More On Tampering
Two NFL sources now say the team is mystified about being stripped of a fifth-round pick and a swap of third-round choices with the Chicago Bears for tampering.
The penalty arose after the Bears charged the 49ers with negotiating with linebacker Lance Briggs' agent Drew Rosenhaus before the trading deadline last October. Teams can not negotiate with players under contract with another team.
However, according to two league scources, the 49ers never tampered. The only evidence introduced in last week's hearing in New York was a phone record between Rosenhaus and the 49ers, in which the sources say the 49ers never made contact with the agent.
Even if the 49ers had talked to Rosenhaus, their plan was to discuss the availability of wide receiver Taylor Jacobs, another Rosenhaus client, and not Briggs. Jacobs eventually signed with Denver.
One source said the penalty grew out of the pressure on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for spygate and the need to punish teams for even preceived wrong-doing.
Another source said the 49ers contacted Chicago about a trade for Briggs at 9:30 a.m. pst on Oct. 16, three hours before the trade deadline. Since Briggs was the Bears' franchise player, the 49ers hoped Chicago would get back to them immediately, so they could make the deal and workout an extension for Briggs.
The Bears didn't return the call until 12:30 p.m., and by that time, the 49ers only had a half hour to workout an extension, so San Francisco called the deal off.
The Bears have been tight-lipped about the entire situation, which might be partly to do with their desire to trade Briggs at one time. Apparently news that Briggs was on the trading block got back to him through a fellow NFL player.
The Bears, who re-upped with Briggs on a six-year deal March 1, didn't want Briggs to know they wanted to trade him at one time, which may have motivated them to say the 49ers were so aggressive in trading for him, they contacted Rosenhaus without permission.