NFL Free Agency: Unrestricted Players Sign Now

0:00For the NFL, it's March 6th, and here's what's going on. NFL Free Agency is one of the most exciting times on the league calendar. It kicks off with the legal tampering period on Monday, March 9th, and noon Eastern Time. That's when teams can start negotiating with agents of players whose contracts are expiring. Deals then become official on Wednesday at 4pm Eastern Time. There are two main types of free agents, restricted and unrestricted. Restricted free agents have three accrued seasons, while unrestricted ones have four or more. And a crew season means a player was on the active list, injured reserve, or similar for at least six regular season games. For restricted free agents, if they sign an offer sheet with a new team, the old team gets a chance to match it. If they don't match, they might get draft pick compensation based on the offer size. Unrestricted free agents can sign anywhere right away, unless tagged. Teams have to be salary cap compliant by 4pm Eastern Time on March 11th.

1:01They can carry over 100% of any unused cap room from last year, but they need to notify the league right after the final regular season. Ganym, the cutoff for free agents not counting toward next year's compensatory picks, is the first Tuesday after the draft. Restricted free agents can be signed until April 17th, and qualifying offer amounts start around $3.5 million for basic rights. This episode is brought to you by our sponsor, See the episode description. It is a pillow that plays your podcast and music without earbuds, built for listening and bed. S-O-L-L-I-SoliPillow.com.