Buffaloes said:
Isn't this all contingent on the status of the CBA?
Yes. At least a great deal of it certainly is.Associated Press
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8...mp;confirm=true
WASHINGTON -- Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin, Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall and six other Pro Bowl picks are among more than 200 NFL players who would lose their status as unrestricted free agents this offseason if the league and its union can't agree on a new labor contract.
According to a list obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, there are 212 players who would be considered restricted free agents -- instead of unrestricted -- if there is no salary cap in 2010. There is at least one player from each of the NFL's 32 teams on the list.
In an uncapped year, a player would need at least six years in the NFL, up from the current minimum of four years in the league, to be an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team.
Pro Bowl players who could find themselves missing out on a chance to cash in this offseason are Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins, New England Patriots guard Logan Mankins, New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans and Philadelphia Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver.
In addition to the NFL's sacks leader (Dumervil) and the NFC's leader in receiving yards (Austin), other prominent names on the list include San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, New York Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards, Indianapolis Colts safety Antoine Bethea, Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown and Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
A restricted free agent's old team has a chance to offer the player a one-year contract at different levels of pay which determine what level of draft-choice compensation the old club would receive for losing the player. And the old team has the right to match any offer another club makes to a restricted free agent.
Other rule changes would go into effect if there is no salary cap in 2010. There would be no minimum or maximum amounts that teams could spend on payroll, and each club would have an extra "transition player" tag. A "transition player" must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player's position or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater.
Complete list of restricted free agents in an uncapped 2010 season
ARIZONA CARDINALS -- Hamza Abdullah, s; Justin Green, fb; Deuce Lutui, g; Mike Nugent, k; Jerheme Urban, wr; Gabe Watson, dt.
ATLANTA FALCONS -- Tyson Clabo, t; Harvey Dahl, g; Jamaal Fudge, s; Michael Koenen, p;
Jerious Norwood, rb; Quinn Ojinnaka, g; Charlie Peprah, s.
BALTIMORE RAVENS -- Chris Chester, g; Mark Clayton, wr; Billy Cundiff, k; Sam Koch, p; Dawan Landry, s; Tony Moll, t; Quinn Sypniewski, te; Adam Terry, t; Fabian Washington, cb; Demetrius Williams, wr.
BUFFALO BILLS -- Keith Ellison, lb; Gibran Hamdan, qb; Richie Incognito, g; Joe Klopfenstein, te; George Wilson, s; Ashton Youboty, cb.
CAROLINA PANTHERS -- James Anderson, lb; Thomas Davis, lb; Jeff King, te; Richard Marshall, cb; Rob Petitti, t.
CHICAGO BEARS -- Mark Anderson, de; Josh Bullocks, s; Dusty Dvoracek, dt; Danieal Manning, s; Jamar Williams, lb.
CINCINNATI BENGALS -- Abdul Hodge, lb; Rashad Jeanty, lb; Brandon Johnson, lb; Evan Mathis, g; Frostee Rucker, de.
CLEVELAND BROWNS -- Abram Elam, s; Arnold Harrison, lb;
Jerome Harrison, rb; D'Qwell Jackson, lb; Brodney Pool, s; Matt Roth, lb; Lawrence Vickers, fb.
DALLAS COWBOYS -- Miles Austin, wr; Stephen Bowen, de; Cletis Gordon, cb; Jason Hatcher, de; Sam Hurd, wr; Pat McQuistan, t; Duke Preston, c; Cory Procter, g; Gerald Sensabaugh, s; Marcus Spears, de; Pat Watkins, s; Shaun Suisham, k.
DENVER BRONCOS -- Elvis Dumervil, lb; Chris Kuper, g; Brandon Marshall, wr; Kyle Orton, qb; Tony Scheffler, te; Le Kevin Smith, de.
DETROIT LIONS -- Daniel Bullocks, s; Dylan Gandy, c; Jason Hunter, de; Adam Jennings, wr; Daniel Loper, g; Ko Simpson, s; Cody Spencer, lb.
GREEN BAY PACKERS -- Atari Bigby, s; Will Blackmon, cb; Daryn Colledge, g; Nick Collins, s; Johnny Jolly, de; John Kuhn, fb; Derrick Martin, s; Jason Spitz, c.
