NFL Notes: NFL Lawsuit, 49ers & Seahawks

NFL Lawsuit

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed that the NFL is facing a lawsuit for cancelling the National Fantasy Football Convention, which was sponsored in part by Tony Romo.

The lawsuit alleges that the NFL pulled out of the convention after approving the involvement of NFL Media fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano, and having members of NFL Fantasy Live on NFL Network appear to speak during festivities.

According to Florio, the NFL and the NFL Players Association began getting the word out to players that committed to appear about the potential violation of the league’s gambling policy.

In fact, the NFL “began to threaten and harass” players and Fabiano to breach their contracts to appear. Fabiano claims that he received an “emotional call” from the NFL which “forc[ed] him to back out of the event or risk losing his job,” with NFL Media.

The lawsuit contends that the NFL chose to intrude on the event because they, “recogniz[ed] the commercial opportunities available to the NFFC, [and] likely decided to kill Tony Romo’s effort so that it could replace it with one of its own.”

The NFFC is suing for the payment of damages exceeding $1 million, due to the NFL illegally interfering with the contractual relationships with players who had committed to appear.

49ers

• Joe Fann of the 49ers official site writes that receivers Quintin Payton, Jerome Simpson, and undrafted rookie DeAndrew White have been standout players during offseason activities, while one of which will likely gain No. 3 receiver duties.
• DBs coach Tim Lewis said that there will be no set depth chart for cornerbacks prior to training camp, and that there is “competition” from “top to bottom” for the current corners on the roster.
• Fann expects Marcus Martin and Daniel Kilgore to compete over the starting center role. If Kilgore wins the position, Fann believes Martin will  move to right guard.
• RB Reggie Bush “seems” to be the likeliest of players to gain the punt returner role.
• According to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, it “looks” like WR Bruce Ellington has fully recovered from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of offseason activities.

Seahawks

• According to the Seattle Times, the Seahawks may wait and see if they can make any progress with QB Russell Wilson‘s contract before addressing the expiring contract of LB Bobby Wagner.
• If the Panthers work an extension that pays LB Luke Kuechly $12 million or more per season, it could escalate Wagner’s contractual value demands.
• While the Seahawks have a deadline in providing an extension to Wilson, that is not the case for Wagner. Meaning contract discussions could carry into the regular season.
• Joel Corry of the National Football Post reports that OT Russell Okung‘s decision to represent himself in next offseason’s free agency will prevent him from participating in the three day negotiation period prior to the official opening of free agency.