Rock needs to be released if we lose draft picks

[lowtharofthehill]

http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2009/3 ... -tampering

The morning free agency started, Redskins RB Rock Cartwright went on ESPN 980 in D.C. to talk about the Albert Haynesworth signing. What he said should go a long way towards proving the Redskins tampered with Haynesworth while he was still under contract with the Titans:

Host: At what time did you learn Albert Haynesworth was going to be a teammate, Rock?

Rock Cartwright: This morning when I woke up I put it on NFL network and breaking news went across the screen saying he had signed for $100 million, but I kind of had an idea they were going to sign him anyways because one of my teammates said they have same agent* and he said that they had been talking.

* (ed. note: WR Malcolm Kelley is also represented by Albert's agent, Chad Speck)

That's textbook tampering. The Bears got a pick from the 49ers for tampering with Lance Briggs, and they seemed to have much less evidence. Plus they didn't even lose Briggs, whereas out attempts to re-sign Albert were blown to bits once that crazy offer hit the papers.

This is tampering at its worst, and Snyder should be hammered by the Commissioner for this. The 49ers were docked a 5th round pick and had to swap their 3rd rounder with the Bears, so anything less than multiple late picks from the Redskins would be an insult in this case, IMO.



If Rock Costs us our third round pick he needs to go. Thanks for returning kick offs to the thirty yard line but please be silent and get out of the way.

[Smithian]

Not good.

[El Mexican]

Rock should not get the blame for the errors of others.

He was asked a question, he answered honestly and, I believe, without malice.

As of know, just about everyone at the NFL HQs knows Phat Albert has the same agent as Kelly. Snyder had diner with the agent before de FA season started. Did they iron out the contract during that diner? Who knows. Makes no difference than another owner calling the agent and having the same conversation.

Snyder clearly showed little regard for protocol, but I don't know if you can "hammer" an organization for that.

[Cappster]

I don't think this will go anywhere. The only people that care are Titans fans who are crying about losing their stud player.

[Cooter]

This may or may not develop into something, but I would like to believe that in order for the league to conclude the Redskins tampered they would need more than a radio interview where a player said another player said the two sides talked. Having said that I don't feel this is going to be an issue.

[JansenFan]

It could also be read that his teammate said they (Kelly and Haynesworth) had the same agent and they (Kelly and Haynesworth) had been talking. Maybe AH told Kelly he wanted to come to the Redskins.

[Skinna Mob]

It could also be read that his teammate said they (Kelly and Haynesworth) had the same agent and they (Kelly and Haynesworth) had been talking. Maybe AH told Kelly he wanted to come to the Redskins.

Right! They cannot prove anything from what Rock said. That could be interpreted several different ways.

[tribeofjudah]

Squash it.....

[PulpExposure]

This may or may not develop into something, but I would like to believe that in order for the league to conclude the Redskins tampered they would need more than a radio interview where a player said another player said the two sides talked. Having said that I don't feel this is going to be an issue.

I agree. This is just pure speculation.

You're going to dock a team a draft pick on the basis of:

"one of my teammates said they have same agent* and he said that they had been talking."

...

[CanesSkins26]

This may or may not develop into something, but I would like to believe that in order for the league to conclude the Redskins tampered they would need more than a radio interview where a player said another player said the two sides talked. Having said that I don't feel this is going to be an issue.

I agree. This is just pure speculation.

You're going to dock a team a draft pick on the basis of:

"one of my teammates said they have same agent* and he said that they had been talking."

...

With the NFL you never know. The evidence against the 49ers wasn't all that strong and they got hit pretty hard.

[lowtharofthehill]

yes the evidence against the 49ers was less than this. And they didnt even sign Briggs. There were tampering rumors before FA even started and comments like that from redskins players will only fuel the fire. The NFL doesn't need legal evidence to give out punishments. I would be shocked if the Redskins are not docked a draft pick at this point.

