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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns linebacker Scott Fujita's chances of winning the appeal of his three-game suspension for his alleged role in the Saints' bounty system took a hit Monday.

An arbitrator on Monday rule that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to discipline Fujita and three other players for their part in the Saints' three-year bounty system, according to NFL.com.

Special Master Stephen Burbank, who heard arguments from the NFL and NFLPA on May 30, took five days to determine that Goodell has jurisdiction to punish the players under the collective bargaining agreement reached last August.

The NFLPA told the Associated Press that it will appeal Burbank's ruling. In addition to Fujita, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the 2012 season, Packers defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove for eight games, and Saints DE Will Smith for four games.

Fujita will formally file his appeal once the NFLPA's grievances are resolved. The other, which argues that Goodell can't suspend players for actions that occurred prior to the new collective bargaining agreement, has yet to be ruled upon.

In a statement to NFL.com, league spokesman Greg Aiello said, "System Arbitrator Stephen Burbank upheld the commissioner's authority under the Collective Bargaining Agreement to impose 'conduct detrimental' discipline on players who provided or offered to provide financial incentives to injure opponents. He also upheld the commissioner's authority to impose such discipline against players who obstructed a league investigation.

"The System Arbitrator thus confirmed the commissioner's authority to suspend Mr. Fujita, Mr. Smith and Mr. Vilma. He invited the commissioner to clarify the precise basis for his discipline of Mr. Hargrove who, among other things, was found to have lied to the league's investigators and obstructed their investigation."