The NFL yesterday sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams “warning them not to" tamper with players "during the so-called legal tampering period which began Saturday,” according to Armando Salguero of the MIAMI HERALD. The NFL said that it would “investigate clubs who forged contract agreements with prospective unrestricted free agents” before 4:00pm ET today against the league's rules. The Dolphins, who “have an agreement in principle” with free agent DT Ndamukong Suh, “are in the NFL's crosshairs.” The franchise is “taking the threat of sanctions extremely seriously.” Sources said that Dolphins employees “were told they better have zero contact addressing the possibility of a Suh deal with anyone -- much less the media” (MIAMI HERALD, 3/10). In Minneapolis, Michael Rand reports the league sent the "strongly worded memo" because it was "mad about detailed information leaking out" on Suh and other high-profile free agents. But the NFL is “asking the impossible by trying to keep dozens of secrets in an era where keeping even one secret is rare” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/10).
FREE WHEELIN': ESPN’s Adam Schefter said, “That was the craziest week leading up to the opening week of free agency that I’ve ever seen” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 3/10). ESPN’s Bill Polian said, “There are two things that happened this year that are different than in years past. No. 1 the cap exploded and No. 2 teams could carry unspent cap dollars over from the previous year. So there are teams -- Philadelphia is one of them -- that are absolutely flush with cap space and in addition to that, there are teams that are flush with cash because there’s so much money coming into the National Football League” (“NFL Insiders,” ESPN, 3/9).
