legal tampering – Syndication Server

‘Legal tampering’ in NFL free agency makes no sense. Here’s a list of 8 better names

“Legal tampering,” quite literally, makes no sense. Here are some better ideas.

Today marks the beginning of the NFL’s “legal tampering” period in what is sure to be a wild free agency. NFL teams can start talking to prospective free ag–

Hey, wait a minute! Let’s backtrack for a second. “Legal tampering” doesn’t make sense. Think about it.

Tampering, as strictly defined, means to “interfere with (something) in order to cause damage or make unauthorized alterations.” The keyword there is “unauthorized.” Legal, as loosely defined, implies something is authorized and/or allowed.

So, in essence, anyone who says “legal tampering” to describe the period where free agents and NFL teams can talk is saying “authorized unauthorized” contact. It’s an embarrassing oxymoron in action.

To be fair to the NFL, they don’t actually say “legal tampering.” At least not anymore. The league calls it the “legal negotiation window.” It’s only so many of us that continue to, for some reason, insist on using a phrase that doesn’t make sense.

I know, the “legal negotiation window” makes it sound boring and colorless, but at least it’s correct! We need legitimate standards to discuss the Very Serious Zoom calls 300-pound men have with guys in three-piece suits before a fresh NFL league year.

In the best exercise of the English language (and pro football pedantry), here’s a list of alternatives we could use for legal tampering during this year’s free agency.

NFL’s legal tampering period before free agency, explained

The legal tampering period, which was added by the NFL a decade ago, is underway.

The NFL will begin its new league year on Wednesday, and with that will come the beginning of free agency. Contracts will expire and a flood of players will be on the open market.

But the action really gets started Monday when the NFL’s “legal tampering period” begins at 12 p.m. ET.

Why does the legal tampering period exist?

The NFL wants to turn every single aspect of their calendar into spectacle. Even the NFL Scouting Combine has thousands of fans in attendance after decades of being held in front of scouts, coaches, and executives only.

Turning free agency into a primetime event is difficult, though.

According to NFL rules, teams aren’t permitted to contact another club’s players or coaches. That’s considered “tampering” and can results in fines or even a loss of draft picks. But that previously meant that teams couldn’t contact prospective free agents until the new league year started.

That caused many of the blockbuster deals of yesteryear to take days to come together.

So the league tweaked the rules in 2013 to give teams 52 hours to begin contacting soon-to-be free agents and begin working out offers and negotiations. By the time free agency actually begins on Wednesday afternoon, many of the biggest deals of the offseason will already be agreed upon and need only a signature on the dotted line.

Last year, the Jaguars were able to announce deals with Christian Kirk, Foye Oluokun, Brandon Scherff, Evan Engram, Zay Jones, and Folorunso Fatukasi on the day free agency began.

What’s allowed and what’s still illegal?

While negotiations will begin Monday, teams can’t actually contact the players themselves. During the two-day period, “all aspects of an NFL player contract” can be discussed with a certified player agent.

That also means no visits to team facilities until free agency actually begins Wednesday.

Also, while teams will undoubtedly reach agreements with players ahead of the start of free agency, those deals can’t be announced until they’re made official Wednesday.

Which Jaguars are set to become free agents?

Impending free agents from Jacksonville include offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, pass rusher Arden Key, wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., pass rusher Dawuane Smoot, safety Andrew “Dewey” Wingard, cornerback Tre Herndon, and tight ends Chris Manhertz and Dan Arnold.

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6 free agents Chiefs should talk to during legal tampering window

With the legal tampering period opening on Monday, our @goldmctNFL names some players who the #Chiefs should legally tamper with.

The NFL’s legal tampering window opens at Noon ET on Monday, March 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs and every other team in the league will be permitted to talk with pending unrestricted free agents and set up the framework of deals. Teams can then get prepared to execute those deals at the onset of free agency, playing into the spectacle of one of the NFL’s top offseason events.

