Eagles deny violating tampering rule with Saquon Barkley،
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles have denied any impermissible contact between general manager Howie Roseman and running back Saquon Barkley during the negotiating window before the start of free agency.
Barkley, a Penn State alumnus and Pennsylvania native, agreed to terms with the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million contract, with $26 million fully guaranteed at signing. His former coach at Penn State, James Franklin, suggested that Roseman spoke directly to Barkley during the “legal tampering” period, which is not allowed.
Franklin said, “For him to come back now and be able to play in state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch , not only the Philadelphia Eagles and all that, but obviously the connection to Penn State and the fan base as well.”
Teams are not allowed to speak directly to players during the negotiating window unless the player is representing himself. An Eagles spokesperson said all recruiting done by the team is facilitated through the agent.
The NFL declined to say whether it was investigating possible prohibited contact. An Eagles spokesperson said he was not aware of any communication from the league to the team on the matter as of Wednesday evening.
The New York Giants have not contacted the league about the matter, according to a source.
Barkley, 27, has played for the Giants the past six seasons since being selected with the second overall pick in 2018, accumulating more than 7,300 all-purpose yards and 47 touchdowns. A two-time Pro Bowler, Barkley totaled 962 yards in 14 games last season.
New York franchise tag Barkley last offseason but declined to do so this year. According to a source, the Giants did not make a contract offer to Barkley this offseason. Besides the Eagles, the two teams most interested in Barkley were the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans, a source said.
ESPN's Jordan Raanan and Dan Graziano contributed to this report
