Investigating illegal legal Tampering.

The NFL is “looking into potential tampering” by the Philadelphia Eagles related to signing Saquon Barkley, according to a report from NFL insider Dan Graziano. He adds that the Atlanta Falcons are also being investigated as it relates to signing Kirk Cousins.

The Eagles have already denied any wrongdoing in response to questions about Penn State head coach James Franklin stating that Barkley spoke directly with Howie Roseman on the phone during the NFL’s negotiating window.

By the league’s own definition, Roseman talking directly to Barkley prior to the official start of free agency would qualify as impermissible contact. During the negotiating window (which has been commonly referred to as “legal tampering”), teams are permitted to talk to a player’s agent/representation but not the player directly. Which feels like a pretty silly and trivial distinction.

Regardless, that’s the spot the Eagles are in.

The best case scenario is that the NFL’s investigation is just for show and the Eagles avoid any kind of punishment.

The worst case scenario is that the NFL finds the Eagles did break the rules and punishes them by stripping a draft pick or two away from them. The Kansas City Chiefs lost a 2016 third-round pick AND a 2017 sixth-round pick for tampering with Jeremy Maclin back in 2015. Note that those picks were not rewarded to the Eagles but instead forfeited.

Franklin better send the Eagles a nice apology gift if the latter comes to pass.