Below we’re taking a look at six players who we feel the Chiefs should be in communication with during the legal tampering window. Whether it’s about adding a good player, filling a positional need, or simply finding out more information about a market at a specific position, it doesn’t hurt to talk. Here’s a quick look at those six players:

NFL’s legal tampering period begins today

The #Chiefs can begin to engage in legal tampering starting at Noon ET on Monday. Here’s everything you need to know:

The NFL’s legal tampering period is set to begin on Monday.

The 2023 NFL league year and the start of the NFL’s free agency period are set to begin on Wednesday, March 15th at 3:00 p.m. CT, but teams can start negotiations with pending free agents on Monday, March 13th beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT.

The legal tampering period is a two-day negotiating window, during which NFL teams can begin communicating with representation for pending free agents. This two-day window plays a large part in the annual spectacle that is NFL free agency because it helps determine where some of the bigger free agents will end up across the league.

There are a ton of different rules and regulations from the NFL surrounding what exactly the legal tampering period entails. Below you’ll find the various things teams can do and what they’re not allowed to do.

What you can do during the legal tampering period:

This period is only applicable to unrestricted free agents.
Teams can negotiate “all aspects of an NFL player contract” with a player’s representation.
Teams are allowed to negotiate directly with players, only if the player acts as their own representation.

What you can’t do during the legal tampering period:

Teams can’t talk to restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents during this two-day period.
Contracts can’t be executed or agreed to in principle during the legal tampering window.
Players can’t take team visits during this period or make travel arrangements for visits.
Contract announcements can’t be made by teams until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

Tampering violations can result in steep consequences for NFL teams. The Miami Dolphins don’t have a first-round draft pick this year as a result of tampering. Chiefs fans are certainly familiar with the harshest of possible consequences, back when the league determined they tampered with free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin back in 2016.

Chiefs fans have also seen the good side of the legal tampering period. Last season, for instance, the team added S Justin Reid during this time of the year. Really, it just allows teams to get a head start on the outside free agents they most covet. That includes teams who are looking at all of the Chiefs’ pending unrestricted free agents.

Brett Veach and his staff have a good amount of money to work with right now, projected with just under $15 million in cap space after the team tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent punter Tommy Townsend. That cap space will allow the team to be as active as they please during the legal tampering period and they even have a few ways to free up more ahead of the start of free agency. That includes a Chris Jones extension and a number of other contract-related restructures.

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NFL’s legal tampering period begins today

The NFL’s legal tampering period of free agency is set to begin today.

The NFL’s legal tampering period is set to begin on Monday.

The 2021 NFL league year and the start of the NFL’s free agency period are set to begin on March 17th at 3:00 p.m. CT, but teams can begin negotiations with free agents on March 15th at 11:00 a.m. CT.

The legal tampering period is essentially a two-day negotiation window, during which, NFL teams can begin communicating with representation for pending free agents. This period plays a large part in the annual spectacle that is NFL free agency. It will also help determine where some of the bigger free agents will end up across the league.

There are plenty of different rules and regulations from the NFL surrounding what exactly legal tampering entails. Here’s a look at the things teams can do and what they can’t do.

What you can do during the legal tampering period:

This period is only applicable to unrestricted free agents.
Teams can negotiate “all aspects of an NFL player contract” with a player’s representation.
A new rule this year allows teams to negotiate directly with players, only if the player acts as their own representation.

What you can’t do during the legal tampering period:

Teams can’t talk to restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents during this two-day period.
Contracts can’t be executed or agreed to in principle during the legal tampering window.
Players can’t take team visits during this period or make travel arrangements for visits.
Contract announcements can’t be made by teams until the new league year begins.

Tampering violations can result in steep consequences for teams. Chiefs fans are certainly familiar with the harshest of possible consequences. The league came down hard on Kansas City for supposedly tampering with free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, imposing both fines and loss of draft picks.

As of Patrick Mahomes’ contract restructure, the Chiefs are projected to have just over $12 million in salary-cap space available to sign free agents. Kansas City has a total of 18 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. They also have three players who are exclusive rights free agents and five who are restricted free agents.

