OT: Will the league do anything about the blatant tampering going on

[PatsWickedPissah]

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m3 minutes ago
NFL: "League office is beginning investigations into a number of reported agreements with clubs. Violations will be dealt with accordingly.”

Who here believes this?

The league set themselves up for this when they ignored Johnson's blatant public tampering.

 

[Froob]

I can see the logic behind the legal tampering period. It actually gives the team losing a free agent, a chance to match or better potential offers that their FA are getting. Much like last night when McCourty called BB and said I'm about to sign with X for Y. BB then said, what if you pay you Z and the deal got done. Now if this happened after 4pm on Tuesday, a lot of teams put deadlines on their offers to stop the player from doing exactly what McCourty did, shop the offer back to his original team.

I'm pretty sure that the NBA has a similar thing (I pay absolutely no attention to the NBA so I can't be sure). The NFL just needs to issue better guidelines, no way you can punish a team if the player tweets out that he is signing with them.

NBA does, but you are allowed to make verbal agreements that don't become official until like a week or two later. Where here you cannot make offers. Even though the rules state something similar to being an offer but not quite....

 

[Rob0729]

As one of the leaders of the "hang 'em high" brigade as it refers to the Jets idiot owner, I have to admit I am a lot less agitated about what's going on during the "legal tampering" period. I was under the impression that while no actual deals could be made, and teams couldn't be in direct contact with the players, the agents and the teams could exchange actual numbers in order to better gauge what the market is as it is perceived by the teams and agents.

To me there is little difference between that and the actual opening of FA. Without knowing actual number and the market for Dmac the Pats never would have been able to know to up their offer to McCourty, so in this instance at least, the process worked perfectly.

We all know the during the legal tampering period agents and team are dealing with one page documents with the parameters of potential deals. The deals themselves are inches thick documents that take some time to put together. The players my commit to deals at midnight Tuesday, or whatever time it starts, but I doubt the actual contract gets signed until a day or two later.

BOTTOM LINE - I am hard line on making the Jets pay for their obvious tampering of Revis. However had it happened during the legal tampering period, instead of a couple of months ago, I would have felt a lot differently. In the end you are right, Rob, but there is SO much more to be outraged by the Goodell administration, that you should save your ire for more worthy fights.

That being said, if you need someone to join you at the barricades, I'll be there.

The thing is some of these deals were done before the legal tampering period started. Everyone knew mid last week that Suh was going to the Dolphins and they were already starting to shed salaries to fit Suh under the cap. The Dolphins just waited until the legal tampering period to leak the terms.

And my fight is a bigger on. I am upset how the league cherry picks what needs to be investigated with a fine tooth comb for the integrity of the game. Deflated footballs (which may have been done by the weather) where there seems to be more problems with the league handling footballs than the Pats commands a two month investigation while tampering gets a have at it as long as you do it under the radar. I am on board with Curran who initially brought this up (which a lot of Pats fans took it as he thought the league was protecting the Jets rather than his real point of their hypocrisy).

 

[IllegalContact]

Or Mark Brunell crying because he thinks Mike Tanenbaum is lying that he didn't have a deal done with Suh even though he signs on Tuesday for the exact same numbers that were reported yesterday.

there's a fair amount of pity for teams that cheat and still fail

 

[Huckleberry1]

I'm much more upset with the jets tampering with HOF calibet player who is under contract. Whatever they do to Miami etc it should be tenfold for the Jets.

 

[patfanken]

The thing is some of these deals were done before the legal tampering period started. Everyone knew mid last week that Suh was going to the Dolphins and they were already starting to shed salaries to fit Suh under the cap. The Dolphins just waited until the legal tampering period to leak the terms.

If this is true, then I can get behind your outrage. It should be investigated.

BTW- No one is more outraged by the hypocrisy and utter ineptness of the Goodell administration than me. What he has done to the Patriots franchise is just a part of the general incompetence he has shown in almost EVERY aspect of his governing the league during his tenure I cannot understand why it took deflategate for Bob Kraft to stop being one of his biggest backers.

I just wish someone would point out something he's done well in the last 9 years besides being the guy who happened to be on the job when the league exploded on the national consciousness. I know he gets credit for the increases in profit and payrolls during his time, but I have to wonder, what exactly did HE do to make it happen. What committee did he chair? What policy did HE propose?