[Jeff Rhodes]

In legal terms, this is hearsay evidence -- and it isn't even that, because Cartwright didn't get his information directly from the source. He heard it from a teammate who may, or may not, have heard it from an agent. That may sound like a smoking gun to the people in Tennessee, but I'm reasonably confident the commissioner wouldn't sanction one of his 32 franchises based on third-party gossip.

I'm also quite certain the players union would throw a fit if Snyder retaliated against a whistle-blower. That said, I agree Cartwright was an idiot to shoot off his big mouth that way considering he's on the bubble every summer anyway.

[Bob 0119]

For every story, there is a counter story. Try this one from SI:

link

There is enough rule breaking in the free-agency chase to write three books, but I can tell you that the time on the screen of my MacBook Air was 12:00:06 (six seconds after midnight) when the phone rang in the Back Bay condo of agent Brad Blank Friday morning. I was in the upscale downtown Boston neighborhood with Blank, and on the other end of the phone was Washington vice president of player personnel Vinny Cerrato. The subject was Blank's client, defensive end Chris Canty, who'd been a free agent for all of six seconds.

"Hey, Brad,'' Cerrato said, eschewing pleasantries, "I need to get what you're thinking of numbers-wise so I can go in and talk to [owner] Dan [Snyder] and see if it fits us.''

"It's eight, Vinny, and I don't really care how it's structured if we get to eight,'' Blank said, meaning $8 million per year for a four-, five-, six- or seven-year contract. "You know the deal. I'd like to get him somewhere on a plane tomorrow. You interested?''

"Let me get back to you,'' Cerrato said, and just like that he was gone.

In his living room, Blank, the preppy 48-year-old former Brown roommate of John F. Kennedy Jr., alternated between ESPN and NFL Network on the TV as free agency dawned. On a legal pad he had sketched out the teams he felt were the best shot for Canty. In order, they were:

1. Washington, 2. Tennessee, 3. San Francisco, 4. Seattle, 5. Denver, 6. Dallas, 7. Miami, 8. Green Bay, 9. New York Giants.

The ideal trip, Blank thought, would be Friday in Washington, Saturday in Tennessee and Monday in Seattle. Washington wouldn't be interested if the 'Skins signed defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, the prize of the crop. And Blank waited. And Canty, sitting home in Charlotte, waited. And his dad, Joe, who was going to take the recruiting trips with his son, waited.

And nothing.

At the scouting combine the previous week, when it's supposed to be against NFL rules for teams to have discussions with agents for soon-to-be free agents, Blank had spoken to a number of teams about Canty, a 6-7 defensive end in a 3-4 defense who some teams thought could play defensive tackle in the 4-3. The teams, ostensibly, were feeling out the agents, and vice versa, about what level of compensation the player might get and what other teams might be interested.

One of the parties interested in Canty was Washington. Blank thought San Francisco, Tennessee and Seattle would also want in. There were others. Teams are smart enough not to blatantly offer contracts at the combine, but some of them come close. In this case, Blank made it clear to anyone asking that he expected the money to come in between $6 million and $8 million a year, hopefully closer to eight.

"Football is a game of supply and demand,'' Blank said. "Chris is a 3-4 end and a lot of teams are going to the 3-4, and there aren't enough good ends out there. So he should be in demand.''

1:08 a.m.: Cerrato rang to ask if Canty would come in for a visit later that day. "Does he like basketball?'' Cerrato said. "The Wizards are in town playing Chicago. I think Obama's going to the game.''

He likes basketball, Blank said, but more to the point, Blank asked if all the rumors were true about the Redskins and Haynesworth.

"We're out,'' said Cerrato. "He's too expensive.''

"Do our numbers make sense?" Blank asked.

Pause. One second, maybe two seconds. "I'll get Eric [negotiator Eric Schaffer] with you in the morning,'' Cerrato said.

Hmmmm. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. But Cerrato said the Redskins would send a private plane to pick up Chris and Joe Canty at the Charlotte airport at 1 p.m., and he'd get back to him with details.

