Titans moving forward with tampering case against redskins?

BasX · Mar 7, 2009

G.M. Mike Reinfeldt hinted at the possibility earlier this week, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports that it isn’t going away.

The Titans remain interested in pursuing the possibility of charging the Redskins with tampering.

The preliminary evidence that the Redskins encroached on Tennessee’s exclusive negotiation territory before the free-agency period opened? Agent Chad Speck reportedly had dinner with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder at the Scouting Combine.

Haynesworth shrugs the possibility that Speck and Snyder talked about the team’s interest in Albert: “I don’t think so,” Haynesworth said. “Yeah, Chad told me he met with the Redskins at the Combine, but they were talking about Malcolm [Kelly] and how he could become the next Andre Johnson and stuff like that.”

Malcolm Kelly? The next Andre Johnson?

(OK, I laughed so hard I think I need to go change my pants. Be right back.)

So, if we are to believe Haynesworth, his $100 million deal (actually, $48 million over four with $41 million guaranteed) was negotiated from scratch in roughly the time it takes to bake a turkey, at a time when the agent’s phone was reportedly “exploding” with calls from other teams.

Though Wyatt’s article suggests that the Titans are in the process of compiling evidence to support their claim, the reality is that they’ve already got enough to proceed. Apart from the admission from Haynesworth that Speck had communications with the Redskins at the Combine, Peter King of SI.com strongly implied (if not flat-out stated) that the Redskins tampered with Cowboys defensive end Chris Canty, who apparently was the leverage the Redskins used to avoid paying Haynesworth $60 million guaranteed.

The real question is whether Titans owner Bud Adams has the stomach to poke a finger in the eye of a business partner. The fact that the NFL will do nothing about tampering unless and until the aggrieved team objects means that, in many cases, the transgression is overlooked because these teams ultimately prefer to get along — especially at a time when great pains are being taken to demonstrate a united front against the NFLPA.

If/when the Titans file tampering charges, then the league office will track down phone records and e-mails and other evidence aimed at proving — just as the league ultimately did a year or so ago when the Niners were busted for tampering with Bears linebacker Lance Briggs — that the effort to recruit Haynesworth began at some point before 12:01 a.m. EST on February 27.

In our view, there’s plenty of smoke. The Titans simply need to ask themselves whether they’re prepared to ask the league office to go looking for the fire.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009...forward-with-tampering-case-against-redskins/

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Titans moving forward with tampering case against redskins?

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