Free Agency Signing Period Begins; 453 Players Become Free Agents

The National Football League today announced that 453 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”

The time period for free agency signings in 2015:

•  Restricted Free Agents – March 10 to April 24.

•  Unrestricted Free Agents (who have received June 1 tender from prior club) – March 10 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).

•  Franchise Players – March 10 to November 17, the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season.

•  Transition Players – March 10 to July 22.

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 new club reaches an agreement with a player in this category for the 2015 season or for 2015 and future seasons, the agreement 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 by NFLnet 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.  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 the column.  In order to submit an offer sheet, a new club must have available the required choice, defined as its own or better choice in the applicable rounds, in the 2015NFL Draft.

Offer sheets may be submitted to a prior club until 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on Friday, April 24.

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 2015 and 2016 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.

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

The old club has a Right of First Refusal but no right of compensation to the player listed above.  If a new club reaches an agreement with the player in this category, it may follow the offer sheet procedure described above, except that offer sheets must be submitted to the prior club until 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on July 22.

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 or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later, in the league year following the expiration of his last player contract, he may negotiate or sign a player contract from July 22 until the Tuesday following the 10^th 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 June 1 tender under Article 9, Section 1(b)(i) of the CBA.

In the event the player has not signed a player contract with a club by June 1 of the league year following the expiration of his last player contract, and if his prior club has not extended the player a June 1 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.

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 be signed with no rights of any character held by the prior club.  There is no signing deadline applicable to these players.