Tampering Time

Unrestricted free agency became a part of NFL life in 1993. Teams and player agents have been negotiating contracts before they were allowed probably since then. Blatantly at times. It had gotten to the point where some signed contracts were announced minutes after the official start of free agency. That's impossible unless negotiations were held and an agreement was reached before such things were actually allowed. Everyone knew that this tampering was going on but everyone looked the other way. It got to be so obvious and so absurd that something had to be done. The NFL tried to do something in advance of the 2013 free agency season by instituting what they called a "three-day negotiating period." It's more commonly called "legal-tampering." Here's the memo that the NFL sent to all teams just before that first negotiating/legal-tampering window opened in 2013:

PP-28-13
TO: General Managers
Head Coaches
Player Personnel Directors
FROM: Commissioner Goodell
DATE: March 8, 2013

SUBJECT: Impermissible Activity During the Three-day Negotiating Period for Unrestricted Free Agents

Clubs were advised in PP-26-13 that during the three-day negotiating period for prospective Unrestricted Free Agents, they are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2012 Player Contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12, and that no contract can be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 12.

Clubs are further advised that prior to the beginning of the new League Year it is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to, or to be offered to, any prospective Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the start of the new League Year. Any announcement of an agreement or an agreement in principle by a club or another party, including, but not limited to, a certified agent, player, or media organization may subject the club to a tampering investigation.

Please contact the Player Personnel department if you have any questions

Negotiations but no agreements. That sounds great but that's not what happened. Anyone that gave it a bit of thought knew that agreements would be reached. It only took two years of this "legal-tampering" before agreements and terms of those agreements were announced withing the window. It's a laughable process. Everyone knows that illegal negotiations have been taking place for months with or without this ridiculous window, Everyone knows that people are talking at the Scouting Combine that shouldn't be talking. About which they shouldn't be talking. It's right there in front of everyone. 

I say go back to the old days when free agency starts at the moment the contracts expire and the new league year starts. Most importantly, teams that engage in negotiations that they shouldn't be engaged in are actually punished for doing so. Everyone gets their undies in a bunch when some teams do what they shouldn't when, in fact, all teams do what they shouldn't at some time. And most of them, if not all of them, are doing it now. But, I live in a very dreamy world. 

Whether you like it or not the NFL's "Legal-tampering Window" kicks off today at 12 noon ET. It continues until the official start of the league year at 4 PM ET on Wednesday. Only two days this time. The league is also loosening the rules a little. Teams can negotiate and agree on a contract. They just can't "fully execute" that contract. Basically, the player can't sign it. So, it's business as usual.