Martellus Bennett : [UPDATE: Placed on IR]

[XLIX]

Assuming that entire conversation took place AFTER HE WAS CUT, you CANNOT HAVE TAMPERING.

You're right but if the conversation went like:

"Hey Marty.... if you can shoot your way out of GB, the Patriots will provide you with a nice landing spot"

then that is tampering. I am not saying I believe that happened but some people do and let's face it, that's not exactly the most far-fetched scenario.

 

[aluminum seats]

You're right but if the conversation went like:

"Hey Marty.... if you can shoot your way out of GB, the Patriots will provide you with a nice landing spot"

then that is tampering. I am not saying I believe that happened but some people do and let's face it, that's not exactly the most far-fetched scenario.

Someone on the Patriots saying that to Bennett? I'd say that's pretty freaking far fetched and it's sort of trolly to suggest otherwise.

 

[Snooky97]

Was just wondering if some other team wanted Bennett when he was on the waviers could Bennett of turned them down?

 

[fnordcircle]

Was just wondering if some other team wanted Bennett when he was on the waviers could Bennett of turned them down?

Not directly, but saying "I'm going to get season-ending surgery and maybe retire" isn't exactly going to make most teams come after you.

 

[Snooky97]

Not directly, but saying "I'm going to get season-ending surgery and maybe retire" isn't exactly going to make most teams come after you.

Ah okay thank you. Didn't know if he had a choice or not. Agree with the season ending injury just didn't know how it would work the waviers

 

[Tony2046]

Sad day for the 31 other NFL teams and fan bases



NFL sees no evidence of Patriots tampering with Martellus Bennett

Trollin Volin at it again.

I wonder if he's still investigating Googling for the secret Robert Kraft Mac&Cheese link.

 

[Angelpats]

You're right but if the conversation went like:

"Hey Marty.... if you can shoot your way out of GB, the Patriots will provide you with a nice landing spot"

then that is tampering. I am not saying I believe that happened but some people do and let's face it, that's not exactly the most far-fetched scenario.

That's as far fetched as believing someone went into the bathroom to take air out footballs. The same people that believe that garbage are the same people that say we are tampering. Don't eat the slop the mediots and haters want to feed you.

 

[mgteich]

Interesting.

POSSIBILITY
1) Bennett refused to play for GB because he says he needs surgery.
2) GB believe that he can play a minor role this year, gives up and cuts him.
3) After Bennett is cut, Belichick calls Bennett and indicates that the patriots want him to play for us. However, the problem is that someone else might pick him up on waivers, since the per game cost was so low. Belichick suggests that the Bennett's agent to tell the other teams not to claim him since he doesn't want to play for them.
4) Bennett and his agent tell other teams that he won't play for them and will have surgery.
5) Belichick claims Bennett. Belichick, the team and Bennett celebrate. They then tell the world that he NOW is fine with playing.

CONCLUSION
No one did anything wrong. ???????

Personally, I disagree.

GREEN BAY
GB had Bennett under contract and had decided that Bennett was able to play. IMHO, Bennett had a contractual obligation to play. If he so strongly disagreed with the medical diagnosis that he'd rather have surgery and no (minimal) pay check for the rest of the year, then that's fine.

In any case, GB might try to recover a portion of the bonus bonus.

BELICHICK
If what occurred above isn't tampering under the agreement, it certainly will be considered in the future.

BOTTOM LINE
It's great to have Bennett signed, even though he screwed Green Bay.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Was just wondering if some other team wanted Bennett when he was on the waviers could Bennett of turned them down?

He did tell his agent to tell teams not to claim him because he will not play. BB called him directly and I think that is where the difference is. So you can't really say no one tried because we may never know unless the agent spills the beans.

 

[Tony2046]

Let me be perfectly clear: I'm not saying there was tampering that took place, I am just playing devil's advocate for the sake of answering your question.

Bennett said that he told his agent to inform teams not to claim him. His intention was to get surgery and sit out the remainder of the season.

Alleged tampering would go like this:

Belichick: "Okay, look: we really want you back, but you're too good, there's no way you drop all the way to our spot in the waiver claim. Someone will claim you, if for no other reason to block us."

Agent: "Okay, how about this: we'll let teams know that Bennett plans to get surgery and call it a season/career. That way, they won't even bother putting in a claim on him. This will ensure that he drops to you guys."

Belichick: "Wouldn't that be too obvious though? If you tell the league not to claim him, why would we bother doing it in the first place?"

Agent: "We'll just say you did it because it was 'worth a shot' to try to talk him out of it. What did you have to lose? Besides, I have a feeling that after you claim Marty, he'll have a change of heart about retiring. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge."

Again, I'm not claiming this is what happened. I'm just saying this is what alleged tampering could've looked like.

I'm not saying this is true or not but if you had used the term "Googled" one time in this scenario I would have sworn that I had found Volin's Patsfans account.

 

[Tony2046]

You're right but if the conversation went like:

"Hey Marty.... if you can shoot your way out of GB, the Patriots will provide you with a nice landing spot"

then that is tampering. I am not saying I believe that happened but some people do and let's face it, that's not exactly the most far-fetched scenario.

Far fetched to me. "Shoot your way out and clear waivers....and don't tell anybody including your agent, your family and friends this ever happened....." ??

That didn't happen.

 

[aluminum seats]

BELICHICK
If what occurred above isn't tampering under the agreement, it certainly will be considered in the future.

I don't think a team claiming a player off waivers will ever be considered tampering.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Interesting.

