What do you mean it seemed pretty clear to me when I put "if true". I suspect you just decided to argue without even reading it 1st time around
I don't believe that the Jets are going to pay a penalty for tampering because I don't think Mangini and Tannenbaum would have been that stupid, even right off the bat coming into the job. My best guess is that Kraft and Belichik had a misunderstanding with Branch's agent about what really transpired around that whole situation. If there was a breach of the terms of the Patriots offer to let Branch negotiate a trade then it likely occurred with his agent, not with another team. The Patriots would have had to go to each potential suitor and outline the terms of the negotiating opportunity and then had one of the suitors violate those terms in order for a tampering charge to be upheld. That's just the way it works. Any improper contact in normal circumstances could well be tampering, but once a team has publicly released it's contractual hold on a player to facilitate a trade then the borders become much grayer and it takes a more definitive violation to sustain tampering charges.
I agree with U on Man & Tan but until cleared there is always the chance Goodall rules in the Pats favor
In my mind, if the Branch situation came about through tampering then the Branch signing should have been nullified. I think that if the league allows this charge to be pursued then they are guilty of negligence of one of their own rules (i.e. Parcells tampering with Jets and Bears coaches in his bid for the Tampa job), and could cause an embarrassment to the league. They have never pursued a tampering charge, ever. So I don't think we will lose a draft pick. Even if the Jets are guilty.
Actually tampering has been upheld twice recently between the Jets and the Patriots. It was a behind the scenes ruling that awarded compensation for Parcells and Belichik. It's just highly unusual for the charges to be lodged as publicly as they were by Kraft and Belichik this time. Usually it's a whispers kind of thing. I doubt very much that this will turn into anything. The Patriots were damaged by the fact that TWO teams, one not even in their conference, chose to make similar offers to Branch that were beyond the Pats willingness to pay. This situation would be dramatically different if the Jets were the only other team involved with Branch.
actually, the pats are claiming branch's agent,mangini and tan were talking trade contract terms before new england gave branch permission to seek a trade. if so, draft picks are the compensation. it could happen!!!
I find it hard to believe that the investigation is on-going. It isn't as if more information will be available after the season. Of course I am speculating, but Goodall would prefer to clear his plate for the initiatives he has planned rather than dragging this thing out.
In my opinion I find it very unlikely we give NE any compensation for this. And VERY unlikely its a high draft pick considering they got a 1st round pick from another team.
Did the owners make a call to the commissioner to get it taken care of? Or were there formal tampering charges filed? Either way, this is what I'm talking about. Until the NFL owns up to the rules publicly on this then I can't take this situation seriously.
if herm was worth a 4th, then we could send them dumbway. he's good ( value) for at least a 3rd. that should satisfy the commish.:rofl:
Sure it could. But even if what the Pats are saying is true proving these things is nearly impossible.
ZERO chance this happened. Tannenbaum and Mangini had nothing to gain by clearly tampering with Branch and everything to lose. The NFL rules on discussing players under contract to another team are so clear that there is no chance for misinterpretation to occur. Tannenbaum and Mangini would have had to go into the negotiations with Branch's agent with the INTENT to tamper. No chance at all that was the game plan for two guys who had just gotten dream jobs.
