Days after T.J. McDonald learned of his eight-game suspension, he found a new home.
The Miami Dolphins announced the signing of the free-agent safety on Friday. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, it's a one-year deal with the team.
The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero first reported the signing was for the veteran minimum. Salguero noted that McDonald had multiple offers, but chose the Dolphins based on opportunity and a fresh start away from the West Coast -- where he went to college at USC and played last season for the Rams.
"The whole attitude of this team plays ball the right way and it's something that I want to be a part of," McDonald said in comments provided by the Dolphins.
McDonald is suspended for the first eight games of the 2017 regular season for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse, stemming from a May 2016 arrest and misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of drugs.
"This is something that will never happen again and I've learned (from it) and owned up to (it)," McDonald said. "I definitely want to grow from (it). (My) priorities changed, everything's changed. This whole experience is something I'm definitely going to grow from. Whatever I can do to help this team is what I'm ready to do."
McDonald can participate in offseason workouts and meetings during his half-season suspension.
Once he's eligible to take the field for games, the hard-hitting cover man should have the opportunity to earn a large role down the stretch, in what should be another playoff push for the Dolphins.
Miami lost both starting safeties to injury last season. Reshad Jones returns as one of the best all-purpose safeties in the NFL, but 2016 free-agent signee Isa Abdul-Quddus was released this offseason after suffering a neck injury that jeopardizes his NFL career.
Sitting at No. 18 on Around The NFL's list of the top 101 free agents, if McDonald lives up to his athletic abilities after serving his suspension, his midseason return could give Miami one of the best safety tandems in the NFL.
