The NFL has found that the Philadelphia Eagles did not violate league tampering rules in their pursuit and eventual signing of former Giants running back Saquon Barkley.
The league released the following statement on Thursday following an investigation:
After a thorough review of the Philadelphia Eagles signing of Saquon Barkley, the NFL today informed the club that the investigation did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Anti-Tampering Policy was violated.
In coming to this conclusion, the league reviewed phone logs, text messages and other documents related to Philadelphia’s free agency strategy and decision to sign Barkley. The NFL also interviewed several members of the organization, including Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni, as well as Barkley and Penn State head coach James Franklin. As with every review, should new evidence be uncovered, the league may reopen the investigation.
Barkley, selected by the Giants with the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, signed with Philadelphia on a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million fully guaranteed on the first day of NFL free agency this past March.
The allegations of tampering first arrived after Franklin said in an interview that he’d spoken to Barkley and that Barkley had talked directly with Roseman, the Eagles general manager, prior to the start of the free agency. Franklin later backtracked from those comments, clarifying that Roseman had only spoken to Barkley’s agent, which is permitted.
Meanwhile, the NFL did find that the Atlanta Falcons committed tampering by having “improper contact” with free agents Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and Charlie Woerner. The Falcons have been docked a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and have been fined $250,000.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-finds-eagles-did-not-160530297.html
Author : SNY
Publish date : 2024-06-13 16:05:30
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.