 

[DarrylS]

Was thinking the same stuff, we hear about "NFL Integrity" or "Protecting the Shield".. all the while this crap happens, disregarding both concepts..

IMO "NFL Integrity" is morphing into the greatest oxymoron of all time..

 

[Patstopia]

The league finds that teams are contacting FA before the start of the new league year. So they add in a grace period to replace that tampering with league allowed tampering. Then clubs jump in before the allowed tampering period to get a head start on the allowed contact window.
Did anyone not see this coming? What a bunch of buffoons! They are worse than congress! And then they announce it! Take a pick from them all and let us slide down a few spots in round one!

 

[Koma]

What are the odds that "league source" rumors now start flying about how the Patriots are "cheating" in FA?

Notice how the "The League is Unhappy" story only came out after the Patriots re-signed a player. Coincidence?

 

[BradyFTW!]

Do passive aggressive, whiny memos from the league office count as doing something? Because if not, I doubt it.

Although it would be sadly predictable if they do more about tampering a little too hard during the legal tampering window than they do about the Jets' bona fide in-season tampering with Revis.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

In case you're curious, here's the text of the email the NFL sent out to the teams (via Breer):

Clubs were advised of the rules for the three-day negotiating period in PP-23-15 (attached). These rules include limitations such as that a club cannot make an “offer;” or enter into a written or oral agreement of any kind, express or implied, or make promises or representations of any type concerning the terms or conditions of employment to be offered to any Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the start of the new League Year; or provide assurances of intent as to the future execution of an NFL Player Contract. Clubs were further advised that “Any attempt to undermine the purpose of this negotiating period may be considered conduct detrimental to the League.” At this time, the League office is beginning investigations into a number of reported agreements with clubs. Violations will be dealt with accordingly.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

The premature start to FA and the football inflation thing sure get the NFL lots of what it desires - media attention.

Forget the push for the playoffs in the NHL or NBA. March madness - are you referring to NFL free agency or something to do with the draft? Don't mind the beginning of spring training or any of that other crap! We've got juicy juicy leaks from "league sources" about Suh et al. going here or there a week before negotiations are due to [legally] start!!

I'll be shocked if these teams get anything other than a slap on the wrist since they've just been helping the league draw more attention to itself.

 

[The Gr8est]

Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m3 minutes ago
NFL: "League office is beginning investigations into a number of reported agreements with clubs. Violations will be dealt with accordingly.”

So, inquiring minds want know which will be addressed sooner, old tampering cases or new ones?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

PFT's Gantt (rightly, IMHO) mocks the league over this:

Of course, this is just about the most ridiculous thing ever.

The league knew teams would do this, and now has to act shocked and threaten investigations when they do exactly what the entire world expected them to do.

The whole thing is a farce, and the only downside for the league appears to be that their made-for-TV special Tuesday is being diluted, since everyone has been talking about the deals to be announced all weekend.

Which, not coincidentally, is good for the business of the NFL.

But apparently threatening double secret probation seems like a good plan. I’m sure Marmalard is on it as we speak.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...scolds-teams-for-doing-exactly-what-teams-do/

 

[Froob]

Eagles aren't going to have any draft picks left except the one they'd get for Maclin.

 

[BradyManny]

Well, the NFL office is off to another hilarious bad year. Guess we're not the only group trying to repeat.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

So the NFL created this by having legal tampering...and now they are mad? Morons

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Notice how the "The League is Unhappy" story only came out after the Patriots re-signed a player. Coincidence?

Technically the Pats resigned one of their own players, so its not even tampering legal or otherwise. If the Pats had reached an agreement with a player from another team, then Tampergate would have been born!

 

[DarrylS]

FWIW Florio is reporting this also... bringing out the "big guns".

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...igate-violations-of-negotiating-period-rules/

Do you all remember a couple of years ago when we would wake up on that Tuesday Morning to a flurry of deals signed, sealed and delivered, they were tampering then and everyone ignored it, what makes anyone think they will address it now???

 

[Froob]

Why is this suddenly happening now in year 3 of legal tampering period?