NEW YORK -- The National Football League today announced that 444 players are free agents who now can negotiate with all 32 clubs.
The free agents include nine players who this year were designated by their clubs as non-exclusive “franchise" players. A franchise player is a special category for restricted and unrestricted free agents. The deadline for making these designations for 2009 was February 19.
Five other players – Atlanta punter Michael Koenen, New England quarterback Matt Cassel, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Pittsburgh tackle Max Sarks and Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Bryant – were designated as non-exclusive franchise players but have already signed their contracts.
There are two types of franchise players. 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 for the current year as of April 17, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s 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. There are no exclusive franchise player designations this year.
The second type of franchise player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of last season at his position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary. This “non-exclusive” franchise player may negotiate with other clubs. His original club may match and retain the player, or receive two first-round draft choices as compensation if it decides not to match a new club’s offer.
Each club is permitted one franchise designation in any year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. A franchise player may sign a multiyear contract with his current club until July 15. 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 first-refusal right to match within seven days 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 last season at the player’s position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater. There are no transition player designations this year.
A club may withdraw a franchise or transition designation and the player then automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent either immediately or when his contract expires. The club cannot name a new franchise or transition player that year. It can name a new franchise or transition player the next year.
Unrestricted veteran free agents (UFA) are players who have completed four or more accrued seasons of service (six or more regular-season games on a club’s active/inactive, reserve-injured, or “physically unable to perform” lists constitutes an accrued season) and whose contracts have expired. They 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 to these players. Teams will have until the Tuesday after the 10th week of the season (November 17) to sign their unrestricted veteran free agents to whom a tender was made on June 1. If the player does not sign by November 17, he must continue to sit out for the remainder of the season. If a June 1 tender is not made to an unrestricted free agent, he continues to be free to sign with any club.
Restricted free agents (RFA) are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until April 17, at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it can possibly receive draft-choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer.
The signing period for unrestricted free agents began today (February 27) and concludes on July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later). The signing period for restricted free agents also began today but concludes on April 17.
NFL Veteran Free Agency Movement, 1998-2008
Veteran Free Agents Who Signed With New Teams (By Year)
| Category | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted | 110 | 115 | 107 | 93 | 130 | 111 | 124 | 104 | 149 | 126 | 132 |
| Restricted | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Transition | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Franchise | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 117 | 118 | 111 | 97 | 131 | 117 | 126 | 107 | 154 | 130 | 135 |
Following is a list of free agents by club in four different categories:
- 55 restricted free agents who received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are subject to the first refusal/compensation system of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The old club has a right of first refusal to all players listed below. Compensation is as listed in the column on the right. If the old club has only a right of first refusal but is not entitled to any compensation, the designation "ROFR" appears in the column. In order to submit an offer sheet, a new club must have available the required choice or choices, defined as its own or better choices in the applicable rounds, in the 2009 NFL Draft. Offer sheets may be submitted to an old club by no later than 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on Friday, April 17.
- 9 players with three or more accrued seasons who have been designated as franchise players. The old club has a right of first refusal to the players listed below and compensation of two first-round draft choices. In order to submit an offer sheet, a new club must have available the required choices, defined as its own or better choices in the first round in the 2009 and 2010 NFL Drafts (or 2010 and 2011 NFL Drafts, if applicable). Offer sheets may be submitted to an old club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th regular-season weekend (November 17).
- 336 unrestricted free agents with four or more accrued seasons. The players in this category may be signed by any club in the league until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first training camp, whichever is later), with no rights of any character held by the old club.
- 44 players with fewer than four accrued seasons who received no qualifying offer or no minimum tender from their old club. The players in this category may be signed immediately with no rights of any character held by the old club. There is no signing deadline applicable to these players.
RELATED LINKS:
- FREE AGENCY HOME: More information on the Falcons 2009 free agents
- QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: More on free agency in this FAQ
- NFL.COM: Free agency news from NFL.com
- TRANSACTIONS: Click here for a list of Falcons official transactions from 2001 to present
- IMPORTANT DATES: Key days in the 2009 NFL Offseason
