PFT implies Mangini tampering with free agent

[jmt57]

While PFT acknowledges that 'everybody does it', they seem to be of the opinion that Eric Mangini may have crossed the line in regards to some comments he made about Derrick Ward. Here's the PFT column: Mangini Dances on the Tampering Tightropeand here is the original article it was based on, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cleveland Browns have eyes on New York Giants RB Derrick Ward.

In a morning meeting with Northeast Ohio reporters, Mangini indicated strong interest in Giants free agent running back Derrick Ward.

Ward recently said on Jim Rome Is Burning that the Browns would be a team he would like to play for.

"He's a guy we'd look at," Mangini said. "I can tell you there's a lot of free agents we're looking at."

Florio makes this comment on PFT:

The NFL's Anti-Tampering Policy clearly prohibits expressing interest in a player who is under contract with another team. In fact, the policy itself sets forth the following example of a prohibited statement: “He’s an excellent player, and we’d very much like to have him if he were available, but another club holds his rights.”

Mangini arguably went farther than that, making it clear that if Ward doesn’t do a new deal with the Giants by next Friday, the Brown will be ready to talk.

The fact that Ward surely knows by now that the Browns are interested via the usual tampering techniques makes Mangini’s comment, as a practical matter, worthless. But to the extent that the league might look to make an example out of folks who provide gift-wrapped evidence of tampering, the Browns could be in trouble.

Mangini isn't the only one to skirt the rule of course. Tampa Bay's new head coach had this comment about free agent Albert Haynesworth: "He definitely has talent, he's definitely on the radar". On the other end of the spectrum Vikings coach Brad Childress was asked today about Matt Cassel and his answer was “You know what? I’d prefer just to stay away from that. Matt Cassel is the property of the New England Patriots. These guys know I don’t do conjecture very well.”

To me it's a dumb rule that teams can't talk to free agents between the Super Bowl and the start of free agency, but it's also dumb for Mangini or Morris to come out with public statements such as that about free agents.

 

[mcgraw_wv]

To me it's a dumb rule that teams can't talk to free agents between the Super Bowl and the start of free agency

But your talking about players who aren't Free Agents...

Just becuase you, and I, and everyone knows they may become free agents, or will be traded...

Those kind of comments poison the original team from trying to sign their drafted players...

 

[jmt57]

Well, I guess I'd like to see some sort of window prior to the first day that a free agent can sign with anybody when other teams can (legally) talk to him. Look at how many players sign contracts in the first day or two. Obviously they have already been talking and negotiating. If a team does play by the rules and has no contact with other free agents prior to the 27th, then they have no chance at all of signing several free agents.

 

[primetime]

Who cares? Every team does this, and Florio jumps on every little nitpicky thing whenever it happens. But no team ever gets in trouble for it unless its 100% blatant. The league has better things to do, more important things to worry about.

(Which makes Spygate all the more ridiculous, but that's another story that's been beaten to death)

 

[TrueBeliever]

Well that's it, every win he's had as a head coach should be taken back by the league!

Seriously, what is the point of this rule? I can see why you wouldn't be allowed to talk to the player directly while he's under contract, but you can't say it to a reporter? Course I'm sure there's some logical reason that I just haven't thought of.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

Charles Robinson, a reporter from Yahoo sports was on WEEI today and said basically the same thing, that Mangini was walking a line of tampering. He seemed to dismiss it in the same breath.

Link to audio