Free Agency in the NFL
Free agency links |
Draft links
Raiders free agents |
2008 Raiders draft picks
Free agency links |
Draft links
Raiders free agents |
2008 Raiders draft picks
Free agency refers to a player's right to negotiate a playing contract with any team he chooses. This is in contrast to the normal NFL rule that a player's team owns all rights to contract with that player to play in the NFL.
A player's right to free agency depends in general on how many years he has played in the NFL1, as follows:
0-2 years Not eligible for free agency—termed an "" (must accept what the "owning" club offers or not play in the NFL at all) 3 years 4 or more years
Unrestricted free agents can negotiate with any other team without limitation.
A few players, designated unrestricted-first refusal, who would otherwise be unrestricted free agents, have negotiated rights of first refusal with their old clubs on an individual basis. In such an instance the player's old club has a contractual right to match any offer from a new team (within a specific period of time, generally a few days) and thus retain the player under contract.
Restricted free agents (RFAs) can negotiate with any other team, and sign an offer sheet from another team, but their current teams retain a right to match any other team's offer within 7 days of receipt of the offer sheet, in which case they must remain with their current team. If the current team refuses to match an offer, the league can determine appropriate compensation from the new team in the form of draft picks.
The compensation rules for RFAs, which have always been more complex than those for UFAs, were made more so by the CBA modifications enacted in 2006. Previously there were three levels at which teams could tender their RFA players, with the compensation should they elect not to match another team's offer ranging from a relatively low draft pick, or perhaps even none at all (low tender) to as high as a first- and third-rounder (high tender). The modified CBA added a fourth, intermediate tender level, providing for compensation of a second-round pick. Here are the tender levels and corresponding compensation amounts for 2008:
| Tender amount | Compensation required |
|---|---|
| $2.562 million | First- and third-round draft picks |
| $2.017 million | First-round draft pick |
| $1.417 million | Second-round draft pick |
| $927,000 | Determined by RFA's original draft status (see below) |
(Click here for 2007 tender levels; scroll to the foot of the article.)
Each player that signs a tender receives the one-year salary that corresponds to the tender level. Teams which choose not to match an offer on a player with a low tender receive a draft pick corresponding to the round in which the player was originally drafted (except that the highest pick that can be surrendered for such a tender is a second-round pick). For example, a sixth-round pick would be required to sign an RFA drafted in the sixth round. No compensation is required for an undrafted player on the lowest tender amount, so teams with valued undrafted RFAs are taking a notable risk by offering such tenders.
2008 Raiders examples: DT Josh Shaw was originally drafted in the fifth round. Tendered at the low level of $927,000 by the Raiders, if Oakland had chosen not to match an offer for Shaw he would have brought a fifth-round pick as compensation. CB-S Chris Carr, on the other hand, was undrafted out of college. When the Raiders chose not to match the offer sheet he signed with Tennessee, they received no compensation since they tendered him at the low level of $927,000.
There are several special categories of players—both restricted and unrestricted free agents—whose movements are limited. These are franchise and transition players. The deadline for making these player designations for 2008 is February 21 at 4:00 p.m. EST. See the NFL calendar on this site.
There are two types of franchise players, exclusive and non-exclusive. Clubs retain exclusive negotiating rights to an "exclusive" franchise player by committing to a minimum offer of the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of the end of the restricted free agent signing period on April 18, or a 20 percent increase over his 2007 salary, or the average of the top five salaries at his position as of the end of last season—whichever of the three is greater. Other clubs cannot negotiate with exclusive franchise players.
One exclusive franchise player has been named this year—Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha—and Raider Charles Woodson was designated an exclusive franchise player in 2004.
The second type of franchise player, a "non-exclusive" franchise player, is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at his position in the 2007 season, or a 20 percent salary increase, whichever is greater. This type of franchise player may negotiate with other clubs. His original club may match the offer and retain the player, or receive two first-round draft choices as compensation if the original club elects not to match.
