Catching up after a long time away... one small item that didn't get all that much attention but that I found interesting was that after one of the first sessions of training camp, Assistant GM Kyle Smith was among the people who spoke to media at the podium. Here's the part from Daniel Flick's article for SI that I found the most interesing: "After a thorough, three-month-long process, the NFL found Atlanta broke the league's rules regarding logistical and administrative contact, such as making travel plans after deals were agreed upon. Conversely, the league didn't find the Falcons made contact with players before the legal negotiating window opened. From the start of the process to the end, Atlanta stressed it cooperated fully with the NFL's investigation." Well, this answers a big question... if anyone was wondering why Atlanta got off the hook so lightly, now we have a hint. According to Flick, the league didn't drop the hammer because they concluded that there wasn't actual tampering in terms of making deals improperly. The Falcons will forfeit a fifth round pick in next year's draft.
