Earlier this week, we at Football Insiders noted that NFL teams have not shown any hesitation to add a player caught up in off-field issues pertaining to physically absuive behavior this offseason.

That might not be the case next year.

With the annoucement of Greg Hardy’s 10-game unpaid suspension on Wednesday, the league finally may have disincentivized similar personnel moves to the point where teams will have to think long and hard about adding someone like Hardy to their roster.

Public and media outcry is not enough to make teams and players pay attention, but a league showing some disciplinary teeth should be.

And this is the most bite Roger Goodell has yet to display pertaining to an off-field event.

Hardy and the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him to a one-year, $11.5 million deal, probably figured they were out of the woods. Hardy spent the final 15 games of last season on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he earned a paycheck but was unable to play while his legal situation played out.

That situation initially did not play out in his favor.

Hardy was found guilty of misdemeanor charges of assault on a female after abusing his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder. Hardy threw her into a bathtub, tossed her on a futon covered with assault rifles, then slammed a toilet seat down on her arm as she tried to retrieve a necklace he tossed into the bowl.

Very romantic guy.

Hardy was initially sentenced to 60 days in jail and 18 months probation. But he appealed the ruling and requested a trial by jury.

Holder made herself unavailable as a witness after Hardy reached a finanical settlement with her — in other words, hush money — and the case fell apart. He was off, scott-free.

Despite all the previous mistakes he’s made in office, Goodell was wise to step in after the legal system proved that money removes the alleged blindfold of justice.

A thorough investigation was conducted by Lisa Friel, a former Manhattan prosecutor who headed New York County’s Sex Crimes Unit who will now work for the NFL.

This is no longer a commissioner randomly doling out punishment. This is a professional operation.

The league’s image has taken too severe a hit for Goodell to remain the sole judge, jury and executioner. The things that were allowed to slide just 12 months ago are being rendered obsolete.

The message is being sent — if teams aren’t going to take a player’s character into account when signing him, Goodell is going to make them wish they did.