NAPA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson, who signed with the team as a free agent in March, said Monday night he will serve an NFL-mandated four-game suspension to start the season after violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Lawson tweeted that he unknowingly ingested ostarine, which is a banned substance by the NFL.
— Nevin Lawson (@nevin_lawson) August 6, 2019
Lawson, 28, was a fourth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2014 out of Utah State. In five seasons with the Lions, he appeared in 62 games (54 starts) but has yet to record an interception. He does have 94 career tackles and 25 passes defensed.
Expected to provide depth at cornerback behind starters Gareon Conley and Daryl Worley and slot corner Lamarcus Joyner, Lawson was listed as the Raiders' third left cornerback, behind Worley and rookie Trayvon Mullen, on their first "unofficial" depth chart of 2019, released earlier Monday.
Neither the Raiders nor the NFL has announced the suspension. The Raiders were off from camp on Monday but resume practice Tuesday and have joint workouts with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday and Thursday before facing them in each team's preseason opener Saturday in Oakland.