Tagliabue bounty hearings done by Dec. 4

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS

Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue plans to complete hearings in the bounty probe by Dec. 4 and make a ruling shortly after.

In a document obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Tagliabue directs the NFL to produce witnesses in the New Orleans Saints cash-for-hits program, including former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former assistant Mike Cerullo.

Four players initially were suspended, but those punishments were vacated. Commissioner Roger Goodell re-issued the suspensions with some modifications, and when the players appealed again, Goodell appointed Tagliabue to oversee the new hearings. Meanwhile, Saints linebacker Jon Vilma and defensive end Will Smith are still playing pending the outcomes of their appeals.

Even as Tagliabue moves the process forward, a federal judge is still considering arguments by players that he should be removed as arbitrator because he is biased in favor of the NFL. Based on the schedule laid out by Tagliabue, U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan could choose to rule as early as next week.

For now, only Williams, Cerullo, Vilma, Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt, NFL chief security officer Jeff Miller are the only scheduled witnesses.

They are scheduled to appear in a series of hearings in Washington D.C. running from Tuesday through Dec. 4. That means Vilma and Smith likely will be available at least for the Saints’ next two games against San Francisco this Sunday and at Atlanta on Nov. 29. They could also play at the New York Giants on Dec. 9.

Vitt said after practice that he did not know anything about Tagliabue’s schedule and declined comment.

The two other players punished are former Saints: Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita, who is now on injured reserve, and free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove. Hargrove was suspended eight games, but that later was reduced to seven with credit given for the first five games he missed as a free agent. Fujita was suspended three games and that was later reduced to one game.