Following a review and a hearing, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell determined Friday that the
Detroit Lions violated the league's anti-tampering policy by publicly commenting about their desire to acquire players then under contract to the
Kansas City Chiefs.
The
Lions also were cited for impermissible contact with a player (or his agent) then under contract to the
Chiefs.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the player in question was safety Jarrad Page, whom the
Chiefs traded to the
New England Patriots last year.
Goodell decided on the following disciplinary action to resolve the matter:
» The
Lions will forfeit their seventh-round selection (acquired from the
Denver Broncos) in the 2011
NFL Draft.
» The
Chiefs and
Lions will switch fifth-round picks in the 2011 draft. As a result, Kansas City now owns the ninth selection in that round and Detroit the 23rd.
» Either team may appeal the decision by advising Goodell in writing of its desire to do so by Feb. 28.
The violations occurred in 2010 and center around
Lions defensive coordinator
Gunther Cunningham, who served as the
Chiefs' coordinator from 1995 to 2000. He told the
Free Press that he wouldn't mind signing players the
Chiefs might release.
"(Kansas City) keeps wanting to dump their players. I would like to be there to catch a lot of them because I know a couple of those guys," Cunningham told the newspaper in February 2010.
The
Chiefs filed tampering charges against the
Lions to initiate the proceeding.
