A Timeline of the NFL's Embarrassing Offseason

From the New Orleans Saints' alleged bounty program to the heightened awareness of the devastating long-term effects of concussions and a handful of player arrests, this offseason is certainly one the NFL would like to soon forget. 

After another epic Super Bowl battle between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, and with a heralded draft class awaiting, the NFL couldn't have had a brighter future. 

Then, the season ended.

Chaos ensued.

Let's take a look back at one of the most tumultuous offseasons in pro football history. 

February 18: Lions RB Mikel LeShoure Arrested

LeShoure, the Detroit Lions' 2011 second-round pick, tore his Achilles tendon prior to last season and has yet to play a down in the NFL.

After being pulled over for speeding in Michigan, the former Illini running back was found with a gram of marijuana in his BMW on February 18, according to MLive.com. 

When a friend was later pulled over by police on March 12, LeShoure was caught shoving marijuana in his mouth in the passenger seat, according to the same report. 

This was just the beginning for the Lions and the NFL's off-field issues.

March 2: NFL Announces It Has Evidence of Saints Bounty Program

This day will forever live in infamy for New Orleans Saints fans and the entire NFL. 

We learned so much about the ruthlessness that sometimes comes with professional football, and discovered the Saints were giving their players financial incentives to injure opposing players. 

The investigation actually began in 2010, but it wasn't until this day in March that the NFL released to the public it had evidence players and coaches, most notably defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, formulated and actively participated in the despicable program that dated back to 2009 (via the New York Times).

The league also discovered Saints head coach Sean Payton tried to hide the pool from the league when the initial investigation began. 

New Orleans' bounty program instantly became the worst team scandal in football history, and led to the indefinite suspension of Williams.

Meanwhile, Payton and linebacker Jonathan Vilma were handed year-long suspensions.

Vilma reportedly put out a $10,000 bounty on Brett Favre during the 2009 NFC Championship Game, and was considered a ringleader for the program (via Peter King of Sports Illustrated).

April 3: Nick Fairley Arrested

The Detroit Lions defensive tackle was arrested for marijuana possession on April 3, according to FoxNews.com.

Like teammate Mikel LeShoure, Fairley couldn't stay out of trouble following his first run in with the law. 

According to Fox10TV.com (via ESPN), on May 27, he was charged with DUI and attempting to elude police after he sped passed a patrol car at 100 mph. 

More bad news for the up-and-comers in Detroit. 

April 5: Documentary Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon Releases Greg Williams Audio

As if things weren't going bad enough for the Saints organization, when Sean Pamphilon uploaded this audio clip to YouTube, the public was introduced to the true heinousness of Saints' bounty schemes. 

From Williams telling his players to "kill the head so the body will die," to his targeting of the knees of San Francisco 49ers players, this was quite the black eye for New Orleans' football franchise. 

Early May: Ex-NFL Players Sue League for Concussion-Related Injuries

Many former NFL players had already filed a lawsuit against the league, but the stunning May 3 death of legendary linebacker Junior Seau spurned more ex-players to join in, per WGNTV.com.

The number of guys looking for compensation from the NFL seemingly grows every day—men who claim the league knew about potential long-term effects of repeated head trauma, but never made information available to players. 

This is an on-going legal battle that will have long-lasting ramifications on how the NFL operates in the future. 

Not only do the lawsuits weigh heavily on the NFL, but the true danger involved while playing football has sent shockwaves through our society and into the mind's of parents across the country. 

May 17: Jonathan Vilma Sues NFL for Defamation

After being suspended for a full season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Jonathan Vilma filed a defamation lawsuit against the league. 

According to CBSSports.com, which obtained the "Jonathan Vilma vs. Roger Goodell" lawsuit, the Saints linebacker "alleges that Goodell in 'speaking publicly' about the linebacker 'made public statements concerning Vilma which were false, defamator and injurious' to Vilma's reputation."

The NFL would go on to file a grievance against the NFLPA over Vilma's lawsuit. 

More legal headaches for the league. 

June 4: Justin Blackmon Arrested on Aggravated DUI Charge

Not only did the Jacksonville Jaguars make Justin Blackmon their first-round selection in the 2012 draft, they traded up to get him. 

Just over a month later, on June 3, the former Oklahoma State star was arrested on a DUI charge when authorities said his BAC was three times the legal limit after pulling him over in Stillwater, per the Associated Press (via ESPN).

In a stunning development following the humiliating arrest, Blackmon decided to plead not guilty to the charges, according to ESPN.

Huh?

June 10: David Diehl Arrested for Suspicion of DWI

Two-time Super Bowl champion David Diehl was the next big-name player to get caught driving while intoxicated. 

WNBC-TV's Shimon Prokupecz was the first to the report the news, and his source told him Diehl's BAC was .18 at the time of his arrest. 

July 11: Robert Kraft Video Incident

The video has since been blocked from the public, but the 71-year-old New England Patriots owner—a man with a stellar reputation around the league—recorded an awkward and somewhat creepy audition tape with "pal" Ricki Noel Lander. 

According to ProFootballTalk, Kraft was reading Owen Wilson's lines for an upcoming movie, and those lines included an expletive and some raunchy verbiage. 

Not exactly the worst news for the NFL, especially compared to other incidents this offseason, but embarrassing nonetheless. 

July 14: Elvis Dumervil and Marshawn Lynch Arrested

Per CBSDenver, the Broncos defensive end was arrested for assault with a firearm in Miami. 

The investigation is ongoing, but it's not easy to get out of a charge that involves a gun. 

That same day, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested in California on suspicion of DUI. 

In a report filed by the San Jose Mercury News, Lynch, who's already violated the NFL's personal conduct policy twice, had a BAC over the legal limit of .08. 

July 17: Dez Bryant Arrested for Family Violence

According to MyFoxDFW.com, the talented Cowboys receiver was arrested for assaulting a female family member (his mother), when DeSoto, Texas police responded to a family violence call. 

The most recent and probably most unusual police run-in for an NFL player. 

Think the NFL is ready for training camp to start?