The Cowboys apparently ran afoul of the rules on Saturday, announcing that quarterback Mark Sanchez had been signed before Sanchez technically could be. The move means that, beyond signing Sanchez prematurely, the Cowboys had reached a verbal agreement prematurely with Sanchez -- and that the Cowboys necessarily had been talking to Sanchez prematurely.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that the Cowboys had permission to talk to Sanchez from the Broncos, discussions that were happening as Dallas tried to get Sanchez to take less than the $4.5 million he was due to get from the Broncos. Ultimately, the various pieces necessary to finalize a trade didn’t fall into place.
But that may not cover the Cowboys completely. They presumably had permission to talk to Sanchez about his salary expectations as part of a trade only, not permission to negotiate with him and reach agreement on a free-agent deal before Sanchez’s release became official.
It may not sound like much of a violation, but it likewise didn’t sound like much of a violation when the NFL stripped a third-round pick from the Chiefs for talking directly to receiver Jeremy Maclin during the short period of time when communications can occur only with the player’s agent. If the Cowboys get a pass, the Chiefs should be upset. Not because the Cowboys got away with it but because the Chiefs didn’t.
Of course, the Broncos may not be upset about the outcome. They get a dollar-for-dollar credit for every dollar Sanchez earns, potentially wiping out all of the $1 million in guaranteed salary he was owed in Denver.
