Restricted Free Agents and the Non capped year
by lifelongvike on Jan 21, 2010 10:09 AM EST
24 comments
I have been looking into this years restrictions on FAs and have seen a couple of posters make mistakes about what is and isn't possible to get one of these agents. I have used Askthecommish.com for most of my information. Lets review
The current CBA ( collective bargaining agreement) (Actual CBA Document) expires at the end of the 2010 season. The last year of the agreement is an uncapped year. In other words no team has a salary cap this year. In theory that would allow the profitable teams like Dallas to pay oodles of money to all of the top talent and the little teams would suffer. In order to keep the league from imploding ( like NHL) rules were put in place to limit the amount of Free agents available.
Here is how it works.
Previously any player that has played for 4 years becomes an Unrestricted free agent. A team could keep that player by
1) negotiating a new contract or
2) Placing a Franchise Tag on the player and paying him the average of the top 5 players at that position.( oodles)
In an uncapped year ( now) a player becomes an unrestricted free agent after his 5th year in the league. After 3 years the player becomes a Restricted Free Agent ( RFA) as soon as his original contract expires. An RFA can negotiate with any club he wants with certain restrictions. The restriction is as follows according to AsktheCommish.com
"The player's original team maintains the First Refusal Right if the team tenders a contract offer of one year at $1.01 M.
The player's original team maintains the Right of First Refusal and Draft Selection at the Player’s Original Draft Round (from the team with which he signs) if the team tenders an offer of one year at the same amount(s) listed above OR at least 110% of the player’s prior year’s salary -- whichever is greater.
The player's original team maintains the Right of First Refusal and Second Round Draft Selection (from the team with which he signs) if the team tenders an offer of one year at $$1.545 million OR at least 110% of the player’s prior year’s salary -- whichever is greater.
The player's original team maintains the Right of First Refusal and First Round Draft Selection (from the team with which he signs) if the team tenders an offer of one year at $2.198 million OR at least 110% of the player’s prior year’s salary -- whichever is greater.
The player's original team maintains the Right of First Refusal and First Round Draft Selection and Third Round Draft Selection (both from the team with which he signs) if the team tenders an offer of one year at $2.792 million OR at least 110% of the player's prior year’s salary -- whichever is greater.
The time frame for RFAs to complete their contract negotiations is April 16, 2010. The original club has until April 23, 2010 to exercise the right of first refusal. From these deadlines you can understand why any draft choices given up to acquire a player will come from the THIS YEARS DRAFT. So just to be clear. If a Team would give up a first round draft choice for Brandon Marshall that draft choice is from the 2010 draft.
If a team does not have the available draft choices it cannot negotiate and make an offer with the player.
The last piece of the puzzle is the number of free agents a team can sign. A team is not limited to signing unrestricted free agents unless they were one of the 8 teams in the NFL playoffs. The four finalist are only allowed to sign a UFA if they lose a UFA. They are also restricted to not pay more for the replacement than the player who they lost got paid.
The bottom four playoff teams can sign one more expensive UFA than they lose. They can only pay one new UFA more than 5 million in the first year of the contract. In other words they can sign one big-time Free Agent. They can sign as many UFAs for 3 million ,first year salary, as they can find, but that UFA will have annual salary increases limited in the contract.
As a final thought we should all realize that any team can tag an UFA as a "Franchise Player" . This means the player will get paid an average of the top 5 salaries ( based on this years contracts) for his position the next year. He must play for his team. If a player is tagged as "non exclusive franchise" he can negotiate with other teams but they have to pay 2- #1 draft picks.
This year each team will have one additional "Transition" tag they can use to keep a UFA on their team. Although a transition player gets a little less money ( average of top 10 salaries) he can negotiate with other teams like an RFA. No draft picks are awarded if the original team does not match the offer.
Now if a New CBA contract is signed one can expect the old rules of players becoming UFAs after 4 years to be the new rule. Same as it was. For this to happen a new CBA will have to be signed prior to February 17,2010. This is not likely.
Ths is just some information to help you in your process as a GM. Hope it helps.
Please feel free to post any corrections or clarifications.
The third piece of the puzzle is that each team is restricted to the number of FAs they can sign.
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How many Free agents can the top 8 teams sign?
that is what I want to know
2009 BTB Fantasy Champ... Deal with it
not alot
For every woman masturbating right now, there is a guy masturbating while imagining that woman masturbate.
2009 NY Phin PhansFantasy League Champion
2009 Best Regular Season Record in NYPPL.
The top 4 teams can sign only to replace the FAs they lose.
The bottom 4 top teams can replace everybody they lose. Plus as many as they can sign for under 3.3 million in the first year Plus one person for over 5,5 million in the first year. Go to ask the commish.com for details.
