Fitzgerald - Patriots "Never Approached Me"

Interesting note from this piece where he says the Patriots never approached him:

"Q: I know you're tight with Tom Brady. To what degree were you hearing about the New England Patriots' interest in you at the trade deadline last season?

A: Nothing at all. I mean, I heard stuff that was being said. But there was never a time where the team approached me. Nothing like that."

Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald talks playoff hopes, trade rumors, more in Q&A | USA Today

not a surprise since that would be considered tampering.

because if the Pats did speak to him, it would have been illegal!

and then headline would have read Patriots caught cheating (again).

I realize that most teams go through agents or friends of agents to gauge the interests of a player that is currently on another team, but their literally was no other answer he could have giving to that question without opening up a can of worms.

How bout they get both Andre Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald!!!

IDK, this doesn't confirm or refute the rumors IMHO. The Pats can't approach a player from another team under contract. Doesn't mean the Pats didn't approach the Cardinals to find out if they could trade for Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald may not know about it unless the Cards were interested in trading him away. If they said flat out "no" to the Pats, they probably wouldn't tell Fitzgerald the Pats made an effort to trade for him.

I tend to doubt the rumors. I think the Pats could have considered making an effort to trade for him and possibly called the Cards to see if they were willing to trade for him, but I doubt the Pats ever made serious effort to trade for Fitzgerald.

Nothing to see here, people. - Officer Barbrady

So were the Patriots the only team that never approached him or were there other teams that didn't approach him as well?

As has been noted, any communication from the Patriots to Fitzgerald would have been tampering. Something tells me that, like other players (Mr. Lawyer Milloy), Fitzgerald didn't know that. Whether or not any conversation was initiated with the Cardinals, I guess we'll never know.

In before the Patriots are stripped of all future first round picks for thinking about improving their roster.

Fitz isn't stupid. Even if they did approach him in one fashion or another he'd say this because players know about tampering.

Ian said:

Interesting note from this piece where he says the Patriots never approached him:

"Q: I know you're tight with Tom Brady. To what degree were you hearing about the New England Patriots' interest in you at the trade deadline last season?

A: Nothing at all. I mean, I heard stuff that was being said. But there was never a time where the team approached me. Nothing like that."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...n-answer-arizona-minnesota-patriots/12497617/

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Correct me if I am wrong but the Patriots really would not be allowed to contact Fitzgerald unless they were granted permission from Arizona.

Edit: Sorry as I read on I noticed this was mentioned.

fnordcircle said:

Fitz isn't stupid. Even if they did approach him in one fashion or another he'd say this because players know about tampering.

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Actually you'd be surprised how many players openly admit to being tampered with and, IMHO, do so in a manner which implies they don't even realize how big of a no-no it is.

I mentioned Lawyer Milloy above. In 2003 when he was asked why he negotiated a potential new deal with the Patriots all summer then at the last second took a hard line stance, he quite non-chalantly replied that his agent told him he had a better offer elsewhere (ahem*Redskins*cough).

I remember being really pissed off about this at the time. Spending the next 2 years winning 2 Super Bowls, including a 21-in-a-row streak, helped alleviate those sore feelings.

SB39 said:

I mentioned Lawyer Milloy above. In 2003 when he was asked why he negotiated a potential new deal with the Patriots all summer then at the last second took a hard line stance, he quite non-chalantly replied that his agent told him he had a better offer elsewhere (ahem*Redskins*cough).

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Did he actually mention the Redskins by name or was that an inference left up to us?

When asked directly about a team if a player said they had talked to them while under contract I'd be shocked if there wasn't an investigation. I can't even remember the last time there was an investigation for tampering. I had to google it and it was back in 2009.

Asked directly about the Patriots if Fitzgerald had said they approached him the **** would have hit the fan and Fitzgerald comes across as a savvy enough cat to know to not implicate a possible future employer.

fnordcircle said:

Did he actually mention the Redskins by name or was that an inference left up to us?

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He specifically mentioned them by name. I'll never forget how pissed off I was over the whole thing and Tagliabue's ridiculous non-response (that is one of the reasons why people who hate Goodell amuse me by their short memories). Milloy wasn't some guy headed for free agency and leaving anyway who was contacted a week before free agency officially began. This was a guy who was here under contract, who was working on a new deal in camp, and who by all accounts was very close to signing that new deal and staying until the last minute tampering took place.

The way he so casually mentioned it in an interview certainly implies he didn't have any clue it was illegal.

Milloy: Redskins made early offer - NFL - ESPN

Milloy said his agent, Carl Poston, "called some teams to see who would want me" before he was cut Tuesday, and added: "The Redskins gave us a bigger offer than the Patriots."

Didnt Mangini tamper with coaches and players on a plane ride back from a game when he went to the Jests? There is no proof because there was no investigation.

patsoxfan said:

Didnt Mangini tamper with coaches and players on a plane ride back from a game when he went to the Jests? There is no proof because there was no investigation.

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Of course not, and as SB39 has stated several times, the act of Player tampering has probably a 100x more tangible affect on teams and the game than filming something 50 feet away from the right spot to do so.

Who knew it was such a crime to talk to a man about playing football. I suppose it's better that we did not talk to him. Everyone would of flipped out and started calling us cheaters again.