Based on this EYEWITNESS account it would seem that the team didn't start working on Haeynesworth until after midnight. If they had been talking to the agent beforehand, it would seem that AH would've been locked up at 12:01

but that's just my take on it...

[1niksder]

http://www.musiccitymiracles.com/2009/3/11/789769/redskins-busted-tampering

The morning free agency started, Redskins RB Rock Cartwright went on ESPN 980 in D.C. to talk about the Albert Haynesworth signing. What he said should go a long way towards proving the Redskins tampered with Haynesworth while he was still under contract with the Titans:

Host: At what time did you learn Albert Haynesworth was going to be a teammate, Rock?

Rock Cartwright: This morning when I woke up I put it on NFL network and breaking news went across the screen saying he had signed for $100 million, but I kind of had an idea they were going to sign him anyways because one of my teammates said they have same agent* and he said that they had been talking.

* (ed. note: WR Malcolm Kelley is also represented by Albert's agent, Chad Speck)

I don't see anything that Rock said that should cause him a trip to the RB coach's office, let alone be released. He said: He woke up and found out Haynesworth had been signed and that he figured that considering Haynesworth and Kelly had been talking and have the same agent

That's textbook tampering. The Bears got a pick from the 49ers for tampering with Lance Briggs, and they seemed to have much less evidence. Plus they didn't even lose Briggs, whereas out attempts to re-sign Albert were blown to bits once that crazy offer hit the papers.

Less evidence What evidence?
The Bears and Niners tried to workout a trade before Biggs hit the market. Later the Bears claim that San Francisco held contract talks with Drew. There defense was they had talked to Lance before they talked to Rosenhaus

This is tampering at its worst, and Snyder should be hammered by the Commissioner for this. The 49ers were docked a 5th round pick and had to swap their 3rd rounder with the Bears, so anything less than multiple late picks from the Redskins would be an insult in this case, IMO.

The 49ers were in the wrong and they came out and said so, without really admitting guilt. "the Danny" had dinner with a agent of a guy that is being paid millions and came in out of shape - often injured - rarely played. I'd been talking to that guy too

If Rock Costs us our third round pick he needs to go. Thanks for returning kick offs to the thirty yard line but please be silent and get out of the way.

So now we should act like ttiT and put a gag order out for everyone on the staff.


Agents and coaches, agents and owners, agents talk to anyone that will listen if it might be some money in it for them. Unless there is some type of proof that the discussed AH over dinner it's a dead issue.

What was there to talk about anyway? If you listen to (and believe )what the Titans are saying then out of 32 professional organiztions they were the only group not to know what the asking price would be once the market open.

There is no evidence that the Skins talked to Chad Speck about ANYTHING because neither has said what they talked about. On the other hand the Bears actually talked to and admitted to talking to a player.

[HEROHAMO]

Rock has a big mouth. Cut him anyways.

[Countertrey]

While I agree that Rock should be released, it has nothing to do with this.

[Jake]

Why did this not become an issue until someone wrote a blog/article about it on the internet over two weeks after it happened?

No one said anything about it the day, or even week, after Rock said what he said.

Why did it become an issue now and not when he said it?

Either way, what difference does what he says make? Shouldn't what the Houston Chronicle columnist bear more weight than anything Rock has said?

[SkinsHead56]

Rock has a big mouth. Cut him anyways.

I agree for as big a head as Rock has (witha pea brain in it) he always spits out some dumb BS.

[Gibbs4Life]

If we lose picks Goodell needs to be impeached.

[tcwest10]

Hey...this is Washington. We can cover anything up.
Bring it, Tennessee.

[Deadskins]

Yeah, we should get one of the Titans' picks for making false accusations. Say a second rounder.

[VetSkinsFan]

Yeah, we should get one of the Titans' picks for making false accusations. Say a second rounder.

QFT...

[yupchagee]

If we lose picks Goodell needs to be impeached.

Not till after he's been lynched

[SKINFAN]

Rock is a core redskin, but man, we have 2 starting caliber RB's and the roster spot he has is getting more and more valuable seeing we will need depth everywhere else.