The players’ union has asked agents to provide any evidence they can to support suspicions that teams might be colluding to restrict players’ salaries on the free agent market this offseason. DeMaurice Smith, the NFL Players Association’s executive director, wrote in a memo to agents that “we have heard reports of a concern that teams are working in concert to ‘peg’, ‘rig’ or ‘set’ market prices on player contracts. If you believe or have information that the teams have been colluding during this free agency period, you have a responsibility as an agent of the NFLPA to come forward and share that information with us.†The league denied that collusion is taking place. “Player signings in 2013 have been characterized by robust spending and intense competition,†Greg Aiello, the NFL’s senior vice president of communications, said in a written statement. “Anyone seeing collusion in this market is seeing ghosts.†The collective bargaining agreement forbids teams from conspiring improperly to restrict salaries to players. The union already has a collusion claim pending against the teams and the league. That claim accuses the teams of operating with a secret salary cap during the sport’s uncapped year in 2010. Source: Washington Post
