Mixed signals

Milloy's agent denies 'specific' talks as NFL explores tampering charge

On the day the NFL said it would look into tampering charges against the Washington Redskins in the Lawyer Milloy case, Milloy's agent denied having had any "specific discussions'' with the Redskins or any other team besides New England before the veteran strong safety was released by the Patriots last Tuesday.

On Friday, Milloy said his agent, Carl Poston, "called some teams to see who would want me'' before he was cut, then added: "The Redskins gave us a bigger offer than the Patriots.'' The Redskins denied the accusation. In a telephone interview Monday afternoon, Poston was asked directly if he held talks with other teams about Milloy before his client was waived on Tuesday. "No,'' Poston said. "There was no tampering. There is no way it is true. Did I have specific discussions with teams about Lawyer before he was cut? No.''

Poston said he did have general discussions with unspecified teams as he trolled the market trying to gauge clubs' interest in acquiring safeties. "It was all hypothetical,'' he said. "Like, 'If a top guy is available before the season starts, would you have any interest?' So I was just trying to get a feel about what the climate would be for a top guy if one became available. I knew what teams might have an interest in a top safety if Lawyer was released.''

Asked how Milloy could be so specific as to name the Redskins as a suitor, Poston said he told his client that teams such as Washington, New Orleans, Baltimore and the Jets might be interested in adding a safety, but he never told him he had a better deal on the table with one of those teams than the Patriots had offered. The existing deal fell apart when New England expressed a desire to cut Milloy's 2003 salary from $4.4 million to approximately $3 million, and allow him to become a free agent after the season. Poston asked the team for $3.6 million, he said, "though I'd probably have pushed Lawyer to accept $3.5 million if they offered it. But they wouldn't go a penny higher than $3 million.''

Said Poston: "Part of the problem is that Lawyer didn't know what was going on. He just didn't know all the details.'' Poston also said Milloy's comment may have been an attempt to gain a measure of revenge toward his former team. "I think he might have been trying to get back at the Patriots,'' Poston said.

The team that could end up being damaged by the conflicting stories is Washington. Milloy named the Redskins as the franchise that put a better offer on the table than New England's, and Monday the league said it expected to look into the charges. Milloy signed a four-year, $15-million contract with the Bills last Wednesday after refusing an offer from the Patriots to reconfigure his existing pact.

In his first game with the Bills, a 31-0 Buffalo win Sunday against his former team, Milloy sacked New England quarterback Tom Brady and deflected a pass that teammate Nate Clements then intercepted.

If found liable of tampering, a team could be fined by NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue or be stripped of a draft choice (or choices).

Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Monday Morning Quarterback appears in this space every week.