NEWSLETTER
At first, the NFL tampering case involving the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings got a “ha ha” out of me because former Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace and wide receiver Darnell Mooney were secondary characters in the story.
But little did we know that a “ha ha” in mid-March could ultimately impact what happens in the 2024 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the NFL could come down with punishment for the Falcons and their tampering with then-free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins. Schefter hears that the league-administered discipline could be “more severe” for Atlanta than recent punishments given out to the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs in recent tampering cases. In case you’re unfamiliar, these are reference points for consideration:
As we pointed out 10 days ago in our story update, it was during NFL Draft weekend when the league pulled up with punishment for the Arizona Cardinals for their tampering with Jonathan Gannon (who was the Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator at the time) before hiring him as their head coach. The league mandated a third-round pick swap on Day 2 of the draft. In other words, the league could very well drop the hammer on the Falcons at any time between now and draft day. So keep your heads on a swivel.
Frankly, the league should want to bring the hammer down on the Falcons. What better time than now to make it known that tampering with another team’s starting quarterback will not be tolerated? I thought the league’s punishment for the Dolphins tampering with Brady and Payton was fair. But maybe the league needs to be less fair this time around to get its point across? Or perhaps I’ve got some football bloodlust and want to see some action from the league. Who’s to say?
What if the Falcons-Vikings tampering case impacts the Bears?
That there could be some Bears-adjacent ramifications to a Falcons punishment is juicy.
Scenarios in which NFL tampering penalties help Chicago’s football team in its quest to draft the best player available exist. And while my mind runs wild with a variety of potential punishments, the one that feels more realistic is the league strips Atlanta of the No. 8 pick. That would slide the Bears’ first-round selection up one slot. One small step up the draft board could be all Chicago needs to get the prospect of its dreams. Plus, it would eliminate the possibility of the Falcons trading back with a team who could move up, swoop in, and snatch up the prospect the Bears want to draft.
Imagine this: The first four picks of the 2024 NFL Draft are quarterbacks. The next three picks could be wide receivers. It would sting, but it would leave the Bears in a position to draft the best offensive line prospect available (Notre Dame’s Joe Alt?) or a top defensive prospect (Alabama’s Dallas Turner). And if Turner or Alt go in the 5-6-7 range, that would leave Chicago in a spot to take whichever wide receiver is left unchosen. Heck, there is a scenario in which a fourth quarterback falls to the Bears — which could create trade leverage with a team that desperately wants to move up.
In any case, the Bears would be sitting pretty if they can find their way to pick No. 8. So, with that being said, we’ll continue to monitor this situation with great interest. And not just because we’ll get a good laugh thinking about Ryan Pace’s involvement in a tampering scandal that actually helps his former team. That would just be an additional bonus.