During the legal tampering period, the Chiefs would be wise to do their diligence on some replacement options for several players departing in free agency. They’re expected to be heavily involved in the market for offensive linemen. On the defensive side of the ball, they could be looking for some edge rusher help opposite Frank Clark.

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11 free agents the Rams should legally tamper with this week

The Rams should gauge the market for these 11 free agents before the new league year begins.

The legal tampering period begins on Monday, allowing teams to contact agents of unrestricted free agents for 52 hours before the new league year begins on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Contracts can’t be signed during this time, and only terms of deals can be discussed, but it’s the unofficial start to free agency frenzy. The Rams probably won’t be very active in the early stages when high-priced free agents are scooped up, but they shouldn’t just sit back and watch.

Instead, they should talk to the agents of these 11 free agents to not only show interest in them, but explore the market to find out the cost of some potential targets.

Bears LB Nick Kwiatkoski

Kwiatkoski seems poised to become a free agent after the Bears re-signed linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year deal. Kwiatkoski would be a more affordable option than Cory Littleton if he leaves in free agency, with his best football ahead of him after getting the chance to start for the first time late last season.

Kwiatkoski should be a legitimate target for the Rams, who don’t have much money to spend in free agency. He’d immediately become one of their best linebackers if Littleton is gone, upgrading a unit with very little proven talent.

Jets OLB Jordan Jenkins

Jenkins doesn’t get much attention when discussing free-agent pass rushers, primarily because he played for a bad Jets team. But in the last two years, he’s piled up 15 sacks, 28 QB hits and four forced fumbles in 30 games.

Jenkins has good size for the position in a 3-4 defense, too, and is a former third-round pick in 2016. The former Georgia Bulldog doesn’t boast elite athleticism and ran just a 4.80 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, but his technique and talent make him a starting-caliber player.

Bills OLB Shaq Lawson

Lawson won’t break the bank, but he’s a former first-round pick who has put together an underwhelming career up to this point. Perhaps a change of scenery will spark a breakout season the way it did for another Shaq – Shaquil Barrett – last year.

What’s encouraging with Lawson is that he’s improved each year in the NFL, culminating in a 6.5-sack season in 2019 with 18 QB hits and 13 tackles for loss, all career-highs. Lawson should be on the Rams’ radar if Dante Fowler leaves.

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NFL’s legal tampering period begins today

The legal tampering period of free agency is set to begin at noon ET on Monday, March 16.

The NFL’s legal tampering period begins on Monday.

The 2020 NFL league year and the start of the NFL’s free agency period are set to begin on March 16th at 3:00 p.m. CT, but teams can begin negotiations with free agents on March 14th at 11:00am CT.

The legal tampering period is essentially a two-day window, during which teams can begin communicating and negotiating with representation for free agents. This period plays a large part in the spectacle that is NFL free agency. It will also help determine where some of the bigger free agents will end up across the league.

There are plenty of different rules from the NFL surrounding what exactly legal tampering entails. Here’s a look at the things teams can do and what they can’t do.

What you can do during the legal tampering period:

Applicable to unrestricted free agents only.
Negotiate “all aspects of an NFL player contract” with a player’s representation.

What you can’t do during the legal tampering period:

Teams can’t talk to restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents during this two-day period.
Teams can’t negotiate directly with players, even if they act as their own representation.
Contracts can’t be executed or agreed to in principle during the legal tampering window.
Players can’t take team visits during this period or make travel arrangements for visits.
Contract announcements can’t be made by teams until the new league year begins.

Tampering violations can result in steep consequences, including the loss of draft picks, and fines from the NFL. Chiefs fans are familiar with the harshest of consequences. The league came down hard on Kansas City for supposedly tampering with free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

The Chiefs have 20 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on the 18th of March. Here’s a quick gallery list of those players:

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K.C. currently has around $18.4 million in cap space according to Spotrac. That number doesn’t factor in the franchise tag, club options or exclusive rights free agent tenders. During the legal tampering period, the Chiefs would be wise to do their diligence on some replacement options for several players departing in free agency. On the defensive side of the ball, they could be looking at linebackers and cornerbacks. On offense, they could look to add depth at any number of positions.