(In 2007, seven players were given the franchise designation—Bears LB Lance Briggs, Seahawks PK Josh Brown, Colts DE Dwight Freeney, Saints DE Charles Grant, Lions DT Cory Redding, Patriots CB Asante Samuel, and Bengals DE Justin Smith. Of that group, only Freeney was designated as an "exclusive" franchise player. Freeney, Grant and Redding were subsequently signed to long-term contracts; the other four are expected to become free agents Feb. 29.)
The cost of applying a non-exclusive franchise tag in 2008 may be found here. The exact cost of applying an exclusive franchise tag can't be ascertained until the restricted free agent signing period ends for the current year, since the highest tender to which the player is entitled typically will be the average of the current year's top five salaries at that position as opposed to the previous year's top five. For 2008, that date will be April 18 at midnight EST.
Each club is permitted one franchise designation in any year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).2 If a franchise player signs a multi-year contract with his current club between Feb. 22 and July 15, the club retains its franchise player designation for the following league year. After July 15, any contract signed by a franchise player can only be for one year.
Also, a club may designate a transition player in lieu of a franchise player in any year when the franchise designation is available. A transition player designation gives the club a right of first refusal, i.e., the right to match an offer sheet given to the player by another club. To designate a transition player, the club must offer a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of 2007 at the player's position, or a 20 percent salary increase, whichever is greater.
One transition player has been designated for 2008, Steelers T Max Starks. No transition players were named for 2007.
The cost of applying a transition tag in 2008 may be found here.
In the event a player retires, suffers a career-ending injury or is otherwise unavailable due to non-football circumstances, a club has the right to designate another franchise or transition player.
A club may withdraw a franchise or transition designation at any time. The player then becomes an unrestricted free agent when that withdrawal occurs, and the team can use one of the designations on another player at the appropriate time. (Raiders fans may remember 1996, when Oakland designated LT Gerald Perry as a transition player, then abruptly withdrew the tag and released Perry after trading for Pat Harlow.)
All players not falling into one of the above categories, as well as those who are not tendered an offer by their current teams, are free to sign with any club without their current team receiving compensation.
Some further fine print on franchise and transitional designations can be found here.
N.B.: When free agency begins depends on your time zone. It commences at 12:01 a.m. Feb. 29 Eastern time, but that is equal to 9:01 p.m. the evening before, Feb. 28, in Alameda. In the following discussion of time frame we've used the EST date. Also, dates beyond April 18 are largely guesswork, as the league has not issued its calendar for 2008 beyond the owners meetings in May.
Time frame of free agency for 2008: For restricted free agents, from Feb. 29 to April 18; for unrestricted free agents and transition players, from Feb. 29 to July 15 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later); and for franchise players, from Feb. 29 through the 10th week of the season (some time in November).
Additional info:
2006 NFL Free Agency Q & A (NFL.com) (N.B. As of 12/30/07, this page no longer exists and NFL.com hasn't yet replaced it. At such time as they do, rest assured we'll put an updated link here.)
Salary Cap 101 (Scout.com, Feb. 8, 2007)
Salary Cap 101 - Free Agents (Scout.com, Feb. 9, 2007)
FRANCHISE TAG VERSUS TRANSITION TAG - click on the link, then click on white text area in center column, then use your browser's search key to find the capitalized string - highly informative discussion, including changes wrought by the CBA '06 extension
(Rumor Mill [ProFootballTalk.com], Feb. 13, 2007)
Sources: National Football League, ESPN.com, NFL.com, raiders.scout.com, Wikipedia, BuffaloBills.com
1. The contract under which athletes play in the NFL (the "Collective Bargaining Agreement" or "CBA") actually defines years of experience using the term "accrued seasons of service," with somewhat arcane rules for defining what constitutes enough roster time in any given year to constitute an accrued season. Accrued seasons are also important for purposes of determining which players are eligible for a team's practice squad.
2. The CBA was extended and, in the process, extensively re-worked in early 2006, with the signing taking place March 3, 2006. ESPN.com published an article on NFLPA President Gene Upshaw on March 29 with a sidebar which included a list of many of the changes. We have done our utmost to reflect the current rules as accurately as possible, but reader comments and/or corrections are welcome at the mail link which appears below.
Last updated Saturday, April 19, 2008
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