Report: NFLPA Investigating Patriots Over Malcolm Butler’s OTA Absence Read more at: http://nesn.co

FourierSeries · Jun 11, 2015

NFL Media’s Albert Breer reported Thursday that the NFLPA is investigating whether the Patriots violated Article 21, Section5(a) of the collective bargaining agreement, which states that teams can’t handle voluntary workouts as though they’re mandatory. Here’s the exact wording of the section: “No Club official may indicate to a player that the Club’s offseason workout program or classroom instruction is not voluntary (or that a player’s failure to participate in a workout program or classroom instruction will result in the player’s failure to make the Club or result in any other adverse consequences affecting his working conditions). Contact work (e.g., “live” blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run) is expressly prohibited in all offseason workouts.”

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2015/06/report-nflpa-investigating-patriots-over-malcolm-butlers-ota-absence/

Great.

Ross12 · Jun 11, 2015

Those damn Cheatriots cheat so much, they even cheat their own players!!!!!

Kdo5 · Jun 11, 2015

Worst offseason ever. And we just won a Super Bowl. Unbelievable. I can already envision the headlines of this story. It'll probably be on national news too. More **** to fling at us.

Dr Pain · Jun 11, 2015

IMO this is a **** move by the Patriots. Kraft caves to Roger and then feels like a man by picking on a kid who saved his butt.

neuronet · Jun 11, 2015

Dr Pain said:
IMO this is a **** move by the Patriots. Kraft caves to Roger and then feels like a man by picking on a kid who saved his butt.

This punishment has nothing to do with Kraft.

5thRing-Hunt · Jun 11, 2015

why is it so hard to stay out of the headlines and just have a normal season of football?

FourierSeries · Jun 11, 2015

5thRing-Hunt said:
why is it so hard to stay out of the headlines and just have a normal season of football?

How would that be any fun?

5thRing-Hunt · Jun 11, 2015

FourierSeries said:
How would that be any fun?

I've had enough fun since the afc champ game. I think it's time to let other teams have some "fun"

Palm Beach Pats Fan · Jun 11, 2015

“No Club official may indicate to a player that the Club’s offseason workout program or classroom instruction is not voluntary (or that a player’s failure to participate in a workout program or classroom instruction will result in the player’s failure to make the Club or result in any other adverse consequences affecting his working conditions). Contact work (e.g., “live” blocking, tackling, pass rushing, bump-and-run) is expressly prohibited in all offseason workouts.”

---------
They would need to prove that skipping the on-field work and instead doing something else indoors is an adverse consequence that has affected his working conditions.

That doesn't seem easy at all to establish.

PatsFanSince74 · Jun 11, 2015

Dr Pain said:
IMO this is a **** move by the Patriots. Kraft caves to Roger and then feels like a man by picking on a kid who saved his butt.

This is a coaches' decision. Kraft would have nothing to do with it and Belichick wouldn't let him be involved even if he wanted to.

PatsFanSince74 · Jun 11, 2015

Kdo5 said:
Worst offseason ever. And we just won a Super Bowl. Unbelievable. I can already envision the headlines of this story. It'll probably be on national news too. More **** to fling at us.

When you're in the cross-hairs, you're in the cross-hairs.

borg · Jun 11, 2015

This "story' makes no sense....allowing Butler total access to OTAs....except on field activities???? My gut tells me the reporter did not have all the facts and NE sees no benefit in issuing a clarification. Common sense tells me Butler must be recovering from an injury. We'll see

PP2 · Jun 11, 2015

borg said:
My gut tells me the reporter did not have all the facts and NE sees no benefit in issuing a clarification. Common sense tells me Butler must be recovering from an injury. We'll see

They will now have to.

shmessy · Jun 11, 2015

Dr Pain said:
IMO this is a **** move by the Patriots. Kraft caves to Roger and then feels like a man by picking on a kid who saved his butt.

Kraft has nothing to do with this.

This is Belichick's call and anyone who knows anything about the Patriots understands that.

Has some folks' irrational hatred gone that far?

SVN · Jun 11, 2015

Its nothing to do with the discipline. Its the pats so "lets investigate" . Thats all.

patriot1136 · Jun 11, 2015

This better not get spun into some kind of cheating scandal too.
Not to mention, what happened with the Jaguars and them having contact practices where Fowler tore his ACL?

RunAmok · Jun 11, 2015

FourierSeries said:
Great.

Unless there is some impact to a bonus, how can the Pats be in trouble for banning someone from a voluntary activity. Doesn't the nature of voluntary make it a two way street?

Deus Irae · Jun 11, 2015

Good move by the NFLPA. It's what they are there for, and hopefully it leads to some clarification of the rules, as the "voluntary" nature of "voluntary" activities has long been a farce. And, whether or not anything comes out of it, at least they're looking into the situation.

Now, if they hire Ted Wells, I'm going postal on every last one of them.

Patjew · Jun 11, 2015

Depracticeor.

Patriot Missile · Jun 11, 2015

As a fan I'm a little bit more intrigued by this than psi.

Report: NFLPA Investigating Patriots Over Malcolm Butler’s OTA Absence Read more at: http://nesn.co

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