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Defensive player suspensions

Is it possible that the league has told teams that have or want to sign Saints FAs, if that player is going to be suspended?

Maybe the league will wait until the FA period is over and only suspend the players that are still with the Saints and fine the ones that went to a new team.

I doubt anyone knows anything about suspensions, and I'm thinking more fines than suspensions will be handed out. Vilma is the only name I've heard about actually having a direct hand in the bounties

I don't think Goodell has a clue what he's going to do with the players. That's what is taking so long. Here's something I just posted on a Niners board I belong to:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jello (Post 4445285)

We know Vilma put $ up to have Favre hurt simply because NFL said so, and there is a player shouting referencing that money on a play in which Favre appeared hurt on tape. To me that alone contaminates the entire P-F-P. Plus we know the Saints Organization tried to cover it up and lie about it.
We know from the video Williams mentions the $ for dirty play in the 9er game.

I recall that hit they keep playing on NFLN with Harper hitting Smith in the End zone. To me that embodies what Williams is saying in that video. Cheap Shots. So the imagine of Saints players being Saints is not a realistic one.

As for specifics or smoking gun - as you pointed out - its probably in the emails. All Goodell would have to do is find some players that participated in the Bounty pot, which is not that hard to believe.

How do we know Vilma put up anything? We were told that he said something referencing it.

How do we know Anthony Hargrove collected anything after his "pay me" rant? Could it all not have been locker room bravado?

Is there any wonder why it is taking so long for Goodell to rule on the players? He suspended the front office staff for lying. He can't do the same for the players because reportedly, other than Hargrove, none have even been interviewed. If he had real evidence shouldn't he have acted before now?

I am not saying that nothing went on. I am saying this is America and a common belief is that you are innocent until proven guilty.

Right now Goodell has probably backed himself in between rock and a hard place. On one side he has the lawsuits from former players which was why he came down so hard on the Saints. On the other hand he has Saints players waiting for word on what's coming down based upon the unprecedented punishment already applied. If he doesn't have ironclad proof of individual player involvement the NFL is open to litigation over any penalties applied in their direction.

We all know that the NFLPA has brought on board one of the best labor law teams in the world to represent their union's members. Perhaps it is to let the league know they will not stand for railroading of their members.

How do we know Anthony Hargrove collected anything after his "pay me" rant? Could it all not have been locker room bravado?

Could Hargrove's reference to 'pay me' been getting another playoff check?

If I was a team wanting to sign a Saints defensive player that might be suspended, I would want a definitive answer before I used a roster spot on him and also missing out on another player they may have wanted!

I think that the involvement of the NFLPA has made this much more complicated than what it was with the initial punishments for staff personnel and the organization.

It'll probably be another power struggle between the league's governing body and the players' association, which is why we may have to wait up until the very eve of the draft to hear any conclusive announcements on the issue.

Who knows... it might even drag on further than the draft, regardless of how big of an inconvenience it'll be for the Saints' organization.

The NFL can't prove anything. Do they have video or money transactions that show players getting paid? Do they have some form of accounting sheets. I bet not.

I think the NFLPA got involved to make it too complicated, also including lawyers.... In the hopes of making it so big, Goodell levies low $ fines to get it over with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by x626xBlack (Post 397249)

I think the NFLPA got involved to make it too complicated, also including lawyers.... In the hopes of making it so big, Goodell levies low $ fines to get it over with.

True, but if I remember correctly, Goodell had no judicial reason to get the NFLPA involved in the first place.

He chose to ask for their statement in regards to the situation out of courtesy, but in reality he probably had no choice in the matter - which was reflected in the way the league refused to delay the initial punishments when the NFLPA asked them to, so that they could carry out their own investigations.

I don't know if Goodell has to get an approval from the NFLPA in regards to the punishments (if any) he levies on the individual players involved or if the NFLPA has a realistic chance to appeal any possible punishments by the league.

If the suspensions come out after the draft then its going to be very hard to not think that the Goddell is trying to slam the Saints in any possible way that he can, IMO this will be just like the Star Caps situation, where they levy a punishment and then it takes 2-3 years for the punished players to actually pay their penalty due to appeal after appeal in the courts

I doubt Goodell even knows what actions he'll take. He doesn't really have the free hand (thanks NFLPA) that he did w/ management.