams limped off the field with the help of the team’s trainers.

After the game, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said that head athletic trainer Larry Hess told him that Williams’s medial collateral ligament (MCL) “didn’t look good,” but the coach didn’t have any further details on the injury at the time.

Monday morning, Williams had his knee wrapped, but said it was “just sore,” and that he was relieved not to have suffered a tear.

Williams last season suffered a sprain to the same knee in a Week 2 loss to Houston (a 30-27 overtime defeat) and missed two games.

Williams has missed two games this season with a high ankle sprain.