NFL notebook: Bucs' Winston facing 3-game suspension

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is expected to be suspended for at least the first three games of the 2018 season for violating the NFL's violating personal conduct policy, multiple media outlets reported Thursday. Winston will be suspended before July 4 and possibly as early as Friday, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The top overall pick in the 2015 draft, Winston's punishment is the result of an investigation into allegations that he groped a female Uber driver in March 2016. Neither Winston nor the team has been notified of the impending suspension, the NFL Network reported, citing sources. Both the network and the Tampa Bay Times reported that Winston could face more than a three-game suspension, with the newspaper adding that he is not expected to appeal. The NFL announced in November that it was investigating the Uber incident in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Uber driver told BuzzFeed News that she picked up Winston around 2 a.m. local time on March 13, 2016. The driver alleged Winston "behaved poorly" as soon as he got in the car, and then asked her to stop at a drive-thru restaurant during the ride. While in line, the driver said Winston, who was the only passenger in the car, reached over and "grabbed" her crotch for three to five seconds. Winston has maintained his innocence and former Florida State teammate and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby said he was with the quarterback in the backseat of the car and nothing occurred. --Denver Broncos first-round pick Bradley Chubb signed his rookie contract, the team announced. While the Broncos did not divulge the specific terms of the deal, Mike Klis of KUSA reported that Chubb's four-year contract -- with a team option for a fifth season -- is expected to be worth a total of $27.27 million with a $17.914 million signing bonus. Chubb becomes the ninth member of the 10-player draft class for the Broncos, who have yet to sign third-round running back Royce Freeman. The 21-year-old Chubb recorded 25 sacks and 54.4 tackles for loss with North Carolina State. He registered 10 sacks in each of his last two seasons with the Wolfpack. --The Cincinnati Bengals signed rookie defensive end Sam Hubbard and linebacker Malik Jefferson, the team announced. Hubbard and Jefferson, who were both third-round selections in the 2018 NFL Draft, signed four-year contracts with a fifth-year option. Cincinnati now has its 11-player draft class under contract. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Hubbard was taken at No. 77 overall, one slot ahead of Jefferson. Hubbard started 22 of 40 games in three seasons at Ohio State. He recorded 116 career tackles, including 29.5 for losses, and 17 sacks. Jefferson appeared in 34 games (30 starts) for Texas and amassed 223 tackles, including 25.5 for losses, and 12.0 sacks. He also had six pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He was the Big 12 Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. --New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, per a published report. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, citing Anderson's attorney, said that the wide receiver received six months of non-reporting probation. Felony charges from Anderson's arrest in January had previously been dropped. Anderson was arrested on Jan. 19 on suspicion of multiple charges after he allegedly failed to yield during a traffic stop. The felony charge for reckless driving was downgraded to a misdemeanor. --One week after a report that the Oakland Raiders were bracing for possible disciplinary action against wide receiver Martavis Bryant, another story out of the Bay Area offered a positive outlook for the team's recent acquisition. Bryant, according to Vic Tafur of the Athletic, has not been notified by the NFL of any pending discipline. Furthermore, the report says that Bryant is clean and hasn't missed a drug test. The NFL has not commented on either report against Bryant, who was acquired by the Raiders from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Bryant was suspended for the entire 2016 season due to multiple violations of the league's policy on substance abuse while he was with the Steelers. Last week, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Oakland team officials were awaiting word on whether Bryant was facing additional punishment from the NFL. --Defensive end Shaq Lawson said he's received his wake-up call from the Buffalo Bills. Bills coach Sean McDermott said earlier this offseason that Lawson needs to step up, leading to speculation that the 2016 first-round pick (19th overall) possibly could be left off the roster come September. General manager Brandon Beane didn't calm the waters after telling reporters that Lawson's "training camp will tell a lot about where his career in Buffalo is headed." "Shoot, I've been on the trading block I feel like," Lawson said, via The Athletic. "I've just been seeing it. Yeah, it's been a wake-up call. I've been hearing trade rumors and then I kind of realized, 'I'm a first-round pick, third-year now. It's time to wake up.'" --New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is very popular despite having yet to play an NFL game. Barkley's No. 26 jersey has been the NFL's top seller this week and for the last 30 days, according to DICK'S Sporting Goods Jersey Report. The second overall pick of the 2018 draft even posted his first victory over an NFL East rival, with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz -- who was last season's top seller -- now relegated to second in that regard. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott were listed as No. 3 and 4, respectively, while Denver Broncos edge rusher Von Miller rounds out the top five. --Johnny Manziel is still waiting to get on the field in the Canadian Football League. That said, Hamilton Tiger-Cats June Jones has seen enough of Manziel in practice to predict that the former Cleveland Browns quarterback will find his way back to the NFL. "I've been pleasantly surprised the last three weeks what a good teammate he is, how smart he is, how he sees the game," Jones said, per ESPN.com. "He should be playing in the National Football League and I believe he will when he gets through with us." Manziel, who signed a two-year contract with Hamilton in May, is serving at the backup to incumbent starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. --Terry McAulay has retired as a referee from the NFL, league senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron announced. McAulay became the first NFL referee to work three Super Bowls with less than five years of experience. He worked in Super Bowls XXXIX, XLIII and XLVII. The 59-year-old McAulay joined the NFL as a side judge in 1998 and became a referee three years later. McAulay is the third official to retire after the 2017 season, joining Jeff Triplette and Ed Hochuli. --The Philadelphia Eagles presented former long snapper Jon Dorenbos with a Super Bowl ring. Dorenbos spent 11 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Eagles but was not part of the team during the 2017 championship season. In fact, Dorenbos was traded to the New Orleans Saints during the preseason. During his team physical in New Orleans, doctors discovered an aortic aneurism that required open-heart surgery. Dorenbos was overwhelmed by both his emotions and the size of the ring -- "It's huge!" -- during Thursday's ceremony. The team posted a video of Dorenbos receiving the ring on its official Twitter site. "I was here a long time, so it's really cool they did this," said Dorenbos, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. "I'm honored to say the Eagles have given me a Super Bowl ring."