Report: Mike Wallace Drawing Interest From Patriots During Free Agent Tampering Window

As the clock struck 12 a.m. on Friday night, NFL teams were officially allowed to contact and enter contract negotiations with unrestricted free agents. The Patriots got a head start on their wide receiver search.

New England has shown interest in Mike Wallace, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero notes that this doesn’t mean the Patriots will actually sign Wallace.

Pro Football Talk noted that New England could be showing interest in the deep-threat wide recevier to raise his asking price from the division-rival Dolphins. The Dolphins have also shown interest in Wallace.

No deals can be made until March 12 at 4 p.m., and according to the league’s tampering rules “it is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to, or to be offered to, any prospective Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the starter of the new League Year.”

The tampering window rules states that any announcement of an agreement by an agent, player or media organization “may subject the club to a tampering investigation.” So over the next three days, you’ll hear a lot of interest, but no actual agreements being made.