Monday Notes: Gunther Cunningham Talks Chiefs Players; Is It Tampering?

by Sean Yuille on Feb 15, 2010 6:53 PM EST in Detroit Lions Notes

Gunther Cunningham made some comments that sparked a small controversy in part because Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said that they "cross the tampering line." More on that in a second, but first, here is what Cunningham said:

"They [the Chiefs] keep wanting to dump players," defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said late last season. "I would like to be there to catch a lot of them, because I know a couple of those guys."

"Some of those young kids I coached, I really believed they were going to be good players, and I know I'm right about that," Cunningham said. "Now what's happened there is the same thing in any organization. A new guy comes in, and they decide to go to the 3-4 defense when the structure of the personnel was built for the 4-3."
Florio suggested that Cunningham's comments were tampering because of the leverage it gives Chiefs players, but even he admitted that because no specific players were named, it's not a violation. As it turns out, that is exactly the case, as Tom Kowalski reports.

According to an NFL spokesman, Cunningham's remarks haven't even registered at a league level.

Cunningham was making a general comment about Chiefs' players and didn't identify any player by name. It's not unusual for head coaches and coordinators to pursue players who previously played for them.
What this means is that the Lions don't have to worry about being charged with tampering, which could have resulted in the loss of a draft pick if they were found guilty.
Rick Gosselin posted his 2009 special teams rankings, which were interesting, to say the least. The Lions were ranked 25th, whereas Carolina was ranked dead last in the NFL. That is worth noting because the Lions hired Danny Crossman to replace Stan Kwan as their special teams coordinator, and Crossman was the Panthers' special teams coordinator until he was fired after the 2009 season.
Speaking of Stan Kwan, he has been hired by the Bills to be their assistant special teams coordinator.
This week Dennis Northcutt and Dylan Gandy are participating in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the Harvard Business School and Copeland Bryan is participating in it at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Lions' official website posted a rundown of some dates to take note of. I think we've already covered pretty much everything on there, but one new date worth pointing out is that the players report for the voluntary offseason conditioning program on March 15.
Matthew Stafford returned to Dallas this past weekend for the NBA All-Star Game festivities, and he apparently wasn't alone.

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Comments

Stafford

My man

by Kalzilla on Feb 15, 2010 7:03 PM EST reply actions

assistant special teams coach is that a real job LOL

The best there is, The best there was, and the best there ever will be - Bret the Hitman hart

by The Profiler on Feb 15, 2010 7:20 PM EST reply actions

He get paid to coach professional football

I bet it’s damn sure better than what most of us do for a living.

by metatron5369 on Feb 15, 2010 7:57 PM EST up reply actions

those of us who even have something to do for a living

"he got friends like Paco Pico Piedras..."

by Flaggity_Jones on Feb 15, 2010 11:39 PM EST up reply actions

Asst. Special Teams coach.

I think that’s the guy that shags the balls the FG kicker kicks in practice, you know, once they hit the net and fall…

by j16941 on Feb 15, 2010 8:28 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

No, that's the "Assistant to the Special Teams Coach"

not the Assistant Special Teams Coach

by n4ry4 on Feb 16, 2010 12:08 PM EST up reply actions

similar to the assistant to the Regional Branch Manager

by CLF on Feb 16, 2010 2:04 PM EST up reply actions

lol

by det32 on Feb 16, 2010 3:41 PM EST up reply actions

Thats what he was here under Prifer (?)

Once he left he got promoted.

by Schuxu on Feb 16, 2010 4:04 AM EST up reply actions

stafford and kwan

first two fisting brews on a yacht, and now being flanked by foxes at the all star game?? Staffs pulling out wins off the field!! My man!!!

assistant special teams coordinator? WTF!!

by big smoove on Feb 15, 2010 7:34 PM EST reply actions

Please let Dorsey be one of those guys Gunner wants to talk to.

I give Gunner a pass on last season, it was alot better then we have been seeing. At least we got after the QB a little more as was not the case in the past…

by msivits on Feb 15, 2010 8:43 PM EST reply actions

Florio has a hard-on for tampering and he accuses every team of it. He just wants more than anything in this world to be a whistle blower. So whenever a coach even says something as meaningless as what Gunther said he goes all ape shit accusing them of tampering and trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Just so he can get some recognition as a reporter and not a failed lawyer who knows nothing about football,

It’s best to just disregard anything that blow-hard says. He also tries to take shots at the Lions any chance he gets. He’s not a reporter because 3/4 of the things he “reports” are his interpretations of stories he made up in the first place. Then at the end he goes way out of his way most of the time to poke fun at the bad teams in the league.

by toled0lions on Feb 15, 2010 8:55 PM EST reply actions

+1

FLORIO= Making poop into a headline.

by CLF on Feb 16, 2010 2:05 PM EST up reply actions

Poop into a headline

CNN does it all the time.

by dylan415 on Feb 16, 2010 7:46 PM EST up reply actions

+1,000,000

I have never liked this guy

by BennieBladesFan on Feb 16, 2010 2:20 PM EST up reply actions

+1

Honorary Driver of the Kyle Wilson Bus and Keeper of the Dreadlocks!
The 313 Missile Squadron: Delmas, Berry, Wilson......seek and destroy!
Hey, as long as Zack Follett keeps hitting people, he can rap to Barney the Dinosaur for all I care.

by GRLion on Feb 18, 2010 5:02 PM EST up reply actions

He has great NFL coverage

but to try to get the Lions with tampering.. ok thats going a little to far..

GO LIONS in 2010! the transformation starts now.. they have much to do.

by DINORDO on Feb 15, 2010 11:23 PM EST reply actions

Incredible

Calling that tampering after the Viqueens weren’t guilty of tampering when they were talking to You-Know-Who during the summer of ’08.

-
The glass is more than half-full.

by NorthStarr on Feb 16, 2010 1:36 AM EST reply actions

I have a bad feeling about Danny Crossman

I really hope that it was juts piss poior talent on the Carolina special teams, but it can’t be much better in Detroit and Crossman coached the worst unit in the NFL last season…..not a good feeling when we fired a guy because our own special teams play was atrocious…..

Oh you didn't know?? You're ass better CALLLLLLLL SOMEBODY!!!!!

by KDawg on Feb 16, 2010 9:58 AM EST reply actions

I'll trust schwartz on that one.

Sometimes coaches are restricted by scheme and HC philosophy… (Gunther in KC)

Hopefully this Crossman is a creative coach that needs freedom.

by CLF on Feb 16, 2010 2:07 PM EST up reply actions

Good points

Here’s to hope!

Oh you didn't know?? You're ass better CALLLLLLLL SOMEBODY!!!!!

by KDawg on Feb 17, 2010 10:01 AM EST up reply actions

Very possible

And to all those who want Glenn Dorsey and think that Gunther must love him because Dorsey played on Gunther’s D in KC, remember this:

Sometimes coaches are restricted by scheme and HC philosophy… (Gunther in KC)

Gunther was running Herm Edwards’ defense the last few years in KC, not the blitzing defense Gunther had when HE was Head Coach……..like the blitzing defense he has now in Detroit.

Dorsey doesn’t fit what Gunther is doing now.

by GRLion on Feb 18, 2010 5:07 PM EST up reply actions