2010 Restricted Free Agents list: http://www.forums.theskyiscrape.com/etc/2010 Restricted Free Agents_.xls

====

I didn't want to litter the current thread with all this wonkish stuff, especially since the season isn't over yet and we should be focused on the present over there, so I'm going to put it in here for those that are curious. If the CBA is not altered or extended, there's some real important stuff to keep in mind, if you're curious about whether or not your team has some leverage over certain players.

Here's an article that explains some of it, and I'll pull some key details from it in a spoiler:

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2009/1/16/72 ... e-nfl-s-up

Spoiler: show

Quote:

Q. What determines an unrestricted free agent in the uncapped year?
A. In capped seasons (2008 and 2009), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent if he has four or more accrued seasons. In the uncapped year (2010), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent only if he has six or more accrued seasons. An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any club with no compensation owed to his old club.

Q. What determines whether a player is a restricted free agent in the “Final League Year?”
A.In capped seasons (2008 and 2009), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three accrued seasons. In the uncapped year (2010), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three, four or five accrued seasons. The rights of restricted free agents remain unchanged in the uncapped year.

In particular, this means that players from the 2005 and 2006 drafts could be screwed.

Quote:

Q. In addition to the right to designate a Franchise (or Transition) Player each capped year, can clubs designate additional players in the uncapped year?
A. Yes, one additional player can be tagged. In capped years (2008 and 2009), a club may designate a Franchise Player or a Transition Player. In the uncapped year (2010), a club may designate one additional Transition Player. A Transition Player must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player’s position or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater. 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 after his contract expires. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation.

Quote:

Q. Is there a Minimum Team Salary in the uncapped year?
A. There is no Minimum Team Salary in the uncapped year. The Minimum Team Salary in 2008 is $100,224,000, meaning each team is required to spend $100 million this year on player costs (not including benefits). The team salary cap in 2008 is $116 million.

No salary cap, and no salary floor, either. This means that a team like the Bengals can really pursue their cheap ways to new depths.

Quote:

Q. What is the Final Eight Plan?
A. During the uncapped 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. For the four clubs that lose 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.

Meaning, if your team needs to make some serious free agency additions, it might almost be better if they didn't win a playoff game. Weird, huh?

I'll use the Broncos as an example. They have six key free agents coming up: Kyle Orton, Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler, Ben Hamilton, Chris Kuper, and Elvis Dumervil. However, only Hamilton has more than six years of service in the league. If there is a new CBA, all of them become UFAs, which would royally suck, because they could only protect one of them via the franchise tag. If there is no new CBA, however, all of them but Hamilton would become RFAs instead, and the Broncos could match whatever offer another team makes, or at least get a draft pick for not matching. They could also use a franchise or transition tag on Hamilton to keep him on board.

In practice, what I think will happen is that there will be a lot of trades going on between RFAs and tagged players that teams would be willing to lose but want compensation for. For example, I don't think that McD will be interested in retaining Scheffler, but they'd like to get something for him. They could tender him at a high level (1st rounder, perhaps), but instead do a sign and trade with another team for a lesser value (say, a 2nd or 3rd).

Now, let's say the Broncos win a playoff game or get a first round bye. Let's also say that they're interested in signing UFA Vince Wilfork for next season, and the Pats don't franchise or transition tag him (which they probably will). In order to do so, I believe the Broncos would have to let a free agent go in order to be allowed to sign one. As such, they may have to let someone like Scheffler enter complete UFA status in order to be allowed to sign someone like Wilfork.

For the tl;dr'ers out there, it will be a very weird, and not very free, offseason if there isn't a new CBA. Still, as a Broncos fan I want it, because the only one of those six I think they can negotiate with without restriction is Orton.

thanks for putting this together GH.

like i was saying in the other thread, the pats have a number of FAs, most notably wilfork, who will be UFA no matter what happens. I didn't know about that one rule, but if the pats make the playoffs I'd hope for them to do real well b/c they're probably one of the few teams that might be at an advantage considering they're probably willing to let all of their UFAs walk and could therefore go after a number of replacements (should they be available) unlike other playoff teams (presumably).

