Lions Not Pursuing Tampering Charges Against Ravens, Call Comments About Ngata 'Non-Issue'

By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak

CBS DETROIT - In a conference call with season ticket holders Wednesday, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti made comments about Detroit Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata that coincide almost perfectly with the NFL's definition of tampering.

Baltimore traded Ngata to Detroit after failing to come to an agreement with him about a contract extension, but Bisciotti expressed interest in an eventual reunion with the longtime Raven.

"We are going to miss him, but I haven't heard anything about him getting an extension from Detroit," Bisciotti said, according to the Baltimore Sun. "As far as I know, he could be a free agent a year from now, and we may be watching the second coming of Haloti Ngata.

"I never give up hope that we couldn't get him back," Bisciotti added, per the Sun. "There were no hard feelings on either side. Haloti is a wonderful guy. I wish him the best, and maybe we'll see him again."

A segment of the NFL's anti-tampering policy specifically addresses public statements about players belonging to another team:

"Any public or private statement of interest, qualified or unqualified, in another club's player to that player's agent or representative, or to a member of the news media, is a violation of this Anti-Tampering Policy. (Example of a prohibited comment: "He's an excellent player, and we'd very much like to have him if he were available, but another club holds his rights.") In addition, speculation by a club owner, executive, or employee on whether a player under contract to a second club may play for a third club in the future may negatively impact the relationship between the player and the club currently holding his rights.

"If comments are found to have adversely affected that relationship, a finding of tampering can result."

The second piece of that segment of the policy provides some wiggle room. In case that were not enough, though, the Lions issued a statement Thursday that the team has no problem with Bisciotti's remarks.

"The Ravens have reached out to us concerning the comments made yesterday by Steve Bisciotti regarding Haloti Ngata," the team stated in a press release. "We appreciate both the Ravens' professionalism and the context in which Mr. Bisciotti's statements were made. We consider the matter to be a non-issue."