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 21, 2010 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
Nice Article and Nice Work LLV
I just want to include. At the end of your article, you talk about the deal unlikely getting done. I have to disagree, I dont know if you remenber the last time they had to come to a deal. The PA and Owners bluffed their way thru the 05 season and said a deal was unlikely. Knowing all along that a deal was for sure going to get done. This year is a little different because they want to rework the whole deal instead of just extending it. My point is they said the same thing last time and they even went as far as to extend the deadline to make sure a deal got done. I think this time is different but I wouldnt buy for a second the BS that Upshawa air-apearent has been saying. The players want the deal to get done, I would say it was 80-20% of a deal gettoing done in 05 and this year, I would say its 60-40. There are to many things riding on this for a deal to just be ignored. They will work on this new deal all the way up til April and if it isnt agreed upon, They will work one out before 2011. This is only the last year of the agreement, so it is uncapped. It wouldnt hurt at all if they didnt agree on one this year. Now, If they dont agree on a new deal after the 2010-11 season, The NFL will remain uncapped probably forever. Good article though and ive posted a link at the bottom if you want to read up a little more. You might have already read the post though.
http://nflplayers.com/images/fck/NFL%20COLLECTIVE%20BARGAINING%20AGREEMENT%202006%20-%202012.pdf
I ment 60-40% a deal gets done this year
by darwithabar on Jan 22, 2010 12:01 AM EST up reply actions
Good point
What I meant was I have my doubts on a deal getting done this year. I’m sure a deal will be in place next year. The uncapped year really hurts the small market teams but hurts the league as a whole. The extended restricted free agency hurts about 260 players. Revenue sharing among owners is the biggest issue and that has nothing to do with the players association. A whole lot of issues. Little time to get a deal done.
My earlier point was that if a deal isn’t done by February then the new FA rules kick in and I don’t think anything will change till at least next year.
Thanks for the link
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 22, 2010 6:33 AM EST up reply actions
I know
I wasnt trying to take away from your post. To be honest, I wish we had more posts that took thought. Alot of the posts on here are by random idiots that saw a mock draft on ESPN and wanted to duplicate it. lol. Good post and keep it up.
I don't think so...
I would say 20 – 80% that a deal is done this year… maybe 60 – 40% that they have one next year but that might be optimistic. Negotiations have been going absolutely nowhere.
by invisibulman on Jan 22, 2010 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
Thats exacctly how it went in 05
Actually, They have met more this time than they did all toegther in 05. They said the same exact stuff and people were scared but when it cam down to the deadline, They buckled down and we came up with the 60-40 split between players and owners. The big difference now is the owners are organized, They want to bring it back to a 50-50 split and the players arent having it. They will meet in the middle before the 2011 season. They have to meet in 2011, its no maybe for 2011. If they dont meet, then we dont watch football.
Thats only half the issue
As I see it here are the issues between the owners and the players and each other.
Actually this might be a good post on its own. I’ll think about it.
Owner to Owner- Profitable teams contribute money to Unprofitable teams. Owners making money don’t like to give to their competitors. Nothing can get done until the owners figure this out between themselves.
Owner to Player—
Still a difference on salary cap and salary minimums
Still a difference on rookie minimums
Still a difference in the definition of “revenue” for revenue sharing purposes
Player to Player
Rookie Salary cap issues
UFA/RFA/Franchise Tag differences exist between the players
This is why I wouldn’t give it more than a 25% chance of a new contract this year. Plus the owners can dump salary before the next contract and new salary cap restrictions.
I would give a new contract next year a 99% chance of passage. No one is going to F-Up the best business in the USA during a recession.
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 23, 2010 2:49 PM EST up reply actions
My understanding is that the players
union took on the health care issues for their members last year. The owners kick in X amount of money and the players distribute it. The only issue is how much. Standard operating bargaining issue. But your right. Its one more log on the fire.
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 24, 2010 7:52 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah the whole concussion thing
As well as the retirement discrepancy isn’t going away. I imagine the players will use these things as chips, in that they are huge public issues as well.
This a very good Post good work
But help me understand a little better.. following up on your example of Brandon Marshall
Marshall is a RFA, A team offers him more than 2.792 million. Denver could match their offer and if Denver matched the offer, Marshall would be required to stay in denver. If Denver fails to match the offer, The team tendering the offer would be required to give Denver their 1st and 3rd choices in 2011. Is this how it work.
Brando and Free Agency
Brandon is a great example to use because he is expected to be sought after. Lets use him and see if we can make sense of this.
Brandon has not been in the league for 5 years and his contract is up. He is a restricted free agent.
Denver can designate him as a Franchise player.( eclusive or non-exclusive), Transitional Player, Rfa, or if they do nothing he becomes a UFA.
No matter what Denver does none of these options will extend his contract in Denver for more than one year. Only a negotiated new contract will do that. So Denver must decide how much he is worth. The options are:
Desiginate a Franchise Player- Paid the average of the top 5 at his position as of this coming April. ( oodles)
Designate a Transition Player- Average of top 10 players at position
Offer him a contract as a RFA and designate one of the contract provisions listed in the article. I assume they will want the most out of him
1) 1st and 3rd pick -Salary of 2.792 Mil
After they make this designation Brandon can negotiate with whoever for however much he wants. Lets say he gets an offer of 5 years- 20 mil- 5 mil signing bonus.
Denver now how the option to match. If they don’t then the new team pays Brandon and Denver gets a 1st and third pick next year.
