GRIDIRON ASSASSIN
Footballguy
March 1, Thursday
-Expiration date of all player contracts due to expire after 2006 season.
-Deadline for clubs to submit Qualifying Offers to Restricted Free Agents whose contracts are expiring.
-Deadline for clubs to submit minimum salary offers to Exclusive Rights Free Agents (players with less than three years of free agency credit).
March 2, Friday
-Free Agency period begins
-Trading period begins for 2007
April 20, Friday
Deadline for signing and submission of Offer Sheets by Restricted Free Agents
April 27, Friday
Deadline for Old Clubs to match Offer Sheets submitted by Restricted Free Agents
April 28, Saturday & April 29, Sunday
NFL Draft in New York City, NY
June 1, Friday
Deadline for old club to send tender to its unsigned Restricted Free Agents or to extend Qualifying Offer, whichever is greater, in order to retain rights.
Also, deadline for old club to send tender to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents to retain rights if player is not signed by another club by July 22 or beginning of veteran training camp, whichever is earlier.
June 15, Friday
Deadline for Restricted Free Agent to accept Qualifying Offer (if higher than 110% of previous year’s salary).
July 14, Saturday
Any club designating a Franchise Player shall have until 4 pm EDT to sign the player to a multi-year contract or extension. After July 14 the player may sign only a one-year Player Contract with his Prior Club, and such Player Contract may not be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.
Mid-July
Training Camps open.
July 22, Sunday or Veteran Reporting Date.
Signing period ends at 4:00 pm EDT for Unrestricted Free Agents to whom June 1 tender was made by old club and for Transition Players and Franchise Players who are Subject to the rules for Transition Players and Franchise Players.
February 3, 2008 in Glendale Arizona
Chicago Bears destroy the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII
********************************************************************************
****
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA)
An Unrestricted Free Agent is a player who is not under contract with any team. This player may sign a contract with any NFL team, and their previous team gets no compensation in any form. You become a UFA if you get cut, or if your contract runs out and you have at least four years of NFL experience. The signing period for unrestricted free agents begins March 2 and concludes on July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).
UFAs are free to sign with any club through July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later. On July 23, their exclusive rights will revert to their original club if that club made a June 1 tender at the veteran minimum to the player.
Restricted Free Agents (RFA)
A Restricted Free Agent is an NFL player who is not under contract, but has only three years of NFL experience. The signing period for restricted free agents begins on March 2 and concludes on April 20. If his previous team has made him a Qualifying Offer, then that team has a right of first refusal on the player. This means the player may negotiate with other teams and receive an offer, however the previous team may agree to the offer that the player has received, in which case the player stays with his former team.
There are three levels of Qualifying Offer. Each level has an associated salary which is part of the CBA. In 2005 the three qualifying offer levels are $656,000, $1.43M, and $1.9M.
If the team offers the player the lowest qualifying salary, then that's the player's salary if he gets no offers in free agency. If he gets an offer, his current team has a choice: they can match the offer exactly, or they can let the player go, in which case they will get a draft pick from the new team which is the same as the draft pick they used to get the player. If the player was selected in the 6th round, then the old team gets the new team's 6th round draft pick in the next year. If the player was undrafted, the old team gets no draft pick.
If the team offers the player the middle level salary, then that's the player's salary if he gets no offers. If he gets an offer, then the old team can match the offer. If they do not, then the old team gets a 1st round draft pick from the new team.
If the team offers the player the top level qualifying offer, then that's the player's salary if he gets no offers. If the old team does not match an offer, then they get a 1st round and a 3rd round draft pick from the new team.
Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (ERFA)
An Exclusive-Rights Free Agent is an NFL player who is not under contract, but has only two years of NFL experience. If his former club makes him an offer at the three year veteran minimum salary, then that's it, he has to take it or leave the NFL. These guys have no right to negotiate with other teams. They are "free" only in the sense that they're free to quit.
Franchise Free Agents (FFA)
A franchise player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at his position in the previous season, or a 20 percent salary increase, whichever is greater. This type of franchise player may negotiate with other clubs. His original club has seven days to match the offer and retain the player, or receive two first-round draft choices as compensation if the original club elects not to match.