POSSIBILITY
1) Bennett refused to play for GB because he says he needs surgery.
2) GB believe that he can play a minor role this year, gives up and cuts him.
3) After Bennett is cut, Belichick calls Bennett and indicates that the patriots want him to play for us. However, the problem is that someone else might pick him up on waivers, since the per game cost was so low. Belichick suggests that the Bennett's agent to tell the other teams not to claim him since he doesn't want to play for them.
4) Bennett and his agent tell other teams that he won't play for them and will have surgery.
5) Belichick claims Bennett. Belichick, the team and Bennett celebrate. They then tell the world that he NOW is fine with playing.

CONCLUSION
No one did anything wrong. ???????

Personally, I disagree.

GREEN BAY
GB had Bennett under contract and had decided that Bennett was able to play. IMHO, Bennett had a contractual obligation to play. If he so strongly disagreed with the medical diagnosis that he'd rather have surgery and no (minimal) pay check for the rest of the year, then that's fine.

In any case, GB might try to recover a portion of the bonus bonus.

BELICHICK
If what occurred above isn't tampering under the agreement, it certainly will be considered in the future.

BOTTOM LINE
It's great to have Bennett signed, even though he screwed Green Bay.

If it was tampering which for the record I don't believe there was.
Then I hope we don't receive the same punishment the Jets did....

 

[XLIX]

Someone on the Patriots saying that to Bennett? I'd say that's pretty freaking far fetched and it's sort of trolly to suggest otherwise.

That's as far fetched as believing someone went into the bathroom to take air out footballs. The same people that believe that garbage are the same people that say we are tampering. Don't eat the slop the mediots and haters want to feed you.

Far fetched to me. "Shoot your way out and clear waivers....and don't tell anybody including your agent, your family and friends this ever happened....." ??

That didn't happen.

What part of "I am not saying I believe it" did all you not understand? All I was doing was passing on what some people are saying to show an example of something which would be tampering.

Man, you people are defensive.....

When I say it is not far-fetched, what I mean is it is the sort of thing that happens in the league behind the scenes all the time. You're naïve if you don't recognize that.

 

[Tony2046]

What part of "I am not saying I believe it" did all you not understand? All I was doing was passing on what some people are saying to show an example of something which would be tampering.

Man, you people are defensive.....

When I say it is not far-fetched, what I mean is it is the sort of thing that happens in the league behind the scenes all the time. You're naïve if you don't recognize that.

Players shoot their way out of town and make it through 29 teams on the waiver wire on a wink wink deal from the 30th team "all the time"?

No I don't believe that at all.

 

[XLIX]

Players shoot their way out of town and make it through 29 teams on the waiver wire on a wink wink deal from the 30th team "all the time"?

No I don't believe that at all.

If you don't think teams get word to agents along the lines of "hey, you get your guy out of his deal and we have a place for him to land" then you just don't know how the NFL works. This specific situation clearly doesn't arise terribly often where it is mid-season, post-deadline and involves waivers. Due to circumstances, it is more likely to take place in the offseason. But that sort of thing happens quite regularly and doesn't exactly require a ridiculous stretch of the imagination to think it may have happened here*. Heck, it's pretty much how NE lost Milloy all those years ago.

*NOTE: I don't believe it happened here. I am just saying it is not some ridiculous, far-fetched, unrealistic conspiracy theory. By the way, in case I didn't mention it, I don't believe it happened here.

 

[Tony2046]

If you don't think teams get word to agents along the lines of "hey, you get your guy out of his deal and we have a place for him to land" then you just don't know how the NFL works. This specific situation clearly doesn't arise terribly often where it is mid-season, post-deadline and involves waivers. Due to circumstances, it is more likely to take place in the offseason. But that sort of thing happens quite regularly. Heck, it's pretty much how NE lost Milloy all those years ago.

But it's not "hey get your guy out". It's "Hey convince your guy that if he opts to have his shoulder repaired, and Green Bay cuts him instead of IR'ing him, and if he clears 29 other teams while on waivers by telling them that he'll retire, we'll sign him." hahaha

"Oh and tell your guy (one of the most vocal guys in NFL history) not to tell anyone about this"

No that did not happen.

Do things happen behind the scenes? Sure. I think it happens a lot less with the Pats after being burned twice for bull **** scandals than any other team.

 

[Angelpats]

What part of "I am not saying I believe it" did all you not understand? All I was doing was passing on what some people are saying to show an example of something which would be tampering.

Man, you people are defensive.....

When I say it is not far-fetched, what I mean is it is the sort of thing that happens in the league behind the scenes all the time. You're naïve if you don't recognize that.

You are the defensive one here. You started off saying you don't believe this garbage but ended up inferring you did. We were just saying it's unlikely Bb would risk more fines and draft picks for anything resembling tampering.

 

[Biffins]

While I'm no great Ben Volin fan, that question did get the NFL to officially shoot down the ridiculous cries of "tampering." And if Mike Reiss had asked the exact same question, we'd all assume he was just trying to get the truth stated clearly and for the record.

Except we all know Reiss isn't stupid enough to ask such a ridiculous question. Ben Volin lost all credibility today, if he had any left.

 

[voluntarysaftey]

Bennett is an a-hole in my opinion and scumbag and I'm not rooting for him to have any success -- I'd rather Gronk, Hogan, Amendola, Cooks, White, Burkhead got all the catches.

He had a contractual obligation to play, but he didn't want to because playing hurt a bit.

Him telling the truth would've been saying "My team sucks now, so I don't feel like playing thru the pain so pay me while I relax" -- which would make him one of many a-holes around.

Instead, he took it further, lied, wrongly throwing the doctor under the bus.

If a Pats player did what he did, we'd go nuts about it.