The Carolina Panthers will have to wait for defensive line help.
The NFL announced Wednesday that Frank Alexander has been suspended 10 games for violating the league's policy on substances of abuse. He'll be eligible to return following the team's Week 15 game against the Bucs.
Alexander has yet to play a game in 2014. He was banned for the first four games of this season for a different violation of the substances of abuse policy. He returned to the team Monday, only to be suspended again just two days later.
The 2012 fourth-round pick was expected to give the Panthers' struggling pass rush a boost. He was an integral part of the team's defensive line rotation last season, posting one sack and five QB pressures over three starts. Alexander was even singled out by coach Ron Rivera over the summer as one of the team's two training camp MVPs. The other MVP? Greg Hardy, who is currently on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List while he deals with legal troubles.
In the meantime, Carolina needs Charles Johnson (hip flexor) to get healthy and return to form. He has zero sacks this season after posting 11 a year ago.
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