The four players who were suspended as a result of the league’s investigation into the Saints’ bounty program have always said they want to see all the evidence. Now a judge has said he wants to see the evidence, too.
Magistrate Daniel Knowles has told NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to provide the court with documents related to the bounty case, and the NFL has confirmed that it will comply and give Knowles all the information he is asking for.
Knowles’ order is something of a compromise: Lawyers for Jonathan Vilma had asked the judge to order the NFL to give the evidence directly to Vilma, but Knowles said he’ll look at it first before determining whether the league is required to let Vilma see it.
The documents include transcripts of interviews with witnesses, and may provide a fuller picture of exactly what the NFL has on Vilma. The question now is whether the judge will be the only one to see that picture, or whether Vilma -- and possibly the public -- will get to see the complete picture as well.