Louis Riddick wonders if the Dolphins' punishment was enough to protect the integrity of the game. There is a time and a place for it. The Miami Dolphins had their first-round pick taken away by the league as punishment for violating tampering rules. The announcement came a day after Deshaun was suspended for six games by an independent Disciplinary Officer. Six months have passed since former Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the league, accusing the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of conducting sham interviews in order to fulfill Rooney Rule requirements. There were two items on that docket that were addressed on Tuesday. There are issues of illegal labor practices that need to be addressed in court. One of the most extensive cases of tampering in league history was uncovered by an independent investigation. Over the course of two years, the Dolphins tried to get Brady and Sean to join the team when both were with other teams. Stephen Ross, the owner of the Dolphins, disagreed with the conclusions and the punishment, but the league said there would be no appeal. There is a number. Ask them if they know anything.
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Here's a closer look at what we know and what we don't.
The Dolphins spent two years trying to get Brady to join the team. There was a lot of discussion about becoming a limited partner, a team executive and the quarterback. The league's anti-tampering policy states that "no club, nor any person employed by or otherwise affiliated with a club, is allowed to tampering with a player who is under contract to or whose exclusive negotiating rights are held by another club."
The investigation found that the Dolphins had a conversation with the agent of the Saints' coach before he left. The Dolphins would have needed permission from the Saints to speak to him after he left. A head coach, general manager, or other high level employee who voluntarily resigns or retires prior to the end of his contract is not allowed to discuss or accept employment with another club.
The investigation found that the Saints did not allow the Dolphins to speak with him after he resigned.
The Dolphins forfeited one of their first- and third-round picks. Ross was fined and had his license suspended for 10 years. The suspension is six games according to an NFL source. The Dolphins play the Vikings in October.
Ross was removed from the finance, media, international and legalized sports gambling committees.
The Dolphins limited partner was fined $500,000 and is not allowed to attend any league meetings through the end of the 2022.
Along with the accusations of sham interviews and incentivizing losing by offering monetary rewards, Flores said the Dolphins tried to lure him into the scheme to recruit Brady. He didn't want to.
The investigation found that. The Dolphins decided to keep Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback despite the fact that they hired a new offensive coach.
Brady would have needed the approval of the league's owners to play both roles for the Dolphins.
The league looked into Flores' allegation that Ross offered him $100,000 to lose games. Ross told people in the organization that the 2020 draft should be the priority over winning in 2019. The investigation found that the team never intentionally lost a game.
The investigation found conflicting recollections about the wording and timing of the $100,000 offer. The subject was not pursued in any way by Mr. Ross or anyone else at the club.
It's true that the Dolphins didn't tank, but that's not the same as saying that Ross didn't want them to because he wanted them to be more focused on the draft. The investigation did not resolve whether Ross offered Flores a financial incentive to lose. Even if it wasn't meant to be a serious offer, it's still a serious offer.
Flores said that he was disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross' offers and pressure to tank games.
The NFL's product is not scripted. Every club is expected to make a good faith effort to win. He said that anything short of that would undermine the integrity of the game.
The Dolphins will lose a first-round pick and a third-round pick in each of the next two years for violating the anti-tampering policy.
The team has forfeited a first-round pick before. In 2008 after "Spygate" and in 2016 after "Deflategate." The first round in those cases will have 31 picks instead of 32.
Two second-round picks were lost by the Saints in the "Bountygate" scandal.
The Washington Commanders have been docked more than $10 million. Prior to that, there have been suspended owners. Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, was suspended for six games after he pled guilty to a drunk driving charge.
Nothing of this magnitude was present.
The Kansas City Chiefs lost a third-round pick in 2016 and a sixth-round pick in 2017). The Lions lost a sixth-round pick in 2012 and a fifth-round pick in 2011.
He can't be present at the team's facility or at an league meeting, according to the league's announcement. The language used to announce Irsay's suspension is almost the same as the one used to announce it.
The anti-tampering policy is for clubs to intervene into another club's contract.
It defines tampering as any interference by a member club with the employer-employee relationship of another club or any attempt by a club to impermissibly induce a person to seek employment with that club or with the NFL.
The personal conduct policy doesn't mention tampering in the case of Brady or other players.
The Dolphins want to keep both of their first-round picks and their second- and third-round picks. What's the reason? It's likely that they'll hedge their bet on Tua Tagovailoa. If Tagovailoa develops, or if he doesn't, the Dolphins could use one of their five premium picks on a quarterback.
They lost a major asset in their first-round pick, but still have the San Francisco 49ers' first-round pick, and they can package it with their own first-round pick. It's not ideal to lose a third-round pick, but it shouldn't affect their plans.
The lawsuit alleges violations of federal and state civil rights statutes that are meant to ensure equal rights. A ruling isn't expected until late summer at the earliest after the NFL filed a motion to have the lawsuit moved to its in-house process.
A Dolphins reporter is contributing.
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