The two-day legal tempering window before the new NFL year begins allows teams to negotiate with the representatives of unrestricted free agents, but it doesn’t allow teams to speak directly with players unless they represent themselves.
This is why Penn State head coach James Franklin may have got the Philadelphia Eagles in some hot water when he implied that general manager Howie Roseman spoke directly with running back Saquon Barkley during the negotiating window, according to Mark Wogenrich of SI.com.
“Penn State coach James Franklin chatted with Saquon Barkley on Monday night after Barkley agreed to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles,” Wogenrich wrote . “…Interestingly, Barkley told Franklin that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman made Penn State and homecoming part of his presentation to the former New York Giants running back.”
According to Pro Football Talk, the Eagles denied Roseman spoke with Barkley directly, maintaining that all communication went through his agent, Ed Berry of CAA.
Per NFL bylaws, “clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents upon expiration of their 2023 player contracts at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 13” during the legal tampering window.
Should the NFL bring action against the Eagles, it wouldn’t be the first time a team was punished for violations that occurred during the legal tampering period. In 2016, the Kansas City Chiefs lost third- and seventh-round picks and were fined $350,000 for having a direct contract with Jeremy Maclin, who was still technically a member of the Eagles.
