Why is it good to wait until after Week One to sign FA vets?

[igtmfo]

Please disabuse me of my ignorance.

Why wait until after Game One (it is the first game, right?) to sign a free agent veteran? ... All I remember is that teams save money by waiting for this date before signing veterans on the street. Do I have this much right?

Scenario: a guy like Hodge .. you put him on the 53 at final cutdowns, wait a few weeks and if he doesn't respond to treatment, you put him on IR and sign a free agent veteran, if anybody is out there worth taking. I guess with all of our injuries there are other such possibilities.

Thanks to the "knowledge brothers" here, in advance ...

 

[KingintheNorth]

Please disabuse me of my ignorance.

Why wait until after Game One (it is the first game, right?) to sign a free agent veteran? ... All I remember is that teams save money by waiting for this date before signing veterans on the street. Do I have this much right?

Scenario: a guy like Hodge .. you put him on the 53 at final cutdowns, wait a few weeks and if he doesn't respond to treatment, you put him on IR and sign a free agent veteran, if anybody is out there worth taking. I guess with all of our injuries there are other such possibilities.

Thanks to the "knowledge brothers" here, in advance ...

If a player is signed after a certain date his contract is not guaranteed.

 

[silverbear]

If you sign a player before week 1, his entire season's contract is guaranteed, so if you subsequently cut him, you still have to pay him, and you still have that money committed to the cap...

If you sign a veteran after week 1, you can if you choose cut him at any subsequent date and not have to pay him any more money, and not have the remainder of his contract count against the cap...

 

[AdamJT13]

If you sign a player before week 1, his entire season's contract is guaranteed

That applies only to veterans who have already played at least four years in the NFL.

Also, the only thing guaranteed is his base salary for that season.