A judge has ordered suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma and representatives of the NFL to hold confidential discussions regarding a settlement of Vilma's defamation suit against Commissioner Roger Goodell.

ESPN.com reported Sunday the league offered to reduce Vilma's suspension to eight games in exchange for dropping the suit.NFL spokesman Greg Aiello denied the report on Monday. When the "bounty" scandal erupted last winter, the NFL trumpeted loudly that they had 10,000 documents, totaling 50,000 pages of evidence, proving their accusations.

"The NFL breached its CBA obligation to produce all evidence to be considered by the arbitrator in a 'conduct detrimental' proceeding; Goodell acted in an impermissibly biased manner; and, Goodell created and permitted a process tolerated neither by the CBA nor by federal law." -Peter Ginsberg, Attorney for Jonathan Vilma

When Vilma along with current and former teammates Will Smith, DE Anthony Hargrove, now with Green Bay, and linebacker Scott Fujita, now with Cleveland met with the commissioner to appeal their suspensions, fewer than 200 pages were introduced into evidence. Commissioner Goodell moved for, and was granted, a stay of discovery. This begs a question, what does he have to hide?

 

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