The Philadelphia Eagles shocked the world this offseason when they landed the services of former New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley. The superstar’s $37.75M deal is the most the Eagles have spent at the running back position since 2015 and his presence automatically makes the offense one of the most explosive in the NFL, but it almost didn’t pan out that way.
Eagles cleared of tampering allegations
It didn’t take long for opposing and disgruntled teams to pick up hints of potential ‘tampering’ prior to the acquisition. Penn State’s James Franklin, who of course coached Saquon throughout his collegiate career, mentioned that Barkley had spoken to Eagles GM Howie Roseman on the pone, but the timing of this was correlated to the NFL’s legal tampering period.
This sparked an investigation as to whether or not the Eagles jumped the gun when trying to land the esteemed running back, but the good news is that the findings have been revealed and the Eagles have been cleared of any potential ‘tampering’ allegations.
This might not sound like a big deal, but the opposite outcome could’ve been devestating. For instance, it was also revealed today that the Atlanta Falcons have lost a 2025 5th-rounder for violating the anti-tampering policy while negotiating with Kirk Cousins.
The Dolphins recently lost a lot of Draft Capital for similar allegations and it hindered their draft plans for both 2023 and 2024.
Of all the GM’s in the league, Howie Roseman is probably the last anyone would expect to tamper. His methodical nature has become renowned among league circles, as well as his navigation of the salary cap. For someone to be so meticulous in his craft yet oversee one of the biggest policies of the offseason would be beyond surprising at the very least.
The Eagles can now move on into Training Camp safe in the knowledge that Saquon Barkley is on their roster and there are no other ramifications to worry about.
AP Photo/Chris Szagola
