The NFL legal tampering period ahead of free agency was created to provide teams with a 48-hour window to negotiate with impending free agents before they officially hit the market. As the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons recently demonstrated, however, tampering is rampant around the league.
Philadelphia opened NFL free agency by signing running back Saquon Barkley, pulling him away from the New York Giants in one of the biggest moves of the offseason. Meanwhile, Atlanta came out on top of a bidding war with the Minnesota Vikings for Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, revelations on both signings revealed information that would be a violation of NFL tampering rules.
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Let’s dive into the situation with the Eagles and Falcons, focusing on the differences in tampering allegations against the two clubs.
Did the Philadelphia Eagles tamper with Saquon Barkley?
A day after Barkley and the Eagles reportedly agreed on a three-year contract worth $37.75 million on the first day of the legal tampering period, Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin shed light on the recruitment process of Barkley.
Franklin told reporters on March 12 that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman pitched Barkley on the opportunity to play closer to home near Penn State. Importantly, the call came before Barkley would’ve been allowed to speak directly to Roseman.
“For him now to come back and be able to play within the state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well.”
Penn State HC James Franklin on Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman’s sales pitch to Saquon Barkley (H/T Sports Illustrated)
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The Eagles issued a denial of Franklin’s claim, but the NFL formally launched an investigation. Asked about the matter by reports, Barkley indicated that Franklin “misinterpreted” what he said.
“Coach Franklin, I think, kind of misinterpreted. The truth was the sales pitch to Penn State, how many Penn State fans are Philadelphia Eagles fans. But that was through my agent and my agent told me that. It happens. I’m going to let Philly handle that.”
Saquon Barkley on statement made by Penn State coach James Franklin
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Why the Eagles will likely avoid an NFL tampering punishment
The NFL is conducting an official investigation into Franklin’s statement, inquiring into the claim that Roseman spoke to Barkley during the legal tampering period when contact between an unrestricted free agent and a team is forbidden. However, the investigation may not lead to discipline for Philadelphia for a critical reason.
This is a second-hand accusation, with both Barkley and the Eagles denying Franklin’s statement. For the NFL to discipline the Eagles, they would need to find conclusive evidence that Roseman spoke directly to Barkley. To do that, the league office would need to check the phone records of both Roseman and Barkley. Even if that happens, a veteran general manager knows the league’s rules and is very likely to communicate to a player through back channels. For instance, Barkley could’ve used the phone of a non-NFL employee to get in touch with Roseman. If phones of non-NFL employees were used, the league couldn’t access those records. Between this being hearsay and the scope of an investigation would be limited, it’s highly unlikely any discipline will come for the Eagles.
Did the Atlanta Falcons tamper with Kirk Cousins?
The Falcons are also under investigation by the NFL for allegations of tampering. However, the circumstances are very different in comparison to the allegations against the Eagles.
During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Cousins shed light on his process of going through free agency and what led him to Atlanta. While he largely credited his agent for handling a majority of the process, Cousins’ desire to thank other people involved led to him hinting at potential tampering.
“There’s great people here and it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff. Meeting — calling, yesterday, our head athletic trainer, talking to our head of P.R., I’m thinking we’ve got good people here. And that’s exciting to be a part of.”
Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins during his introductory press conference
Why the Falcons might face discipline from the NFL
Under NFL tampering rules, teams are not allowed to have direct contact with unsigned players during the “legal tampering” period of free agency, which started on March 11 and extended to Wednesday, March 13 at 3:59 PM ET. Cousins’ comments directly revealed that he spoke to the Falcons’ athletic trainer and director of player personnel Ryan Pace.
Doing so is a direct violation of league rules and Cousins freely admitted it on Wednesday while speaking to a room full of reports. The press conference provided the NFL with audio and video of Cousins admitting that Falcons’ officials spoke with him directly during a period when communication is forbidden.
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It’s much more of a cut-and-dry case for the NFL. However, there’s another issue at play for the league. It’s widely known that teams across the league violate tampering rules, especially at the NFL Combine when general managers and coaches meet with players’ agents in private rooms. Similar to the NBA, it’s largely viewed as an acceptable practice as long as no one gets caught.
Cousins’ public admittance, however, likely leaves league officials with very few options. The NFL penalty for tampering is either being fined or docked a draft pick. If the NFL is anything like the NBA, which strips teams of second-round picks for violations of tampering rules, the Falcons will likely be fined and/or docked a late-round pick.