If they Franchise him no team can negotiate with him unless they designate as “non-exclusive” or a Transitional player. In that case Denver could get two #1s from the new team.
The problem with this process is that in invariably pisses the players off. Brandon is relegated to accepting a one year deal for less than he is worth. He might get injured, go to jail, ect. Never get his big payday. No matter what Denver does he won’t be happy. Of course they can negotiate a new contract but the two sides don’t see eye to eye and I’m sure they don’t agree on Brandons Value.
Hope that helps
2) 1s
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
Brandon and free Agency
thanks that helps a lot
Are you thinking the Ravens might go after him?
I’m always amazed when fans say “we’ll get em in free agency” So few players are true Unrestricted free agents. And a team can only pick up one RFA because they don’t have enough draft choices to get more than one. But I’m thinking you guys stroke a check and the draft picks. Who are you going to get thats better? An untested Rookie? Its a high price to pay but if you don’t I think the Cowboys will dump Williams and pick up Marshall.
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 23, 2010 4:31 PM EST up reply actions
Of course they are restricted to only one FA this year under 5.5 Mil
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 23, 2010 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
Of course so are You>
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 23, 2010 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
Brandon and free agency
No, I do not believe we go after him. High price- character issues and Ravens are a top 8 team.
Ravens will not be able to pick up a better Wr, but will not commit the resourses to pursue him.
Ravens will continue to be a run first / defence team
In the draft, I suspect they pick up two wr’s (one early) and a TE who can catch in the mid to late rounds and HOPE that Mason comes back
by Captain who on Jan 23, 2010 11:00 PM EST up reply actions
Please look below. We have determined that I was wrong about the draft pick year.
Picks for Brandon would be from the 2010 Draft.
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
by lifelongvike on Jan 24, 2010 10:22 AM EST up reply actions
Correction
If a team signs a RFA before April 17, 2010 and the original team does not match the original team gets the draft pikcs IN THE CURRENT YEAR’S DRAFT.
Logically it makes sense or they would not have the deadline right before the draft.
From wikipedia …
In the National Football League, a restricted free agent (RFA) is one with three accrued seasons of service, who has received a “qualifying” offer (a salary level predetermined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players) from his current club. He can negotiate with any club through a certain date. If the restricted free agent accepts an offer sheet from a new club, his old club has “right of first refusal,” a seven-day period in which it may match the offer and retain him, or choose not to match the offer, in which case it may receive one or more draft picks for the upcoming draft from the player’s new club. If an offer sheet is not executed, the player’s rights revert to his old club the day after negotiations must end.
Also, the final four teams can only sign as many free agents as they lose (not cut but signed by another team). The divisioonal round losers can sign more than they lose …
Q. What is the Final Eight Plan?
A. During the Final League Year, the eight clubs that make the Divisional Playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign unrestricted free agents from other clubs. In general, the four clubs participating in the championship games are limited in the number of free agents that they may sign; the limit is determined by the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs. They cannot sign any UFAs unless one of theirs is signed by another team.
For the four clubs that lost in the Divisional Playoffs, in addition to having the ability to sign free agents based on the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs, they may also sign players based on specific financial parameters. Those four only will be permitted to sign one unrestricted free agent for $5.5 million (estimated) or more in year one of the contract, plus the number of their UFAs who sign with another team. They also can sign any unrestricted free agents for less than $3.7 (estimated) million in year one of the contract with limitations on the per year increases.
In the case of all final eight teams, the first year salary of UFAs they sign to replace those lost cannot exceed the first year salary of the player lost with limitations on the per year increases.
So for a team like my Vikings, we will not be able to sign any players unless one of ours is signed somewhere else and for not for more money. So it will basically be nothing to get excited about for the Vikings.
Thank You Mark
But how can the draft picks come from the current year when the last deadline is after the draft. I think when it says upcoming draft it means the draft in the next April. I could be wrong. Of course Wikipedia has been known to have issues also. Appreciate the heads up.
I think with no salary cap all of the FA this year will be high priced. I imagine no one of very great worth will go for less than the 5.5.Million restricted for the top 8 teams. Especially if signing bonus’s are considered first years salary.
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
RFA and draft pick deadlines
As MarkSP18 pointed out the draft picks could come form this year. I had not thought that possible with the deadlines. It appeared that the 7 day time period for a club to accept or reject an offer came after the draft. Therefore how could it be this years draft. This answer seems to be in a floating date (allowed by the contract) to insure that this situation does not happen.
This is from the This is straight from the NFLPA website regarding RFA according to one blogger.
“RFA tenders are one-year offers that must be made on or before the last day of the year in which the player’s contract expires.”
“Each RFA has from the first day of the league year until a week before the NFL Draft in April to sign an offer sheet with a new club. If an offer sheet is agreed to, then the player’s prior club has seven days to match the offer. If the offer is not matched, the club would receive the applicable draft choice compensation described above.”
So I stand corrected and will change the original post. My apologies to Captain Who and thanks to MarkSP18
Winning is not everything but it sure feels like it sometimes
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