-Expiration date of all player contracts due to expire after 2006 season.
-Deadline for clubs to submit Qualifying Offers to Restricted Free Agents whose contracts are expiring.
-Deadline for clubs to submit minimum salary offers to Exclusive Rights Free Agents (players with less than three years of free agency credit).
March 2, Friday
-Free Agency period begins
-Trading period begins for 2007
April 20, Friday
Deadline for signing and submission of Offer Sheets by Restricted Free Agents
April 27, Friday
Deadline for Old Clubs to match Offer Sheets submitted by Restricted Free Agents
April 28, Saturday & April 29, Sunday
NFL Draft in New York City, NY
June 1, Friday
Deadline for old club to send tender to its unsigned Restricted Free Agents or to extend Qualifying Offer, whichever is greater, in order to retain rights.
Also, deadline for old club to send tender to its unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents to retain rights if player is not signed by another club by July 22 or beginning of veteran training camp, whichever is earlier.
June 15, Friday
Deadline for Restricted Free Agent to accept Qualifying Offer (if higher than 110% of previous year’s salary).
July 14, Saturday
Any club designating a Franchise Player shall have until 4 pm EDT to sign the player to a multi-year contract or extension. After July 14 the player may sign only a one-year Player Contract with his Prior Club, and such Player Contract may not be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.
Mid-July
Training Camps open.
July 22, Sunday or Veteran Reporting Date.
Signing period ends at 4:00 pm EDT for Unrestricted Free Agents to whom June 1 tender was made by old club and for Transition Players and Franchise Players who are Subject to the rules for Transition Players and Franchise Players.
February 3, 2008 in Glendale Arizona
Chicago Bears destroy the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII
********************************************************************************
****
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA)
An Unrestricted Free Agent is a player who is not under contract with any team. This player may sign a contract with any NFL team, and their previous team gets no compensation in any form. You become a UFA if you get cut, or if your contract runs out and you have at least four years of NFL experience. The signing period for unrestricted free agents begins March 2 and concludes on July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).
UFAs are free to sign with any club through July 22 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later. On July 23, their exclusive rights will revert to their original club if that club made a June 1 tender at the veteran minimum to the player.
Restricted Free Agents (RFA)
A Restricted Free Agent is an NFL player who is not under contract, but has only three years of NFL experience. The signing period for restricted free agents begins on March 2 and concludes on April 20. If his previous team has made him a Qualifying Offer, then that team has a right of first refusal on the player. This means the player may negotiate with other teams and receive an offer, however the previous team may agree to the offer that the player has received, in which case the player stays with his former team.
There are three levels of Qualifying Offer. Each level has an associated salary which is part of the CBA. In 2005 the three qualifying offer levels are $656,000, $1.43M, and $1.9M.
If the team offers the player the lowest qualifying salary, then that's the player's salary if he gets no offers in free agency. If he gets an offer, his current team has a choice: they can match the offer exactly, or they can let the player go, in which case they will get a draft pick from the new team which is the same as the draft pick they used to get the player. If the player was selected in the 6th round, then the old team gets the new team's 6th round draft pick in the next year. If the player was undrafted, the old team gets no draft pick.
If the team offers the player the middle level salary, then that's the player's salary if he gets no offers. If he gets an offer, then the old team can match the offer. If they do not, then the old team gets a 1st round draft pick from the new team.
If the team offers the player the top level qualifying offer, then that's the player's salary if he gets no offers. If the old team does not match an offer, then they get a 1st round and a 3rd round draft pick from the new team.
Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (ERFA)
An Exclusive-Rights Free Agent is an NFL player who is not under contract, but has only two years of NFL experience. If his former club makes him an offer at the three year veteran minimum salary, then that's it, he has to take it or leave the NFL. These guys have no right to negotiate with other teams. They are "free" only in the sense that they're free to quit.
Franchise Free Agents (FFA)
A franchise player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at his position in the previous season, or a 20 percent salary increase, whichever is greater. This type of franchise player may negotiate with other clubs. His original club has seven days to match the offer and retain the player, or receive two first-round draft choices as compensation if the original club elects not to match.
