In a shocking turn of events, the NFL is conducting an investigation into possible tampering by the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons prior to the official start of free agency. The situations involving the two teams present vastly different circumstances, raising suspicions that tampering may have occurred.

The Eagles came under scrutiny when it was revealed that Penn State coach James Franklin mentioned the Eagles' recruiting pitch to former Giants running back Saquon Barkley, implying direct contact between Barkley and Eagles' General Manager Howie Roseman. However, both the Eagles and Barkley denied any direct communication during the negotiating period.

The league may now delve into phone records to determine if any conversations took place between Roseman and Barkley, as digital evidence could offer further insight. It is worth noting that players and executives involved would likely deny any wrongdoing, even if tampering did occur.

On the other hand, the Falcons appear to have engaged in blatant tampering with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. During his introductory press conference, Cousins openly admitted speaking with the Falcons' head athletic trainer and the team's director of player personnel, Ryan Pace. Although the exact timing of the conversation was not specified, it occurred shortly after the start of the new league year, indicating a potential violation.

Moreover, Cousins inadvertently hinted at a possible meeting with the Falcons' head athletic trainer before correcting himself, raising the seriousness of the alleged violation. The severity is such that an executive from another team suggested potential penalties such as the Falcons losing a first-round draft pick if evidence of an early meeting emerges.

Interestingly, it is suspected that the Falcons' extensive tampering with Cousins led to him recruiting former Bears receiver Darnell Mooney on the Falcons' behalf. Cousins revealed that during negotiations with Mooney, he offered to make a direct phone call to pitch the opportunity. This revelation indicates that Cousins was acting as an extension of the Falcons, which constitutes a separate violation.

The Falcons' lack of caution in generating evidence of tampering is also concerning. The league's investigation may uncover digital evidence, such as emails and texts, showing direct contact between the Falcons and Cousins during the illegal negotiating window. Communications between the team and tight end Kyle Pitts, who played a leading role in recruiting Cousins, may also come under scrutiny.

This case of pre-free-agency tampering is as explicit as it gets, with multiple layers of potential violations resembling the complexity of the movie "Inception." The disregard for subtlety and the alleged multiple infractions committed by the Falcons suggests a blatant violation of the tampering rule. The NFL must conduct a thorough and fair investigation to address this issue appropriately, as failing to do so would undermine the significance of having tampering regulations in place.