The suspended players in the New Orleans Saints bounty case have reportedly filed appeals of the latest penalties imposed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Both NFL.com and ESPN have reported that Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita have appealed the discipline Goodell announced Tuesday.
After an appeals panel in September overturned the penalties Goodell initially disclosed in May, the commissioner re-issued his decision earlier this week with a few changes.
Hargrove, currently a free agent, had an eight-game ban cut to seven games and Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, had a three-game penalty trimmed to one game. Vilma's suspension remained season-long and Smith's four-game ban also held firm.
If Hargrove is signed by a team, he will only serve a two-game suspension after receiving credit for the five games he already has missed this season.
Fujita has appeared in three games for the Browns, while Smith has appeared in all five games for the Saints. Vilma hasn't played in a game this season because of a knee injury and Goodell's recent ruling has allowed for the linebacker to accumulate time served while he was being paid during his time on the physically unable to perform list.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.