Raiders' Jon Gruden may have violated NFL tampering policy with Richard Sherman pitch
One general manager told ProFootballTalk: “This is blatant tampering”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden might have made a costly mistake this week when he expressed interest in San Francisco 49ers’ cornerback Richard Sherman during a podcast appearance, despite him not being a free agent.
Gruden was a guest on sportscaster Cris Collinsworth’s podcast, which features Sherman, when he made a pitch at the five-time Pro Bowler who is still under contract with the 49ers until March 17.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I know there’s tampering rules out there and I don’t want to bring up anything that might create a problem for you, because I know that you’ve been fined a few shekels over the years," Collinsworth began by saying -- but Gruden didn’t heed his warning.
"I’ve been fined, I’ve been punished very, very harshly," he said. "Richard Sherman, if you are a free agent, which there is a rumor you are, we are looking for an alpha presence in our secondary. Somebody that could play this Hawk 3-press technique with the read step."
He continued: "If you’re available and interested, maybe you and I can get together at some point off air."
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Sherman simply replied: "There’s a conversation to be had, for sure. I am free and available these days."
Gruden might have placed himself in the hot seat as one general manager told Pro Football Talk: "This is blatant tampering."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}According to the NFL’s policy "Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club’s player to that player’s agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of this Anti-Tampering Policy."
Gruden could be fined as a result or, in an extreme case, the Raiders could be stripped of a draft pick.