More fun with tampering: Bears met with Peppers' agent

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on March 2, 2010 11:03 PM ET

The Bears have taken an illegal running head start towards free agency, according to the Chicago Tribune.

 

David Kaplan reports that the representative for Julius Peppers, Carl Carey, met with Bears brass during the NFL Scouting Combine. Carey has only one active contract in the NFL, so he's not just chit-chatting.

 

We know: this stuff happens all the time. It happens so much, the word "tampering" isn't even in the Tribune's story.

 

Denials will come swiftly Wednesday, but the league has to have a problem when their rules are flaunted so publicly.

I thought that was interesting that we would have met with the agent. That seems really stupid if we tampered and get hit for that.

I thought that was interesting that we would have met with the agent. That seems really stupid if we tampered and get hit for that.

I haven't heard any reports that Peppers was specifically discussed. They may have just been trying to catch up with his agent before Friday rolls around, make sure they're on his speed dial, etc. I don't think that would constitute tampering.

Didn't they just talk about the Olympics?

 

I haven't heard any reports that Peppers was specifically discussed. They may have just been trying to catch up with his agent before Friday rolls around, make sure they're on his speed dial, etc. I don't think that would constitute tampering.

 

Didn't they just talk about the Olympics?

 

you could be right. angelo is in the market for a goalie.

Perhaps all that was said was "can I call you at midnight Friday?".

 

'Yes, you can".

I like the rumor that Kampman has already come to terms with a team. I believe, but still.

 

Really, why should the league enforce this rule? The Bears season ended 2 months ago. The Super Bowl was played over a month ago. What the hell else are teams supposed to do?

 

What's even more interesting is that the Bears are in the discussion.

How is it tampering if Carolina announced last week that they had no intention of franchising Peppers this year an that they were going to all him to become an UFA?

How is it tampering if Carolina announced last week that they had no intention of franchising Peppers this year an that they were going to all him to become an UFA?

I'm pretty sure they still hold his rights until free agency starts on Friday.

What ESPN said this morning was, it is only tampering if they talked contract specifics. They said that we announced at 12:15 that we had a deal w/ Peppers, we would set ourselves up to for tampering issues, but ESPN said we could speak w/ his agent so long as the contract itself was not discussed.

 

So if what ESPN said was correct, that would mean we could speak w/ his agent about stuff like the team, system, fit etc. I thought we could not talk to him about Peppers at all, but maybe there is more to it than I realize.

 

I'm pretty sure they still hold his rights until free agency starts on Friday.

 

Wow. Sounds like Peppers is a Redskin. Of course, that idiot Snyder buys his team every year and they always suck and will continue to suck. I sure hope this doesn't mean Kampman and his bad knee..