Restricted Free Agency questions.

[EastDallasCowboy]

I probably should have brough this up a few days ago, and I've looked around for other threads about it and see nothing.

Can someone explain to me how exactly this works?

Turner just got tendered a 1st and a 3rd. Which, if I understand correctly, means that if anyone signs him away from the Chargers they have to give up a 1st and a 3rd...right?

-How did it end up 1st and 3rd? Can they just name their price? What's to stop them from making it 35 1st round picks?

-What kind of financial offer are they required to make, or can they simply offer him the minimum and tag him with those picks? Seems like this is a cheaper way to franchise a player.

-Did the NFL make a rule banning the "poison pill" clauses that were so prevalent last off-season, or are those still in play?

Appreciate any answers. Thanks.

 

[BigDFan5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restricted_Free_Agent

 

[AbeBeta]

-Did the NFL make a rule banning the "poison pill" clauses that were so prevalent last off-season, or are those still in play?

No - the league didn't want to give anything to the union in exchange for the agreement -- so poison pills are still in play.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Something it seems like people forget sometimes is that a team can always match the offer and keep the player. It's not just a matter of another team coming in and stealing your player, and then you have to settle for the picks at the tender level. You can always pony up and keep your player.

So RFAs usually only leave when a team has made an offer that's way out of line from what the original team thinks he's worth.

 

[bayarealightning]

Something it seems like people forget sometimes is that a team can always match the offer and keep the player. It's not just a matter of another team coming in and stealing your player, and then you have to settle for the picks at the tender level. You can always pony up and keep your player.

So RFAs usually only leave when a team has made an offer that's way out of line from what the original team thinks he's worth.

Actually, Minnesota used a poison pill to keep Seattle from matching their offer. What they did was put in a clause in the offer which stated that Hutchinson's deal would be completely guaranteed if he was not the highest paid offensive linman on the team by X date. Well, the offer was less than Walter Jones made and the only way Seattle would have been able to match the offer was for Jones to give back some money. The Players Assoc. wasn;t going for a player giving up some money and Seattle wasn't going to guarantee a player $60 Mil. plus, so they had to let him leave. That is what I was saying about Michael Turner's situation. If the tender was for a 1st rounder, Denver or Baltimore could have made an offer with such a clause and the Chargers couldn't match because LT is the highest paid RB in the league. Thus, to keep Turner away from teams like Denver and Baltimore, the Chargers made a tender that they expect nobody to bite. Now, they are free to trade Turner to any team and any compensation that they like.