Brandon Meriweather: Another Red Flag for Bears' New DB After Incident at Home

Brandon Meriweather is once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after James Roberts was charged with raping a woman in the safety’s Foxboro home in July, according to Roman Modrowski of ESPNChicago.com.

The Chicago Bears have stated they did not know of the incident when they signed Meriweather. It's unclear if Meriweather was home at the time.

Neither Meriweather nor his agent Joby Branion have commented on the matter.

It was surprising when the New England Patriots released the two-time Pro Bowler two weeks ago, but there does not appear to be a link between the alleged rape and his release.

Back in 2006, the 27-year-old defensive back was involved in two controversies.

First, he returned gunfire at an individual who had shot Miami (FL) teammate Willie Cooper. The police decided Meriweather was acting purely in self defense and, since he legally owned the gun, decided not to charge him.

And then, during the infamous Hurricanes brawl with Florida International, Meriweather was seen kicking several players and was suspended for his actions, as reported by ESPN.

Since there have been no reports of Meriweather being involved, he shouldn't be subject to any disciplinary action from commissioner Roger Goodell. However, Goodell has made it clear that anything that casts a negative shadow on the NFL will be reviewed.

The Bears will also have a decision to make. Meriweather made two tackles in his first game with the team on Sunday and would be a nice asset for the defense once he becomes fully acclimated. However, if they feel he or his agent purposely misguided them during negotiations, it would be a dangerous standard to set.

The fifth-year safety has 265 tackles, 12 interceptions, four forced fumbles, two sacks and a touchdown in his career. He excels in run support, which wasn't necessarily a need of the Bears after giving up the second-fewest rushing yards in the league last season.

Major Wright was still listed as the starter for Chicago's Week 1 destruction of the Atlanta Falcons and made four tackles. If this incident becomes a distraction, the Bears could survive without Meriweather.

While it may seem like the problems around Meriweather have a “wrong place at the wrong time” feel, there appears to be a trend developing. Should he be fully cleared on any blame in the alleged attack, he would be best off staying out of the spotlight for awhile.

Goodell has come down hard on repeat offenders in the past and Meriweather can't afford much more negative press before he finds himself in the commissioner's office.

That said, final judgment should be reserved until all of the facts have been released.