NFL Free Agency 101

NFL Free Agency officially begins at 12:01 AM ET on Friday and there are many questions every year as to how the NFL free agency process works when it comes to Transition, and Franchised players. To answer some of these questions, I have put together your NFL free agency cheat sheet. This should be used as a point of reference, as I have obtained all of the information from the NFL and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

As stated previously, NFL free agency officially begins on Friday, February 27, and lasts until April 17 for restricted free agents, the players who will take part in this process are either designated "restricted" (RFA), or "unrestricted" free agents (UFA). Within these groups are designated "transition" and "franchise" players. Many players such as Albert Haynesworth and Julius Peppers have in the past or will be in the future designated franchise players. Such players are usually hoping that teams will open their wallets and give them a portion of their $123 million (2009 salary cap). The UFA’s signing period lasts from Friday until July 22. The designation of a restricted free agent occurs when said player has completed three seasons in which they have been on an NFL team’s active roster, on reserved-injured or "physically unable to perform" lists for six games. The player must also have an expired contract. The player must also receive a "qualifying" salary offer, which is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement from his team.

A RFA is a player who can negotiate with any team, and sign an offer sheet once terms of a contract are agreed upon. The player’s original club has the option to match the potential club’s offer sheet and retain the player. This is known as a team’s "right of first refusal,” but if the original club allows the player to go to the new club then the old club could possibly receive compensation in the form of draft-choices.

Unrestricted free agents are players who are classified almost exactly the same as RFAs, but instead of having three years of service on a roster, they have four. A UFA is allowed to sign with any team without the signing club sending compensation. There is a myth that a UFA is an UFA forever or until he has signed a contract with his previous or new club. This is not true, the truth is that on July 23, his rights revert back to his original team if the team made the player a "tender" offer which is 110% of his previous year’s salary prior to June 1. If there was no tender offered the player does remain a free agent throughout the season and is free to sign with anyone at any time.

Transition players are designated by the NFL CBA as a player who has been offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries at his position, these salaries are calculated from the previous season. The player could have also been offered 120 percent of his previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A transition player designation also gives the club a first-refusal right to match another club’s offer to the player within seven days of an offer sheet being signed. If the club matches, it retains the player. If the team does not match, it receives no compensation.


There are two types of franchise players, which are exclusive and non-exclusive. According to CBA an exclusive franchise player is not free to sign with another club and is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at his current position for the current year as of April 17. The player could have also been offered 120 percent of his previous year's salary, or the average of the top five salaries at his position as of the end of the previous season -- whichever of the three is greater. The CBA also states that a non-exclusive franchise player is one that is designated as a player who has been offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of the previous season at his position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary. The player can negotiate with other clubs, and if he reaches a deal with a new team, the old team can match the new team's offer. If the old team decides not to match the new offer they receive two first-round draft choices. If a team decides to withdraw the franchise tag or transition designations the player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent. When this action is taken, the club cannot name a new franchise or transition player in that year, but can in the following year.


Below you will find the difference in the 2008 season as opposed to 2009 season player contract negotiations. The reason for the difference is because the 2009 season is the last capped year of the current CBA:

 After the last game of the 2008 regular season, signing bonus proration was reduced from a maximum of six years to a maximum of five years.
 In 2009, there is no June 1 rule for Signing Bonus acceleration. If a player is removed from the roster or his contract is assigned via waivers or trade at any time in the 2009 League Year, any unamortized signing bonus will be immediately included in Team Salary.
 There is no year-end netting of incentives in 2009. Not-likely-to-be-earned incentives are charged to team salary immediately when earned, and likely-to-be-earned incentives are deducted when they are no longer possible to earn.
 Guaranteed salary from 2010 and beyond is reallocated to 2009 unless the entire 2009 salary is guaranteed.
 50% of guaranteed salary in any League Year beyond 2012 is reallocated to 2009.
 The 30% increase rule restricts salary increases from 2009 to 2010. For example: a player with a $500,000 salary in 2009 would be limited to annual salary increases of $150,000 ($500,000 x 30%) beginning in 2010.
 A team can include only three veteran team incentives in a player contract covering 2009 and beyond. These incentives must also be coupled with a playtime requirement. Previously, clubs were limited to eight team incentives and no playtime requirement.


2009 FRANCHISE PLAYERS

CLUB PLAYER POSITION
Arizona Karlos Dansby LB
Atlanta Michael Koenen P
Baltimore Terrell Suggs LB
Carolina Julius Peppers DE
Cincinnati Shayne Graham K
Houston Dunta Robinson DB
New England Matt Cassel QB
New York Giants Brandon Jacobs RB
Pittsburgh Max Starks T
San Diego Darren Sproles RB
St. Louis Oshiomogho Atogwe DB
Seattle Leroy Hill LB
Tampa Bay Antonio Bryant WR
Tennessee Bo Scaife TE


I hope that I have answered some of your questions about the free agency process in the NFL, if you have any further question please fell free to e-mail me and I will answer your questions.


Idiot Alert
"Reed caused damage to a towel dispenser as he was infuriated at the fact that there were no towels in it.''
--A Pennsylvania state police report accusing Steelers kicker Jeff Reed of going ballistic in a restroom of a convenience store 35 miles east of Pittsburgh at 2:50 a.m. one day two weeks and attacking a paper-towel dispenser.




Johnson is editor and contributor to The Sports Information Hub and can be contacted at johnsonthesportsguy@gmail.com