23 April 2024 , 03:00
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The Atlanta Falcons could be hit with a tampering penalty that might jeopardise their NFL Draft plans.
ESPN reports suggest that the investigations against the Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles could wrap up as early as this week, with the Falcons more likely to face severe punishment.
Both teams are under scrutiny by league officials for their free-agency signings. The Falcons brought in quarterback Kirk Cousins while the Eagles signed running back Saquon Barkley. Allegedly, both teams had discussions with the players' representatives before the window officially opened.
ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed in a live broadcast today that the Falcons' punishment is likely to involve losing draft picks, possibly even before this week's draft. This implies that the Falcons could lose their first or second-round pick this year if found guilty of tampering.
In a similar case, the Miami Dolphins lost their 2023 first-round pick for tampering when they were found to have spoken to Tom Brady about joining the team while he was still a New England Patriots player and not yet a free agent.
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The Falcons have come under fire for allegedly engaging in similar tactics with Cousins before he inked a deal on the first day of free agency in March. Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons, has openly said that he doesn't think his team deserves any punishment, insisting they acted within the rules when signing Cousins.
New head coach Raheem Morris could find his team losing draft picks this week (Getty)At the owners' meeting earlier this month, Blank was quoted saying: "The tampering deal, we obviously don't believe we tampered, and we shared all the information with the league. And they'll review the process and the facts and they are in the middle of doing that, and whatever the result is, we'll deal with it."
After declining an offer from the Minnesota Vikings, his previous squad, Cousins accepted a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons, heading to Atlanta.
The 35 year old quarterback is set to join forces with the promising offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, as the Falcons boast a robust offensive line and a solid set of receivers key factors that swayed Cousins to make the move. With an average annual salary of $45 million, Cousins is now among the NFL's top-earning quarterbacks.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.