Tampering

[BIGSEF3]

There is all this talk that the Skins and Fletcher have been talking and may even have a verbal agreement in place and it got me thinking....

It seems like just a few years ago this was something called tampering and it was a pretty big deal. Then, the past couple years, a few teams are accused of tampering, and it gets media attention and everyone says, "oh thats bad," (wink wink), like its some kind of joke. This year, the Skins are allegedly tampering with Fletcher, and its not even newsworthy. It is still against league rules, but no one even pays lip service to the idea that its wrong anymore. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Is it a dumb, antiquated rule? Is it ok for teams to break certain NFL rules just because every other team is doing it? Are teams at a disadvantage if they DON't tamper? On the flip side, does it hurt the NFL from a competitive standpoint by turning a blind eye to this practice?

Before you answer, consider this: What if the reason Dockery has not resigned with the us is because some other team has "tampered" with him and they already have a verbal deal in place? Would THAT change your view of tampering?

[dj_stouty]

There is all this talk that the Skins and Fletcher have been talking and may even have a verbal agreement in place and it got me thinking....

It seems like just a few years ago this was something called tampering and it was a pretty big deal. Then, the past couple years, a few teams are accused of tampering, and it gets media attention and everyone says, "oh thats bad," (wink wink), like its some kind of joke. This year, the Skins are allegedly tampering with Fletcher, and its not even newsworthy. It is still against league rules, but no one even pays lip service to the idea that its wrong anymore. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Is it a dumb, antiquated rule? Is it ok for teams to break certain NFL rules just because every other team is doing it? Are teams at a disadvantage if they DON't tamper? On the flip side, does it hurt the NFL from a competitive standpoint by turning a blind eye to this practice?

Before you answer, consider this: What if the reason Dockery has not resigned with the us is because some other team has "tampered" with him and they already have a verbal deal in place? Would THAT change your view of tampering?

Seems as if several players alraedy have "deals" in place...such as Steinbeck. I guess it is hard to prove, so many teams do the fine tuning in secrecy. Problem is, many agents leak the news so other teams increase the interest in their player.

[redskin_rich]

Seems as if several players alraedy have "deals" in place...such as Steinbeck. I guess it is hard to prove, so many teams do the fine tuning in secrecy. Problem is, many agents leak the news so other teams increase the interest in their player.
Which means in reality, no true deal had been reached, no? Remember last year, the Eagles and Bentley were signed, sealed and delivered and what happened? The Eagles postponed a meeting with Bentley and he bolted to Cleveland.

[dj_stouty]

Which means in reality, no true deal had been reached, no? Remember last year, the Eagles and Bentley were signed, sealed and delivered and what happened? The Eagles postponed a meeting with Bentley and he bolted to Cleveland.

YEah....everything is verbal...and if a contract does exist, no signatures are on it.

In retrospect, I'm glad Bentley didn't sign with Philly.

[bergiemoore]

Every year we hear about how the Redskins are interested in EVERY marquee player out there. Snyder's propensity to overpay for free agents has every player's agent alleging that the Skins are interested in his/her client. If the NFL is going to go after the Skins every time an agent tries to up the ante for his client's value, then we're going to be in litigation for a long, long time.

If the Skins had signed every free agent they had supposedly been interested in, we'd have an all-Madden squad right now.

[smoak]

The tampering in the past was a bigger deal b/c it pertained to a player that was not an upcoming free agent.

[shally]

The tampering in the past was a bigger deal b/c it pertained to a player that was not an upcoming free agent.

still, lots of penalties if the league wanted to make an issue of it.. but so much of it is going on now that i do not see the league doing anything unless it is blatant and provable

[smoak]

still, lots of penalties if the league wanted to make an issue of it.. but so much of it is going on now that i do not see the league doing anything unless it is blatant and provable

My guess is that it isn't worth the hassel if the player is an impending FA and the time frame for designating franchise tags is past.

[shally]

My guess is that it isn't worth the hassel if the player is an impending FA and the time frame for designating franchise tags is past.

probably.. and the NFLPA would just as soon it go on all the time.. still, you have to wonder when the league will say enough is enough

[RedskinsDave]

Someone would have to bring up the tampering charge and since these players are not under contract with any team, there is no one to make the accusation.

[shally]

Someone would have to bring up the tampering charge and since these players are not under contract with any team, there is no one to make the accusation.

that is really in limbo.. they cannot talk to other teams and can negotiate with their own team only-- officially.. but they are not under contract.
that is really weird

[fent]

that is really in limbo.. they cannot talk to other teams and can negotiate with their own team only-- officially.. but they are not under contract.
that is really weird

technically they're all under contract until the moment free agency starts...that's the official "new year" for the NFL and all the contracts expiring happen at once.

[shally]

technically they're all under contract until the moment free agency starts...that's the official "new year" for the NFL and all the contracts expiring happen at once.

that's kind of what i thought before reading this thread.. if so, there could still be charges of tampering because players are still technically under contract

[HanburgerBum]

I think the NFL is still serious about enforcing anti-tampering rules, as it should. The problem is finding evidence to support the charge. If tampering did happen, it is obviously not in the interest of anyone involved to talk.

A team would never admit tampering for fear of penalties. An agent who discloses tampering would find a shrinking circle of willing teams to deal with in the future.

[shally]

I think the NFL is still serious about enforcing anti-tampering rules, as it should. The problem is finding evidence to support the charge. If tampering did happen, it is obviously not in the interest of anyone involved to talk.

A team would never admit tampering for fear of penalties. An agent who discloses tampering would find a shrinking circle of willing teams to deal with in the future.

exactly.. so we are left with a flawed system that feeds all the rumors around the start of free agency.. not sure what could be done that is truly enforcable

[HanburgerBum]

exactly.. so we are left with a flawed system that feeds all the rumors around the start of free agency.. not sure what could be done that is truly enforcable


I don't believe tampering is a big problem in the NFL. Most teams, just on the odd chance that they get caught, would refrain from such activity. Also, there are people (Gibbs is probably one) running teams who are simply moral straight-arrows. They wouldn't do it, even when there is little chance of getting caught.

[Ibleedburgundy]

Seems to me there is so much grey area in tampering that it would be difficult to find and even more difficult to prove.

[HanburgerBum]

Seems to me there is so much grey area in tampering that it would be difficult to find and even more difficult to prove.


I don't think it is the ambiguity in the rules that is the problem about enforcing anti-tampering provisions. I believe the problem lies in the fact that it is to no one's interest to talk about or otherwise disclose attempts to tamper.