Gunther Loose Lips Sink Lions

Gunther Cunningham’s penchant for speaking his mind has cost the Detroit Lions a seventh-round draft choice and improved the Chiefs position in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

The NFL upheld a tampering charge filed by the Chiefs against the Lions last fall. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled that there enough evidence against Detroit that they violated NFL rules. It will cost the team their seventh-round draft choice and they will swap positions in the fifth round with the Chiefs.

So, the only pay-off for the Chiefs is moving up 14 spots in the fifth round to the ninth selection. They do not inherit the Lions forfeited seventh-round pick.

All the details of the charge have not been revealed but part of the case was public comments made by Cunningham, who is now the Lions defensive coordinator. Cunningham spoke of his interest in potential players that might be cut loose by the Chiefs. That’s a no-no under NFL rules.

But there has to be something more to the tampering charge than just those public comments. Ordinarily, something of that nature would have gotten Cunningham a slap on the wrist and possibly a fine. For the Lions to lose a draft choice tells us there’s more to the story, something like contact between the Lions and Chiefs players or their agents.

The Lions can appeal the discipline.