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"Final Eight" plan doesn't apply to restricted free agents
Posted by Mike Florio on January 12, 2010 10:59 AM ET
Now that the final eight teams of the 2009 season have been set, we recently laid out the specific provisions that prevent the NFL's quarterfinalists from cornering the market on unrestricted free agents in the coming uncapped year.
But here's an important point to keep in mind -- the limitations of the "Final Eight" plan apply only to unrestricted free agents.
So when it comes to the men whose contracts have expired but who haven't finished six NFL seasons (up from four in capped years), the final eight teams may jump into the bidding, limited only by whether they have the draft picks available to compensate the teams that hold the rights to the restricted free agents under consideration.
So if, for example, the Colts win the Super Bowl and they want to pursue Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, the Colts will be able to do it without waiting for someone to sign one of their free agents. Though it might take a first-round pick and a third-round pick to get Austin, the Colts can break the bank, if they so choose, knowing that they'd be giving up only the 32nd and 96th picks in the draft to get him.
Posted by Mike Florio on January 12, 2010 10:59 AM ET
Now that the final eight teams of the 2009 season have been set, we recently laid out the specific provisions that prevent the NFL's quarterfinalists from cornering the market on unrestricted free agents in the coming uncapped year.
But here's an important point to keep in mind -- the limitations of the "Final Eight" plan apply only to unrestricted free agents.
So when it comes to the men whose contracts have expired but who haven't finished six NFL seasons (up from four in capped years), the final eight teams may jump into the bidding, limited only by whether they have the draft picks available to compensate the teams that hold the rights to the restricted free agents under consideration.
So if, for example, the Colts win the Super Bowl and they want to pursue Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, the Colts will be able to do it without waiting for someone to sign one of their free agents. Though it might take a first-round pick and a third-round pick to get Austin, the Colts can break the bank, if they so choose, knowing that they'd be giving up only the 32nd and 96th picks in the draft to get him.