Dolphins lose another starter after NFL determines punishment for Walton’s 3 arrests
The NFL suspended Dolphins running back Mark Walton for four games Monday for violating NFL’s conduct and substance abuse policies, his punishment for three arrests in a span of three months last offseason.
Walton’s unpaid suspension began immediately and will run through the Dolphins’ Dec. 1 game against the Eagles. He will be allowed to be at the facility and attend meetings during the suspension but he can’t practice or play in games.
The suspension came seven days after the Dolphins traded Kenyan Drake to the Cardinals, but it was no surprise to the organization. The club had been in communication with the NFL for several weeks and knew it was likely.
“The conduct of our players is very important and Mark has done everything we have asked of him both on and off the field since signing with the Dolphins,” coach Brian Flores said. “We look forward to having him back at the conclusion of his suspension.”
With Walton and Drake now unavailable to the team, Kalen Ballage and rookies Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin will all get more work. But it’s a double-whammy for the Dolphins, who lost their leading receiver, Preston Williams, for the season with a knee injury suffered Sunday.
Walton was arrested three times in South Florida early in the calendar year, and faced a felony gun charge and two drug offenses, among others.
In August, Walton agreed to close his three cases by accepting a term of six months of “administrative” probation, which meant he did not have to report to a probation officer.
But the sentence was technically illegal because, under Florida law, judges didn’t have the authority to give administrative probation. Only the Florida Department of Corrections could seek administrative probation, and only after someone serves at least half of a regular probation term reporting to an officer regularly.
Prosecutors later acknowledged they allowed an illegal sentence. A Miami-Dade judge, less than one month after Walton agreed to the plea deal, vacated the probation.