And all this time I just thought every team could go wild and spend $$$ like there's no tomorrow regardless...kind of like how I used to think there were 8 Octobers...

foregt it i have no idea whats going on

I'm getting this up in the forefront since it's true for 30 of the teams in the league.

Here's one that I find interesting. Why do I have this feeling that Stallworth's going to end up on the Broncos in 2010?

viewtopic.php?p=2961208#p2961208

Donte Stallworth's Browns tenure likely drawing to a close as suspension ends
By Tony Grossi
January 23, 2010, 8:16PM
Scott Shaw / The Plain Dealer

Donte Stallworth's return to the NFL will come in February, but his time with the Browns is likely drawing short.

It will be the first major decision on a player to be made by the new Browns regime of President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert, and it will not be a hard one.

Stallworth was suspended on Aug. 13 after pleading guilty to DUI/manslaughter, a second-degree felony in Florida, as a result of striking and killing pedestrian Mario Reyes while under the influence of alcohol on March 14.

Goodell did the Browns a favor by suspending Stallworth for the season because it saved the Browns about $7.6 million of room on their 2009 salary cap.

The team, however, was legally bound to pay Stallworth a $4.5 million bonus, which he earned by being on the team's roster on March 13 -- the day before the accident. The final payment of that bonus was due on Jan. 10.

It is believed that most, if not all, of Stallworth's bonus money was used to pay the family of Reyes in a plea-bargain agreement with Florida prosecutors that avoided a lengthy jail term. He served 24 days in prison.

If the Browns re-instated Stallworth, his contract calls for another $1 million roster bonus on March 18 and a base salary in 2010 of $2.775 million. There are other bonuses worth $550,000 if Stallworth played the whole season.

So that's not going to happen.

Stallworth had about $25.2 million left on his Browns contract through 2014. He probably wasn't going to ever see all that money, even if the accident hadn't occurred.

There would be no impact on the salary cap by releasing him because the league is expected to abolish the salary cap system in March as a result of failed negotiations to extend the current labor agreement.

If by some unexpected development the league reaches an agreement and the salary cap system is maintained, Stallworth would count only $435,000 on the Browns' 2010 cap if released.

But he didn't come away empty-handed.

In addition to the $4.5 million roster bonus paid in 2009, Stallworth received a $4.5 million signing bonus in 2008. His base salary in '08 was $605,000. So the Browns paid Stallworth $9.605 million for one season. He played in 11 games and had 17 catches for 170 yards and one touchdown.

Sad thing is the guy would be the second best receiver on the team...for the two games he'd be healthy.

The Colts rushing attack is week. They drafted Donald Brown in the first round of last years draft, but Addi and Brown only totaled 1100 yards combined. I think the Colts need to go out and sign a veteran running back for next season. I think Stephen Jackson would fit in nice with the Colts.

I wonder if San Diego would want to take a flyer on Stallworth.

They have to pay Marcus Mcneill. I wonder if they really want to pay Vincent Jackson or maybe try and draft a replacement.

Stallworth will be a short term guy for low money from here on out where ever he is.

Both Jackson and McNeill are restricted free agents, so they can squat on them for a year.

I have an Excel sheet of all the significant restricted free agents out there--I should probably post that when I get home so we all know the proper statuses for everyone.

Yes please. The UFA class looks pretty weak, and I'm curious whether there's another Wes Welker out there.

Wow. I think everyone in the league is an RFA for next year. That list is staggering.

Here you go. I also put this in the header post:

2010 Restricted Free Agents list: http://www.forums.theskyiscrape.com/etc/2010 Restricted Free Agents_.xls

The players marked with an asterisk could be important. Those players were drafted in either the first or second round, and the teams might be able to tender them with the lowest possible amount, which demands compensation only in the form of the round they were drafted in, even though that compensation would result in a first or second rounder.

i think bob kraft should buy everybody available.

it'd make for a "competitive" camp.

The Vikings should just move on and draft Tim Tebow.

CHAN-TASTIC!

Monte Kiffin!! He took another coach from the bucs. I hate this guy. And his son is a such a little POS. Damn it. The bucs need all the help they can get too.

So it sounds like Warner is announcing his retirement on Friday, huh?

The Matt Leinart era begins (again)!

*Donovan McNabb

Too bad the one guy in Philly who still wants him on the team next year is Andy Reid.