May 23, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams tight end Brody Eldridge (81) catches a ball during an OTA at ContinuityX Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

So much for making a good impression with your new team. Rams tight end Brody Eldridge, who was claimed off waivers a few weeks ago from the Indianapolis Colts, has been suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

There haven’t been many specifics released yet, and it’s unclear at this point whether the Colts knew about the positive test before placing Eldridge on waivers. The good news is that the Rams have plenty of depth at the position, so losing Eldridge for four games certainly won’t be debilitating. On the flip side of that coin, the suspension certainly won’t help Eldridge secure a roster spot and considering that there should be a pretty intense competition at tight end, that could be a problem.

I like Eldridge, and I think he can be a nice fit on this roster. I don’t know if I like him enough to deal with a substance abuse violation, but I’ll be fine with whatever the Rams decide. If they knew about the suspension before claiming him, then it shouldn’t have much of an impact on his roster status. If not, then he might be in trouble.