HOUSTON TEXANS -- John Busing, s; Rashad Butler, t; Owen Daniels, te; Ryan Moats, rb; Bernard Pollard, s; DeMeco Ryans, lb; Chris White, c.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS -- Hank Baskett, wr; Antoine Bethea, s; Aaron Francisco, s; Tyjuan Hagler, lb; Marlin Jackson, cb; Tim Jennings, cb; Charlie Johnson, t; Freddy Keiaho, lb; T.J. Rushing, cb.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS -- Clint Ingram, lb; Montavious Stanley, dt; Troy Williamson, wr.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS -- Brodie Croyle, qb; Derrick Johnson, lb; Corey Mays, lb; Rudy Niswanger, c; Ryan O'Callaghan, t; Jarrad Page, s.
MIAMI DOLPHINS --
Ronnie Brown, rb; Anthony Fasano, te.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS -- Ryan Cook, t; Ray Edwards, de; Fred Evans, dt; Tarvaris Jackson, qb; Karl Paymah, cb; Naufahu Tahi, fb.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -- Stephen Gostkowski, k; Logan Mankins, g; Pierre Woods, lb.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS --
Mike Bell, rb; Jammal Brown, t; Jahri Evans, g; Tony Hargrove, dt; Roman Harper, s; Herana-Daze Jones, s; Lance Moore, wr; Courtney Roby, wr; Zach Strief, t; David Thomas, te; Leigh Torrence, cb.
NEW YORK GIANTS -- Chase Blackburn, LB; Kevin Boothe, g; C.C. Brown, s; Barry Cofield, dt; Kevin Dockery, cb; Derek Hagan, wr; Sinorice Moss, wr; Guy Whimper, t; Gerris Wilkinson, lb.
NEW YORK JETS -- Kellen Clemens, qb; Drew Coleman, cb; Braylon Edwards, wr; Howard Green, dt; Wayne Hunter, t; Brad Smith, wr; Eric Smith, s;
Leon Washington, rb.
OAKLAND RAIDERS -- Jon Alston, lb; Khalif Barnes, t; Ricky Brown, lb; Charlie Frye, qb; Thomas Howard, lb; Kirk Morrison, lb; Stanford Routt, cb.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -- Jason Avant, wr; Nick Cole, c; Omar Gaither, lb; Chris Gocong, lb; Ellis Hobbs, cb; Max Jean-Gilles, g; Alex Smith, te;
Leonard Weaver, fb.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS -- Willie Colon, t.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS -- Tim Dobbins, lb; Malcom Floyd, wr; Antonio Garay, dt; Eric Ghiaciuc, c; Marques Harris, lb; Vincent Jackson, wr; Travis Johnson, de; Marcus McNeill, t; Shawne Merriman, lb;
Darren Sproles, rb; Charlie Whitehurst, qb.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS -- David Baas, g; Ahmad Brooks, lb; Marcus Hudson, cb.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS -- Lance Laury, lb; Jon Ryan, p; Rob Sims, g; Chris Spencer, c; Darryl Tapp, de.
ST. LOUIS RAMS -- Victor Adeyanju, de; Oshiomogho Atogwe, s; Alex Barron, t; Sam Gado, rb; Gary Gibson, dt; Ruvell Martin, wr; Mark Setterstrom, g.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -- Mark Bradley, wr; Brian Clark, wr; Matt McCoy, lb; Donald Penn, t; Barrett Ruud, lb; Maurice Stovall, wr; Jeremy Trueblood, t;
Carnell Williams, rb; Rod Wilson, lb.
TENNESSEE TITANS -- Dave Ball, de; Tony Brown, dt; Bo Scaife, te; Stephen Tulloch, lb; Kevin Vickerson, dt;
LenDale White, rb.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS -- Jason Campbell, qb; Reed Doughty, s; Kedric Golston, dt; Rocky McIntosh, lb; Anthony Montgomery, dt; Will Montgomery, c; Carlos Rogers, cb.
He could benefit more than any other RB this offseason from changes made around though. Between Bell being a FA and Bush being a possible cut(which I'm under the impression the an uncapped year would make easier) Thomas could become a legit RB1.
