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Cris Collinsworth tries. He tried to stop Raiders coach Jon Gruden from committing tampering. Gruden does not seem to care.
Collinsworth, who hosts a podcast with Richard Sherman, the corner of the 49ers, hosted Gruden. Collinsworth mentions the fact that former Seahawks defense coordinator Gus Bradley arrived in Las Vegas as the defense coordinator, before pointing out to the elephant entering the room that a player under contract with one team directly with a coach of another team talks.
“I know there are scams and I do not want to argue anything that could cause you a problem because I know you have been fined a fine over the years,” Collinsworth said.
“Yes, I have,” Gruden said. “I was fined, I was punished very, very severely. Richard Sherman, if you’re a free agent and there’s a rumor that you are, we’re looking for an alpha presence in our secondary. Someone who can play this Hawk 3-press technique with the reading step. If you are available and interested, you and I might get together from the air at some point. ‘
Sherman responded: “There is definitely a conversation. I’m free and available these days. ”
As one general manager said unsolicited and unsolicited in response to Gruden’s remarks: “This is blatant tampering.”
And it is. Here is the appropriate language, from page 5 of the NFL’s anti-tampering policy: “Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in a player from another club to the player’s agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of this anti-manipulation policy. (Example of a forbidden remark: “He is an excellent player, and we would like him if he is available, but another club holds his rights.”)
Gruden went beyond that. His comments assume that Sherman is already a free agent. He is not. He remains under contract with the 49ers until March 17, when the new league year begins and he becomes a free agent.
Via email, the NFL declined to comment on the situation.
Whether the league actually does anything about it remains to be seen. Sometimes they do not, sometimes they do. How can they not in this case? It is as open and obvious as it gets; even if the 49ers do not plan to keep Sherman, they have his rights until March 17. He is not free. He is not available.
And Gruden, who’s been in and around the NFL for decades, needs to know that. If he does not do so, chances are he will eventually do so soon.