Broncos Miller Facing Suspension – NFL Roundup For July 23rd

UNDATED (AP) — The Denver Broncos face the prospect of not having Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller when the season stars. A person with knowledge of the situation says Miller will miss the first month of the season for violating the NFL's drug policy, pending an appeal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league hasn't announced any punishment.

The league has a confidentiality clause on such cases and. Broncos spokesman Patrick Smyth said the team is unable to provide any comment.

Miller insists that he did nothing wrong. He tweeted, "I'm sure this'll be resolved fairly."

Miller was the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011 with 11½ sacks and he topped that last season with a franchise-record 18½ sacks while making it to his second straight Pro Bowl.

Also in the NFL, the New York Jets have signed rookie quarterback Geno Smith to a four-year package worth about $5 million. Smith was selected in the second round of this year's draft and is competing with incumbent Mark Sanchez for the starting job.

The Houston Texans have signed first-round pick DeAndre Hopkins, giving them seven of nine 2013 draft picks now under contract. The wide receiver is a deep threat who could be the complement for star receiver Andre Johnson that the Texans long have sought.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have nullified their trade for Eric Wright after the cornerback failed his physical.

Wright was traded by Tampa Bay to the 49ers on Friday in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2014, one week after he was arrested in Los Angeles on an unspecified misdemeanor charge.

The Buccaneers released Wright once the deal was canceled.

Forty-niners coach Jim Harbaugh declined to say specifically what portion of the physical Wright failed.

UNDATED (AP) — The NFL and players union are talking again about starting to test for human growth hormone as early as the upcoming season. The labor agreement that ended the NFL lockout in 2011 allowed the league to test players for HGH, once the union approved the process. The NFL Players Association says it favors testing, but has reservations about the appeals process.

An email obtained by The Associated Press from the NFL Players Association indicates that the league and the NFLPA have jointly hired a doctor to conduct a study on NFL players to determine a good threshold for a positive HGH test. The email was sent by the union to players, in part to explain that the study requires them to have blood drawn during their physical when training camp begins. The email said the blood samples will only be used for the study.

Supplemental HGH is a banned substance that is hard to detect and used by athletes for what are believed to be a variety of benefits, whether real or only perceived — such as increasing speed and improving vision.