Did the Philadelphia Eagles tamper with Saquon Barkley and if so, what’s the NFL doing about it?

The idea that the Philadelphia Eagles have denied tampering with the now-former Giants star, when they weren’t exactly accused of it does raise eyebrows. Is this something the NFL should be looking into? Let’s take a look.

Eagles deny tampering with Saquon Barkley but what’s the truth?

If we can assume one thing about the recent comments from the Philadelphia Eagles, it’s that they are concerned that there may be suspicions about the manner in which they went about acquiring running back Saquon Barkley. Indeed, the Eagles have denied that general manager Howie Roseman contacted Saquon Barkley during the 52-hour “legal tampering” window where teams can only talk to agents unless the player is representing themselves or has no agent. As for why the franchise felt the need to address the issue? That would be the words of Barkley’s former coach at Penn State, James Franklin, who spoke earlier this week about the role that the proximity of Happy Valley to Philadelphia played in Barkley’s decision to join his team’s division rival.

“For him now to come back and be able to play within the state in Philadelphia, [Barkley] said that was one of the first things that Howie [Roseman] said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him,” Franklin said. “Not only the Philadelphia Eagles but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan bases as well.” As we know, Barkley went on to sign a three-year, $37.75 million contract with $26 million guaranteed that will see him leaving the Big Apple and heading to a team that also plays in the NFC East. Of course, the problem here is Franklin’s suggestion that Roseman called Barkley directly, something that is not allowed according to league rules.

Interestingly, the Eagles also stated - in addition to the denial - that they recruited through player agents during the “legal tampering” window. Where the NFL itself is concerned, there has yet been no comment as to whether the league is investigating the issue, however, one has to believe that if Franklin’s comments are true, they should. The Giants for their part have said nothing. Tampering of course has become a major talking point in recent seasons with a number of teams being punished for the practice, including the Kansas City Chiefs who had to forfeit a third-round pick back in 2016 after head coach Andy Reid made direct contact with free agent Jeremy Maclin. Most recently we saw Minnesota Vikings suggesting that tampering had taken place where his now departed starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins, was concerned. Regarding Barkley, the 27-year-old has been to the Pro Bowl twice and in this most recent season registered 1,242 combined rushing and receiving yards in with 10 touchdowns across 14 games. So, did the Eagles cross a line, and will the NFL take action? As we like to say, watch this space.