The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... The game of public-opinion ping pong continues between the lawyers representing the opposing sides of the Watson controversy. On the same day that Watson's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, took an ultra-aggressive position in officially responding to the 22 lawsuits and in making a public statement confirming that, yes, Watson and Harding believe all of the accusers are lying, Buzbee or someone connected to him leaked to Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston that at least two of the plaintiffs have agreed to meet with the NFL regarding the allegations.

Diehards Line: Per Berman, the meetings will happen via Zoom video conference. The NFL's top investigator in matters of this nature, Lisa Friel, has made clear her desire to speak to all accusers. The NFL has no ability to force cooperate by non-NFL employees, which continues to be one of the primary flaws of the NFL's in-house justice system. With cooperation from the alleged victims, Friel and the league can fully and completely investigate the situation, potentially issuing discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy. Without cooperation from the alleged victims, it becomes much more difficult to prove potential violations of the policy. Berman also reports that "additional women" involved in the litigation have agreed to meet with the Houston Police Department. Remember, a settlement could short-circuit a criminal investigation. And the league's investigation. The threat of a criminal investigation and potential prosecution in turn serves as leverage against Watson for a greater settlement.