Tampering Time

The NFL does a lot of silly things. Forcing players to wear only those items endorsed by the league during anything media-related. If the league isn't making money off it, it's not fit for the cameras. Allowing only 45 players to dress for games. Forcing teams to take part in Hard Knocks. Things like that. Perhaps the most silly of the silly things is the window which is now open. The Legal Tampering Window. Some say that calling tampering legal is just silly. If it's tampering, it's not legal. Or, so they say.

The NFL started the Legal Tampering Window in 2013. If I recall correctly the league might have gotten a brief taste of it in 2011. That was the chaotic free agency that resulted from the CBA resolution in late July. This is the third "official" NFL Legal Tampering Window. It started yesterday
at 12 noon ET.

The rules are simple. The agents for players set to become free agents on Tuesday can enter into negotiations with teams. The conversations must be with the agents. Teams can not talk to the players. They are not allowed to come to an agreement. Clearly they can come to sort of an "understanding." But, no contracts can be signed until the start of the new league year. That starts Tuesday 4PM ET. Juicy stuff like a team targeting a big free agent or even "nearing" an agreement with one always leaks to the media vultures hovering outside. Everyone wants that scoop. Despite the leaks of an agreement nothing is official until 4PM ET Tuesday.

The need for this window was due to so many rogue teams blatantly flouting league rules against tampering. In 2008, Asante Samuel was on a plane to Philadelphia to sign a contract within two hours of the start of free agency. In 2009, Albert Haynesworth had a $100 million contract from the Washington Redskins so close to the start of free agency that it was laughable. In 2010, Julius Peppers had an equally laughable contract with the Chicago Bears before the smoke even cleared from the free agency starter pistol.

Teams were clearly not abiding by the rules against tampering. It's funny how there was never the outcry, public or media, over the obvious contract negotiation improprieties than there was over the proper inflation of a football. Contract tampering is a far greater competitive advantage than an arbitrary psi range. Well, I guess there was enough of an outcry that it brought about this Legal Tampering Window. All this "Window" really does is open an extra three days of even more intense speculation over player movement. Free agency speculation has been high since the Scouting Combine. Hell, since the Senior Bowl. Free agency and draft talk is always hot this time of year. This Legal Tampering Window makes it white hot. Too hot to touch. Well, not that hot but it's pretty hot. Nearly as hot as the first couple of days of free agency when the players can actually put pen to paper and sign a contract. This Legal Tampering Window simply gives the NFL a pre-free agency, free agency. The league gets a little double-dip into free agency attention pie. It really doesn't stop any of the illegal tampering that's been going on since the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine. Anytime you put team executives and agents in the same same city, same building, certainly same room you are going to have tampering. It's been said that the goal for agents is to leave Indianapolis with at least three "offers." Illegal tampering. But, no one seems to care until the NFL can find a way for it to benefit them. Then they'll find a way to call it legal. It's so silly that everyone has already penciled Ndamukong Suh into the lineup of the Miami Dolphins. That's tampering. That's illegal. And, it's silly.