Free Agency Signing Period Begins; 517 Players Become Free Agents

517 PLAYERS BECOME FREE AGENTS

The National Football League today announced that 517 players are free agents who now can negotiate with all 32 clubs.

Players are either “restricted” or “unrestricted” free agents.  Within the categories are also “franchise” and “transition”

players.  No players were designated as transition players this year.

The time period for free agency signings in 2017:

• Restricted Free Agents – March 9 to April 21.
• Unrestricted Free Agents (who have received May 9 tender from prior club) – March 9 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).

• Franchise Players – March 9 to November 14, the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season.

A list of free agents by club in various categories:

Restricted free agents who received qualifying offers from their prior clubs and are subject to the first refusal/compensation system of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement:

If a player in this category receives an offer from a new club to sign a player contract for the 2017 season or for 2017 and future seasons, which the player desires to accept, the offer must be set forth in an offer sheet, signed by both the new club and the player, and must be substantially in the form of Appendix B of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement.  The new club then must immediately: hand deliver the offer sheet, or send it by overnight mail, or by electronic mail in .pdf form (in each case a confirmation copy shall also be sent by first class mail) to the prior club, to the attention of the club’s president or general manager. The new club must send copies of the offer sheet to the National Football League Players Association and to the National Football League using the above described delivery procedures.  If the offer sheet is hand delivered, the new club should obtain an acknowledgement of receipt.  In addition, the new club shall notify the league office of the terms of an offer sheet immediately upon delivery to a prior club.

The prior club has a right of first refusal to all players listed above.  Draft choice compensation is as listed in the column on the right.  If the prior club has only a right of first refusal and is therefore not entitled to any compensation, the designation “ROFR” appears in that column.  In order to submit an offer sheet, a new club must have available the required selection choice, defined as its own or better choice in the applicable rounds, in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Offer sheets may be submitted to a prior club until 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on Friday, April 21.

Players with three or more accrued seasons who have been designated as franchise players:

The prior club has a right of first refusal to the players listed above and compensation of two No. 1 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 2017 and 2018 NFL Drafts.  Offer sheets must be submitted to a prior club prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the Tuesday following the 10th regular season weekend.

Unrestricted Free Agents with four or more accrued seasons:

In the event that a player in this category has not signed a player contract with a club by July 22, 2017 or the first scheduled day of the first 2017 NFL training camp, whichever is later, he may negotiate or sign a player contract from July 22 until the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season, at 4:00 p.m., New York time, only with his prior club, provided that the prior club has extended such player a May 9 tender under Article 9, Section 1(b)(i) of the CBA, as amended.

In the event the player has not signed a player contract with a club by May 9, 2017, and if his prior club has not extended the player a May 9 tender or has withdrawn the tender, the player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a player contract with any club with no signing deadline applicable to such player.

# Player is a non-compensable unrestricted free agent.

Players with fewer than four accrued seasons who received no qualifying offer or minimum tender from their prior clubs:

The players in this category may sign a player contract with any club without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, draft choice compensation between clubs or first refusal rights of any kind, or any signing period.