Saints and Panthers Both Might Have Broken NFL Rules in Petty War Over QB Tommy Stevens
By Jerry Trotta
The NFL has strict policies in place as it pertains to communicating with prospects before and during the draft. These regulations are understood to be violated each year by numerous teams, but the New Orleans Saints might have managed to get themselves caught.
Without a pick on Day 3, New Orleans began a dialogue with Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens. During that conversation, it was revealed that the 23-year-old had an agreement lined up with the Carolina Panthers were he to go undrafted.
As we know, the Saints went on to trade for a seventh-round pick, which they used to draft Stevens. The problem lies in the fact that Sean Payton revealed that both teams engaged in a bidding war for the former Bulldog, which is not exactly permitted.
Teams aren't supposed to make offers during the draft to potential undrafted free agents; the competition between the Saints and Panthers for QB Tommy Stevens is the latest example of a very common violation of the rules https://t.co/JrakcOyX7J
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 2, 2020
Payton might have confessed a kind of violation of NFL protocol, but him simultaneously outing the Panthers, who carried out a more serious infraction by agreeing to an apparent deal with Stevens while the draft was still ongoing and they weren't on the clock, is pretty diabolical.
According to Pro Football Talk, the NFL league office declined to comment on the matter. However, it did reveal that the Saints and Panthers could receive a slap on their wrists.
Amazing: #Saints traded a future 6 to draft Mississippi St. QB Tommy Stevens in the 7th-round. Stevens, who has been compared to Taysom Hill, had effectively agreed to an undrafted deal w/ the #Panthers. When the #Saints realized that, they traded up to get him, per @JeffDuncan_.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) April 30, 2020
It's almost comical that it took a Payton interview for this information to leak. Had the 56-year-old kept quiet, both New Orleans and Carolina would still be walking around like they fleeced the system.