Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon suspended four games

Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon has been suspended for the first four games of the 2017 season for violating the league’s PED policy.

Baltimore Ravens running back Kenneth Dixon has been suspended for the first four games of the upcoming 2017 NFL season for violating the league’s PED policy, per Jeff Zrebiec on Twitter.

According to Dixon, via Zrebiec, he “mistakenly took a substance without the proper NFL medical exemption.” Dixon’s suspension makes the Ravens’ recent signing of Danny Woodhead make a lot of sense.

Dixon was a fourth-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft, and was part of a running back committee with Terrance West last season.

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Dixon was on the wrong end of that committee, being the lesser-used back in favor of West, but has been viewed as a young player with a lot of potential by many people on and around the team, including coach John Harbaugh.

Dixon finished last season with 88 rushes for 382 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with 30 catches for 162 receiving yards and one touchdown.

This looks to be a major speed bump in Kenneth Dixon’s young career, as the 23-year-old had a real chance to supplant Terrance West as the starting running back and share the load with the newly-signed Woodhead, who is more a receiving and third-down back than an every-down back.

Now, with Dixon out the first four games of the season, the Baltimore Ravens will likely have to roll with a committee of West and Woodhead, unless they choose to sign someone else or work in someone like Lorenzo Taliaferro or Buck Allen.

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After his four-game suspension is up, we’ll see what Dixon’s role ends up being on the team. If West and Woodhead are working really well without him, it’s likely Dixon will be relegated to a backup/change of pace role.

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