Can someone more knowledgeable on how trades and contract talks work between teams? I’m reading bits and pieces about how we wouldn’t have been able to speak to Sweat’s agent about contract extensions unless Washington gave us permission (otherwise it’s tampering).

How does this compare to the trade for Khalil Mack when we traded two 1sts and more? Did the Raiders give us permission to discuss contract negotiations with him before trading to us? We announced the extension just hours after trading for Mack back in 2018.

The biggest difference I see is that Mack was moved in the offseason and Sweat was moved midseason. Mack got traded Sept 1 2018 and they announced his extension Sept 2.

On another note, how much leverage does Sweat really have in contract talks with us? He’s a star, but he’s not a super star. The vast majority of players just want long term security. They hate being in contract years or franchise tagged because playing poorly or getting injured would totally ruin their value. It is a huge risk on their part and yes, sometimes it pays off a ton, but there are also plenty of examples where it does not.

EDIT: Just a quick comparison with Roquan, which is probably a better one: Roquan was traded to the Ravens for a 2nd rounder in October. The Ravens didn’t get a contract done with him until Jan. Were the Ravens under as much pressure as the Bears to get a deal done? I get that they were pushing for the playoffs and trying to win (and the Bears clearly aren’t in a winning position). However, that’s still a 2nd rounder for a “rental” if they didn’t get a deal done. I get that some people are saying the Bears could have waited until FA to pay Sweat or whatever, but there’s no guarantee that Sweat wouldn’t have been resigned by Washington before hitting FA.